Loving, Not Fearing, Your Muslim Neighbor

TEAM - The Evangelical Alliance Mission • Feb 01, 2016

As Muslims continue to migrate to the United States, the opportunity for Muslim ministry is greater than ever.


Today, we welcome a long-term worker in the Middle East to the TEAM blog. He shares his thoughts on the unprecedented opportunity North Americans have today to engage in Muslim ministry. Because of governmental opposition to the Gospel and gospel workers in his region, his identity will remain anonymous.


When I was a newcomer to the Middle East 30 years ago, I quickly realized that effective communication requires interpreting language through the filter of culture. For example, the common phrase “Bukra, Insha’Allah” is easily translated as “Tomorrow, if Allah wills.” But with time and experience, I learned that in application, the real meaning is more like, “Maybe tomorrow, maybe not, maybe never, and if not, it is not in my control.” On some occasions, it could also mean, “Probably not, but it wouldn’t be polite to tell you so.”


Today, we no longer have to travel to the Middle East to experience firsthand the many differences between Western and Muslim cultures. The Muslim people and their culture are at our doorstep.


And this is an answer to prayer. For many years, Christians have prayed for the Islamic world to open up to the Gospel. The popular call was to “pray for the 10/40 Window.” Most of us never imagined the Lord would answer those prayers by bringing the 10/40 Window to North America. The Lord says in Isaiah 43:19 (NASB), “Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.”


It seems that there is now a two-way wilderness roadway, bringing the Muslim people to Christians in vast numbers and in a variety of ways. For example, there are currently over 100,000 students from the Arabian Peninsula in universities all across the United States. Coming from one of the most closed Muslim regions, many of these students are eager to explore new ideas — including the claims of Christ. Even more than these are the large numbers of immigrants and refugees settling in North America.


How do we as Christians seize this unprecedented opportunity? How do we effectively engage with the Muslim people around us?


Pray Earnestly

We must be vigilant in prayer for Muslims and the Muslim world, including those right here in America. Many of us remember with amazement how Communism in Russia finally crumbled without a shot being fired. How long had Christians around the world prayed for that land to open up to the Gospel? Earnest prayer is essential to the spread of the Gospel among the Muslim people, both here and abroad.


Learn through Listening 

Effective missionaries in any culture are learners, not just proclaimers. We need to learn all we can about Muslims and Islam. In Islam, religion and culture are inseparable. Did you know that Muslims often equate American culture with Christianity? Such propaganda is commonly taught in their schools. No wonder Muslims are often unwilling to consider the claims of Christ.


When we understand what Muslims think Christians believe, more fruitful spiritual dialogue results. In addition, knowing what Muslims believe about their own faith earns their respect and is a powerful tool for effective communication.


Knowledge can also disarm fear and alleviate suspicion. In light of recent developments around the world, fear of Muslims has gripped many Americans, even Christians. Violent retaliation has been offered by more than one prominent Christian as the solution. Conversely, a close Muslim friend recently told me that many Muslims in America are also afraid — that they can see and feel the resentment toward them as they walk down the street.


But that doesn’t mean Muslims don’t want to engage. I heard of an Arab student who arrived in America with a suitcase full of gifts for the families who would surely invite him into their homes. Four years later, he returned to his homeland with the same bag of gifts. Sadly, this scenario is the norm for most visiting Muslim students and even immigrants.


Build Authentic Friendship

Befriend Muslims the way you would anyone else, with intention and sincerity, but not with an agenda. If you see them as a project, they will sense it and pull back. When a Muslim observes that you have an authentic interest in them as a person, talking about religion and culture is a natural outcome. In many cases, it is much easier to talk about God with a Muslim than with the average American.


Helping them with conversational English is also a great way to show them love practically. There are many testimonies of Muslims who came to Christ because they experienced the genuine love of Christians.


The battle for the soul of a man or woman never has been and never will be won by human strength, but rather by God’s Spirit. We are called to be peacemakers, not slaves to fear, representing God’s love for the Muslim people by praying for them, by understanding and befriending them and by showing them love and respect.


No other generation in the history of America has seen such potential for making disciples of all nations right here in our nation. What a great way to train for overseas work, if that is your goal. Unprecedented opportunities abound to present the unchangeable Gospel of hope in an ever-changing cultural landscape.


There are many Muslims who want to find God. Let us seize the day, in God’s strength and for His glory! As Peter said in Acts 10:34-35 (NLT), “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation He accepts those who fear Him and do what is right.”

