Digital Nomad vs Virtual Tentmaker
What are they? What do they do?
Digital Nomad vs Virtual Tentmaker. What’s the difference?
By now, most of us know what a Digital Nomad is but here’s a brief description. A Digital Nomad is someone who works remotely online and is location independent, meaning they do not have a fixed location. They move from place to place and sometimes even country to country.
And no, this isn’t one of those “do it while you’re young” things. The average age of a digital nomad is 38. Frequent travel and schedule flexibility used to be a retirement dream but it’s becoming more and more viable to create this type of lifestyle. In this post-Covid, remote work world, the amount of Digital Nomads in the world is projected to increase to a billion by 2035.
So what does this mean for Tentmakers?
First, let’s define Tentmaking. The Bible says in Acts 18:1-4, Apostle Paul supports himself and his ministry with money made by making tents. This is where the term “tentmaking” was born. For Paul, it was making literal tents to support himself while on mission. For modern day Christians, the term tentmaker is used to describe any Christian who financially supports themselves while living a life on mission.
Paul made tents in the communities that he visited. Through his work and without the need for financial support from others, Paul tentmaker, had the flexibility to move and travel as God called him to. In doing this, Paul made tentmaking a ministry of its own. Tentmaker Paul shared the Gospel of Jesus as he made tents and used the money he earned to not only support himself but also to benefit the broader communities that he was in. His work became part of his ministry. His work became a service to the body of Christ, the Church.
Tentmakers exist all over the world today. There are many Christians who use their income, jobs, and businesses to further the Kingdom. But what if we could combine the perks of being a Digital Nomad with Tentmaking?
The digital age has created new possibilities for tentmaking.
Enter: Virtual Tentmakers.
The biggest, and most important, difference between Digital Nomads and Virtual Tentmakers is their purpose. Digital Nomads may be defined as expats who earn an income through remote work, but Virtual Tentmakers are people who work remotely while still on mission. A Virtual Tentmaker’s primary purpose is always to further the Kingdom.
To some people, this may sound like a luxurious lifestyle, free to move and go about as you please. And while it’s true that being location independent can be a blessing, the entire purpose of tentmaking is not that you are free to serve yourself, but you are free to serve God, free to move as He pleases, without the restrictions typically found in a traditional lifestyle. And if you’re already a follower of God, you know that He doesn’t always call us to things that we want to do, and He often doesn’t call us to things that are part of our own plans.
With more remote work opportunities and more companies preferring a distributed team, the possibilities for following Paul’s model of moving city to city, planting churches, preaching the gospel, helping communities, and making disciples is becoming more possible than ever before.
Are you a Digital Nomad or remote worker who lives life on mission? You’re not alone! Join our community of Virtual Tentmakers around the globe.
Is tentmaking something that you desire but you’re not quite sure how to get started? Check out the Virtual Tentmakers Course, a training program designed to teach you all the in-demand skills that businesses are desperately hiring for!
