Friday, August 19, 2011

Speaking About Muslim Ministry

Here are some guidelines I use for myself when speaking publicly with Westerners about Muslim ministry:

1. Motivate by love, not fear.

2. Emphasize the commonalities, not the differences.

3. Focus on the life, cross, and resurrection of Jesus, not Christianity.

4. Share stories of real people, not (just) abstracts.

5. Point to Muslims' lack of access to the gospel, not their failure to respond. "How will they hear without someone preaching?"

6. Compare the best of Islam with Christianity, not the worst of Islam with Christianity.

7. Build peace, respect, and understanding, not stereotypes.

8. Inspire with the hope of the church, freedom in Christ, and the spread of the Kingdom, not democracy.

9. Explain the dark side of Islam and spiritual blindness, not demonizing Muslims.

10. Empathize with Westerners' ignorance of Islam and be humble, not a know-it-all.

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