By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
By Suzanne Pearson 23 Feb, 2024
Justin Burkholder, pictured here with his wife Jenny and their daughters Isabella, Olivia, and Zoey, has recently been named as TEAM’s next International Director. On February 19, 2024, with much excitement and gratitude to the Lord, TEAM announced that Justin Burkholder will become our organization’s new International Director, effective July 1, 2024. Justin, who is currently TEAM’s Executive Director of Global Ministry, will assume his new role upon the retirement of the current International Director, Dave Hall. ( Read the full press release here. ) We sat down recently with Justin to learn a little more about his background, his family, and the journey that has led him to TEAM. Q: Tell us a little bit about your “origin story” - Where did you grow up? What was your family like? A: I grew up in Mexico City as a missionary kid. My parents were focused on church planting. We were very close as a family. Both of my parents are still alive, and my dad serves as a pastor in southern Florida. I have one brother who is a pastor in Wisconsin, and the most special individual in my family is my sister, Amber. She was born with a very severe case of cerebral palsy and is entirely dependent on my mother...who is extraordinary! The three most impactful forces that have shaped who I am (outside of God’s grace) are growing up in Mexico, having parents who loved and planted churches, and sharing life with someone with a severe disability. My parents belonged at the time to a church and denomination that came with quite a bit of legalism and performance-oriented Christianity. Grace was a challenging concept to grasp. While I had an awareness of my sin and need for redemption, it wasn’t until I attended Moody Bible Institute that I began to grasp the fullness of God’s grace and His delight in His children. I have continued learning and trusting in the Gospel through formal education, like completing my M.Div., and through spiritual practices in community. Learning the Gospel and believing the Gospel has been a daily exercise. The Gospel is as beautiful and multi-faceted as a diamond! At an individual level, it is simple enough for us to live convinced that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” At a corporate level, it becomes the foundation that forms and informs our life as a spiritual family. At a cosmic level, it is redemption that reaches as far as the curse is found. It is hard to even grasp the multiplicity of goodness found in the Good News. Q: Share a little bit about your family life now. What does a typical day look like in the Burkholder household? A: My wife Jenny is my high-school sweetheart! She brings joy and kindness wherever she goes. She’s the best listener I’ve ever met, and we love spending time together. We have three daughters. Isabella is ten, Olivia is seven, and Zoey is four. Each of the girls is unique and has taught us a lot in our process of following Jesus together. We like to go out on walks and go to the park together. Once a month I try to get some alone time with each of my daughters which usually includes bowling or trampolines. A typical day in the Burkholder house starts around 5:00am. Because of traffic here in Guatemala City, we have to leave early for school. After school, the girls come home to different activities - sometimes swimming class, sometimes piano lessons. Four or five nights a week we have dinner together where we usually talk about our high and low moments of the day. On weekends, we enjoy time together, playing outside, or watching sports together. Go Cubs and Go Buckeyes! Q: What are your interests and hobbies? If you have the day off, what are you likely to be up to? A: I enjoy physical activity, running, strength-training and following sports. I also love music and, truth be told, am a bit snobby about my taste in music! I also am a very curious person and love reading just about anything that passes through my hands. A day off is usually an opportunity for time with family. Jenny and I like to cook something interesting together on our days off. Often there is time for some reading and watching some type of athletic event. Q: How did God lead you to TEAM? A: My wife and I were working in the Chicago suburbs. I was a youth pastor and she was a Spanish teacher. When we got married, we had already sensed God’s direction to serve cross-culturally, but it was a matter of discerning when and where. There was a driving desire in me to see a church deeply love the Scriptures and at the same time, be deeply engaged in loving and serving their city and the most vulnerable among them. As God directed our paths, we visited a variety of places and made some friends in Guatemala who opened up the path for us to serve here. While we were exploring, we knew that the International Director of an organization called TEAM happened to go to our church, so I decided I should probably invite him out for breakfast - his name was Charlie Davis. Charlie was extremely thoughtful, passionate about disciple-making, and very gracious in creating space for us as we stepped into this endeavor. Charlie connected me with Steve Dresselhaus, a fellow TEAM global worker who was at that time serving as the Senior Director for the Americas. I cannot express the debt that I owe Steve. He walked closely with me in the transition, encouraged courageous thinking about the church and her role in society, and blasted open the doors for us to serve in Guatemala. After meeting Steve, we spent some days praying about joining TEAM. One thing I will never forget – one night during the process, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. A peace like I have seldom experienced passed over me confirming that we should join TEAM. There is no doubt in my mind that God tied all of these pieces together to bring us into the TEAM family and community. Q: What roles have you held in TEAM? What have been the milestones in those roles? A: The most important role I have held in TEAM is that of a global worker. God in His grace has allowed us to help plant two churches here in Guatemala, serve in leadership development, counseling, and discipleship. Our greatest joy has been found walking with those who are learning to follow Christ more deeply. I served as the Ministry Area Leader in Guatemala from 2016 to 2019. We helped to establish and lead this ministry area as it grew from just four global workers to over 15. I then served as Senior Director for Mexico and Central America from 2019 to 2021, Regional Executive Director for the Americas in 2021 and 2022, and then transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Global Ministry which I’ll continue in until the end of June. Q: What do you love most about being a part of TEAM? Why TEAM rather than other organizations or job opportunities? A: The TEAM community is full of people who have faithfully served God’s mission and have given up a lot to do so. It is a privilege to know many of our global workers and be counted among them. I am also fascinated by the fact that TEAM has existed now for more than 130 years! There is something to be said about the resilience and faithfulness of an organization that has continued to impact the world for so long. The rest of our conversation with Justin will be coming soon on blog! We’ll hear more about how God called Justin to the role of International Director, and what Justin sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church.
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