CHRISTIAN STALLER has worn many hats over the years, including those of engineer, sales representative, CEO, chief operating officer, and chief marketing officer. After more than two decades in corporate America and private equity, he knows the grind as well as anyone. But these days, his focus looks a little different. He has turned his attention to faith-based business coaching and, more recently, to building a local movement he calls Tent Makers.
For Staller, the shift was about answering a question that had been tugging at him for years: What does God really think about work?
The Hebrew word “Avodah” helps us reclaim a richer understanding, according to Staller. Appearing nearly 430 times in the Old Testament — as both noun (avodah) and verb (avad) — Avodah integrates three key concepts: work, worship, and service. Staller explains that your daily business activities are meant to be acts of worship, expressions of service, and reflections of your creator.
He also added that kingdom-minded leaders who embrace an Avodah mindset find renewed purpose, intentionality, and joy. Their businesses become outposts of worship and ministry in the market.
“God created work,” Staller said. “Work is a blessing, not a curse. Your business is your ministry; your daily labor is your worship.”
And for Staller, that belief has become the backbone of his coaching and the heartbeat of Tent Makers.
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE
While now on the other side of things, Staller said that getting to this point in the ministry has taken him longer than he himself planned. But believing that God’s timing is perfect, he is more than confident that things happened as they were meant to.
“I got very involved in marketplace ministry in early 2005 when we were living in Southern California. It just felt right, and I was ready to jump in with both feet, and I remember saying to God, ‘Okay, this is it. This is what I want to do,’… and God said, ‘Yep, you will, but not yet.’ Twenty years later, we’re in Lebanon, and God says, ‘Now.’ Quite the sense of humor, but the experience garnered during those 20 years prepared me for today.”
Staller added that Lebanon seemed the ideal starting point as it is his family’s new home and mission field. He feels that the city is “small enough for relational leadership but large enough for transformative impact. An awakening of sorts is happening in the city.”
TENT MAKERS: MORE THAN NETWORKING
This past summer of 2025, Staller launched Tent Makers. The idea was simple: gather kingdom-minded business leaders in one place, not to network or exchange business cards, but to figure out how to make a genuine impact in the community.
“When I started Tent Makers, several of us gathered, and someone suggested that the tagline should be something like ‘a community of kingdom-minded leaders,’ and I thought about that, but it wasn’t right. God wanted the focus to be on the community. As such, I tweaked it just a bit to ‘kingdom-minded leaders impacting their community.’” And what is community? Well, according to Staller, “It’s our neighbors, and it’s the local church.” Staller would love to see Tent Makers expand to other cities, as long as the focus remains on the local community.
The group meets on the second and fourth Mondays at the Lebanon Coffee House on the town’s square. The group first meets from 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. in the coffee shop for a time of worship and then moves upstairs to the Lebanon House of Prayer from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. for the meeting portion of the gathering.
Staller said it’s important to note that Tent Makers isn’t just another typical business meeting, as it features local speakers and practitioners sharing their real-world experiences. Each meeting is also action-oriented and concludes with a specific challenge to take the next step and impact Lebanon.
“People are beginning to understand that this is different from other groups. This isn’t about networking, or another community event,” he stated. “We’re getting together as leaders to see how we can really impact the community and our churches and to do so through the workplace as leaders, owners, entrepreneurs, and employees. Jesus spent 90% of his time in the marketplace; that’s where the need is, that’s the community.”
AVODAH IN ACTION
For Staller, Tent Makers is a living example of Avodah. Work, worship, and service aren’t separate categories; they’re woven together.
“Transformation is relational, not transactional,” he said. “It’s about recognizing one’s work is sacred, worshipful, and servant‑led.”
Staller said that while they are a new organization, they are growing.
“Attendance varies from week to week,” he said. “Sometimes you’ll have 10 or 20 people show up, and sometimes only two people show up. But then the next time you have another person, a new member of the community. The response has been very positive. We’ve had a lot of good reactions from people and support from local leaders.”
Looking back, Staller said his journey is a shift from success and significance, to just making an impact. His coaching method, Coaching in the Gap™, helps leaders bridge the distance between where they are today and where they believe God is calling them tomorrow. Tent Makers extends that vision into the community, offering a space where leaders can grow together. GN
There’s no cost to join, no membership fees, and no nonprofit paperwork. The group meets on the second and fourth Mondays from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the Lebanon Coffee House, located at 110 E. Main St. For more information, visit online at tnbusinesscoaching.com/tentmakers.
