⛺ Making tents 🌍 Supporting missions by work 💼 Working while serving

tentmaking

8.9

Relating to earning money by a normal job while doing religious activities

adjective
/ˈtɛntˌmeɪkɪŋ/

Jargon

: trabajo de apoyo

Many modern missionaries use a tentmaking approach to support themselves while serving abroad.

Examples

Her tentmaking role as a teacher allowed her to live and work in the country legally.
The organization encourages tentmaking professionals to share their skills and faith in new communities.
Many missionaries engage in tentmaking to fund their projects.
She found tentmaking to be a fulfilling way to support her ministry.
Many modern missionaries use a tentmaking approach to support themselves while serving abroad.
The organization encourages tentmaking professionals to share their skills and faith in new communities.
Her tentmaking role as a teacher allowed her to live and work in the country legally.

Surface Forms

tentmaking positive

Morphology

tentmaking = tent + making (semi-transparent) = tent + making

Formed from 'tent' + 'making' but the specialized sense 'supporting missionary work by secular employment' is a figurative and community-specific extension not directly inferable by all learners.

Etymology

Tentmaking comes from the words tent ('a simple shelter') and making ('making or earning a living') and from the example of Paul in the Bible who worked as a tentmaker. So a tentmaking approach means supporting mission or volunteer work by a normal job.