In this article, I will introduce you to my tent-making venture. The name of the company is Integrity Copywriting Services.
I’ve Always Loved to Write
I’ve always loved to write. Since the time I learned to write sentences, I’ve been stringing them together in stories. I think I still have a cookbook that I wrote as part of a first or second-grade school project. I’m sure if I read and applied it today, none of the recipes would be edible.
When the Lord decides to take me home, my family knows they will find myriad journals, notebooks, writing pads, and pieces of paper that contain my writings–thoughts, prayers, stories, and the like. Some of the before-mentioned have found their way into blog articles. I’ve written more than 1,000 of them. Some people have been encouraged by them.
To date, I’ve penned three books: Take Up The Shield–Comparing the Uniform of the Police Officer & the Armor of God (2005), Should She Preach–Biblical Evangelism for Women (2013), and Cross Encounters–A Decade of Gospel Conversations (2016).
I recently finished the draft of a Study Guide for J.C. Ryle’s classic work, “Holiness.” A publisher has expressed serious interest in it.
Just a couple weeks ago I finished ghostwriting my first book. A ghostwriter is someone who is hired to write a literary or journalistic work that is officially credited to someone else. While not yet published, it looks like the book I ghostwrote may be a best seller on Amazon, for its genre and my clients’ industry.
Tent-Making
So why the literary resume? Well, for a while now, I’ve been trying to use what writing skills the Lord has given me for the purpose of tent-making.
According to the Got Questions website, tent-making is:
“. . . a metaphorical term used to refer to holding a career in order to allow oneself the opportunity to engage in Christian ministry. Tentmakers are Christian workers, usually missionaries, who work full-time to support themselves rather than draw support or a salary from a church or mission organization. Tentmaking is so-called because the apostle Paul was a tentmaker by trade and relied on that trade to support himself in Corinth on his second missionary journey. Paul met Pricilla and Aquilla, and, “because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks” (Acts 18:3–4).
“Although Paul worked full-time planting churches and preaching the gospel, he made it a point to support himself whenever possible, and he did so by his chosen trade of tentmaking. He later told the elders in Ephesus, “I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions” (Acts 20:33–34). Using outside employment to supply one’s own needs in the ministry is what tentmaking is all about.”
I have been in full-time ministry for almost 20 years. But for my 4+ years serving with Ray Comfort and the team at Living Waters, I have been tasked with raising support to meet my family’s and ministry’s financial needs. Those Christians in ministry who live as we do know all-too-well what a challenge it is to raise and maintain financial support.
Less than half of what we need each month comes by way of committed, generous, faithful monthly giving. The rest comes by way of generous and timely responses to public requests for support.
Integrity Copywriting Services
The vehicle by which I utilize my writing for the purpose of tent-making is a company I formed last year. The name of the company is Integrity Copywriting Services.
What is copywriting? Simply put:
“Copywriting is the act of writing text for the purpose of advertising or other forms of marketing. The product, called copy, is written content that aims to increase brand awareness and ultimately persuade a person or group to take a particular action.
“Copywriters help create billboards, brochures, catalogs, jingle lyrics, magazine and newspaper advertisements, sales letters and other direct mail, scripts for television or radio commercials, taglines, white papers, social media posts, and other marketing communications.
“They are generally known as website content writers or copywriters if their work appears mostly on the Internet. A content writer helps create online advertisements, web pages, email newsletters, blog posts and social media posts.”
Thus far I have provided online copy (website content) for the following industries, among others:
- In-Home Healthcare
- Chiropractice Services
- Lawncare
- Plumbing Supplies
- Online Marketing
- Specialty Printing
- Christian Ministry
Let Me Serve You
If you are not in a position to financially support the evangelistic ministry to which the Lord has graciously called me and allows me to steward, then maybe you can support my family by allowing me to serve you.
- Do you have a business, organization, or personal blog or website that needs regular, fresh written content?
- Would you like to see your business, organization, or personal blog or website climb the ranks on the various online search engines?
- Would you like to drive more people to your blog or website and keep them coming back?
I can help you meet these important blog and/or website goals. So, let’s chat.
You can get a hold of me a few ways:
- Email me here.
- Send me a private message on my Integrity Copywriting Services Facebook page.
- Leave a comment below.
I hope to hear from you soon. And I look forward to serving you!
Tony,
I really appreciate your decision to be a “tent-maker.” I own a small business and faithfully give to my church. I also give to various organizations throughout the year. In recent years, I have been approached by families wanting to be both state-side and abroad missionaries. I supported one such family for a year while they set, waiting for visas and trying to learn a second language. I really struggled with this. My business was waiting for a couple late payments from customers, so I fell behind two months on my giving. I received an email asking if there was a problem with my support. I explained the situation and did catch up on my support, but it really got me questioning why I was working 60-70 hours a week, donating time to my church (mowing church grounds), giving money to the various organizations, being a husband and father, etc and this family literally sat for a year, just to have the door closed to their chosen mission field. I thought about Paul and his tent making profession and his choice to not be a burden or to give people the ability to call his motives into question. I am sure many people have family or friends that ask for support to go on a summer “missionary trip” to an exotic location. In the past, I have given to both family and friend, for such a trip. In both instances upon their arrivals home, there was no update or letter to share how the Lord had used them, how the gospel was shared, etc. They basically went on a really nice vacation on other people’s dime. I have made changes in who and how I give. You may write something one day to those “missionaries” and to us who give, just reminding us all to be good stewards of our time, talents, and monies. I am seeing an increase of state-side missionaries and their organizations, not being tent-makers in any respect, just wanting money, so they can go on coffee-dates, dinners, and the like. There seems to be no accountability for how their time is spent. I am sorry for the rambling, but I think you understand where I am coming from. I have followed you and used your information to teach and encourage others. I taught a Bible study for a high school baseball team, which grew to include many students outside the team. Your example and resources were a blessing.
Thanks,
Daniel
Daniel,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write and share your thoughts.
Tony