Knock, Knock, Who’s there?
The United States has become home to millions of Muslims in our generation. While I was home on furlough this past summer, as I visited different churches, I had people say to me more than once, “A Muslim family lives down the street from us…” or “There is a Muslim working in our office.”
One story that remains clearly in my mind is the one Christy, a woman at a church, shared with me about a mom and her son who were her neighbors. The mom and son are Muslims. “Ayse seems friendly, and her son, Ali, loves to skateboard and play computer games with my son,” says Christy.
She adds, “Ayse dresses in Western clothes and is raising her son herself. We thought we’d invite Ali to Sunday School and explained to Ayse that we were Christians.’ Ali gave me his home phone number, and I called his mom, but she was not home. I tried again a few days later.”
Reaching others means to keep trying. Don’t give up. Don’t get cold feet! Reaching out, showing respect, and building relationships pave the way to share your faith with a Muslim. Though there may be differences culturally, socially, and in language, love is a universal language. This website aims to help the reader understand Islam and not buy into the stereotypical ideas.
Here are a few common obstacles you may encounter:
Some Muslims may have some misunderstanding about “Evangelical Christians”.
After 9-11, many Muslims believe that Americans dislike them.
Islam is more than a religion, and our message should extend beyond the theological differences between Islam and Christianity.
The Apostle Paul wrote:
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17) It’s best to just begin with building a relationship and just giving a person the New Testament or a Scripture portion such as the Book of Mark.
God is sending the world to us – the American church – and we should not miss this opportunity. Some of us have neighbors who have come from halfway around the world. Now they are on our doorstep!
Every layperson in the pew has the opportunity to share and make a difference!
Unsure how to begin to start a conversation? Donna Thomas has written a book just for you!
If you have questions about how to relate or share with a Muslim, you can also write to Ruth Lyons and ask her, or start a discussion on the Facebook page for Network for Active Engagement.
Check out these International Ministries for More Information:
