GMHC 2018

Disciple-Making Teams in the Muslim World

• Breakout Session
• Student Building (Block) The Porch SMC 302
• November 9 2018 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

The Global Missions Health Conference Breakout Session titled “Disciple Making in the Muslim World” will commence with a brief testimony of my conversion from Islam to Christianity, and how the Lord prompted my family to answer the call for missions in the Muslim world. From the onset, I will explain how my attempts to demystify the Trinity and the Bible’s textual integrity after my salvation fuelled my pursuit and successful completion of an undergraduate course in Theology and Masters in Divinity, and ignited my aspersions for a doctoral study in Apologetics. This will provide a meaningful expose about my academic attempt to understand God, and the process I undertook to bolster my faith: head knowledge verses heart knowledge. In my walk of faith, I will highlight select incidents of persecution and steadfast protection and provision by our Lord Jesus Christ in a span of sixteen years.

The summarized account of persecution, will include, but will not be limited to, death threats, random street attacks, assassination attempts, arson and witchcraft. Importantly, I will draw attention to intriguing supernatural interventions by the Holy Spirit and the distinct ministry of angels in times of distress. Furthermore, I will share how the Lord directed my family to flee our home country in the wake of escalating home invasions and death threats, and in an unexpected turn of events, how the Lord commissioned my family to reach out to the Muslim world with the gospel. I will recount how the Lord prepared us through our wholehearted engagement in ministry within our nation of refuge, and how He opened doors for missions in Somalia, Iraq, Chad and Pakistan.

When answering the Great Commission call in Matthew 28: 19, I will stress the principal key to “Disciple Making in the Muslim World” as reaching out in love, gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). I will underscore the importance for missionaries to understand the six articles of Muslim faith, the five pillars of Islam, and the two largest Muslim denominations, the Sunni and the Shiite and their belief systems to enable constructive dialogue with Muslims. I will highlight conditions for reaching out to Muslims, namely: being filled with the Holy Spirit; praying at all times; loving Muslims; expecting results by faith, to honor the Lord; and expecting hardships and persecutions.
Subsequently, I will expound on the two main approaches that can be employed in evangelism in the Muslim world. The first, entails witnessing from the known to the unknown, by focusing on finding Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in the Quran, and highlighting their divinity. Meanwhile, the second approach relies on the Bible exclusively when reaching out to Muslims, and praying to the Holy Spirit to convict their hearts to salvation. I will then highlight five contentious topics that usually elicit questions and objections from Muslims as follows: the authenticity of the Bible; the consistency of God’s revelation, the Son of God, the death of Jesus on the cross and the Trinity. I will provide brief answers to each thematic query, in an attempt to equip missionaries with convincing Biblical responses. Finally, I will conclude the breakout session with an impact update of our outreach missions’, as well as an appeal for prayers and support for Muslim Background Believers (MBB).

Objectives

1. To stir up the hearts of participants and encourage them to actively engage in outreach missions in the Muslim world.

2. To empower participants with information on approaches and conditions for disciple making in the Muslim world.

3. To equip participants with relevant Biblical answers to controversial questions raised by Muslims when challenging Christianity’s foundational doctrine.

4. To present a broad depiction of the disciple making process and outcomes in select Muslim nations.

5. To reassure those involved in outreach missions in the Muslim world that their efforts are not in vain.