Wise Words from a Pro and a Ridiculous Request

from Shane's Muslim Connect

When I grow up I want to be Chris Clayman. The guy has befriended Muslims all over the place and actually lived in Mali! In a brilliant recent article on the Crescent Project website, Chris shares four things unreached people wish we knew about them. I’m going to briefly list them here in hopes they’ll intrigue you enough to ingest the whole article. 

1. Muslims – like everybody – want to be treated as humans, not tasks.
Ask for and listen to their story. Share your story. Then look together into God’s story.

2. Muslims will happily discuss topics you’re accustomed to avoiding.
Imagine your upcoming Thanksgiving table. Muslims often love to discuss those topics you’re already planning to avoid!

3. Muslims would like to see you more.
In Muslim relationships, we might need to take our hang-out time norm and square it! 

4. Muslims are moved by love more than logic.
The love of Jesus, oozing through the cracks of broken vessels accomplishes much.

Consider yourself teased and go read the article. And get Chris’ engaging book, Superplan. I’m reading it right now. 

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I’m a big fan of getting out of our home culture and among people who neither look, think, nor see life like we do. You can probably do this ten minutes from your house. You can definitely do it by going to a different country. 

I’m currently looking for one church to help set up that possibility among underserved Muslims in Ivory Coast. Just one church who’s shaking off the Covid malaise and hearing interesting, new nudges from God to get back at the task, to receive fresh vision and direction, to take a gutsy step into the unknown of his kingdom. 

Do you know that church? Attend it? Pastor it? Reach out and let’s chat about a vision trip in early 2023. The cost will be higher and the work less defined than you might be totally comfortable with. It will be, in the words of my mentor, Steve Hawthorne, “a Christopher Columbus Cruise.” The potential upside though is huge.