Worldwide - the magazine for reaching the unreached

Is that really you, God? page 10 Relief for refugees page 18 Reaching your local Muslims page 22

WORLDWIDE E UNREACHED THE MAGAZINE FOR REACHING TH 2017 VISIT US AT

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“I love to work with muslim people, to share my testimony and the message of the cross. I’m happy to be in God’s plan and doing his work.”

Wasim is in mission for the long haul page 14

Editor’s desk This issue is filled with ideas for using your gifts to extend God’s kingdom. l Bring the gospel to your local Muslim communities. (p22) l Get on a plane for an eye-opening few weeks of serving

people on the other side of the world. (p5) l Find ways to make a practical difference in Christ’s name

to the lives of Syrian refugees. (p18) l Consider long-term commitment. What does it cost to

About us

WEC UK exists to take the good news to the peoples and nations who have yet to hear it—the good news that Christ came to bring forgiveness of sins and peace with God, and to displace hatred with love.

Want to know more? Please visit

wec-uk.org

invest years in language and culture learning? What does it mean to stick around long enough to see deep, long-term change in people’s lives? (p14) l Unsure what God is saying to you? See our guide to guidance on p10.

As UK director John Bagg explains on p9, WEC International is restructuring radically so that it can better serve the people who want to take the gospel to the world.

What can this mean for you? As the old Boeing advert used to say, ‘Tomorrow’, or next year, ‘you can be anywhere …’

Glenn Myers Editor

DIRECT MESSAGE US wec-uk.org facebook.com/WECUK twitter.com/wecuk instagram.com/wecuk issuu.com/wecuk

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Of American adults and teens word of God

68%

* believe the Bible is the inspired

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Model released/Shutterstock

Local missionaries in training

UK

➜Bible College graduates find their place in God's world WEC workers in the region are training local believers in mission, aiming to encourage and equip them to reach communities untouched by the gospel. Those participating in the one-year programme are all indigenous Bible College graduates. Two cohorts of missionaries have already graduated and are now in the field, engaged in development work in remote communities, and in frontline evangelism and church planting amongst unreached people groups.

A third cohort of students has begun training.

New base, new vision WEC UK has moved into a new headquarters in a vibrant, multicultural area of Coventry.

Several WEC ministries are relocating to other urban areas of the country. This is a key aspect of WEC’s reimagined presence in the UK, aiming to go where the people are and reach strategic urban locations with the good news.

EDITOR Glenn Myers WRITER Simeon Whiting email worldwide@wec-uk.org ART EDITOR Chris Lawrence email design@wec-uk.org TO SUBSCRIBE email magazine@wec-uk.org. Worldwide is published once a year and sent free of charge. To order multiple copies email magazine@wec-uk.org. Donations towards the cost of production and postage are gladly received.

Worldwide is produced by WEC Media & Communications Office, Coventry.

Printed by Custard Apple Print, Bradford, on responsibly sourced paper. Please recycle this magazine.

Copyright © WEC UK 2017. Permission is granted for the reproduction of text from this publication for WEC UK’s promotional use. For all other uses please contact us. WEC International is a registered charity in England, Wales & Scotland, numbers 237005 & SCO37715. Cover image: Picture of Wasim is illustrative only, and model release/Shutterstock.

*Top of page source: Barna Group

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3 million

There are now more than a huge increase over the last 30 years

»

BAPTISMS The church in Algeria is growing, despite widespread threats, intimidation and abuse of Christians.

Two thousand new believers a year are baptised and demand for the Bible is higher than ever, reports say.

FLOODS State media reports that the northeast of North Korea has been hit by severe flooding, with tens of thousands of buildings destroyed.

According to the UN, 133 people have died and a further 395 are missing.

CRACKDOWN The Chinese government is enacting a series of draconian steps against stateapproved churches, including arresting pastors, abducting journalists and booksellers, and destroying churches’ crosses.

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UZBEKISTAN

New President, old habits flickr.com

IN BRIEF

LOCK UP Converts to non-islamic faiths in Malaysia can be detained for more than three months in ‘Faith Purification Centres’, according to a report released in July 2016.

* Christians in Myanmar –

With the death of President Karimov Uzbekistan has a new President, former Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev (left). Experts believe the severe persecution of Christians that marked Karimov's 25-year rule will continue unchanged. Uzbek Christians have requested prayer for God’s will to be done in their country. *Top of page source: Evangelicals Now

»trends

Muslims are turning to Christ in staggering numbers, according to recent research.

An academic paper by Duane Millar and Patrick Johnstone puts the numbers of muslim-background believers at around 10 million worldwide.

Indonesia leads the way with 6.5 million Christians from an islamic heritage.

There are also large populations in parts of Africa, in south Asia, Iran and some Western countries. Even Saudi Arabia, home of Islam, has 60,000 islamic-heritage followers of Christ.

Millar and Johnstone’s study dovetails with A Wind in the House of Islam, a 2014 book by David Garrison.

Garrison’s book reports almost no mass movements to Christ in Islam’s first 1,000 years, two mass movements in the mid-twentieth century, a further 11 in the final decade of the twentieth century and 69 more since then. Proof, Garrison claims, that “something is happening”.

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Someone flees their home every violence, poverty or disaster

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3 seconds

UK

Rising Cafes, growing reputation

* because of

»my mission ...

Chris and Kay Witty have just returned from a five-week Trek in southeast Asia

Adam Lowe

Our mission was to southeast Asia, serving men and women on the edge of society – really broken people. The most exciting part of it was living and working with people who understood their need of Jesus in every situation.

Nothing was taken for granted and everything was taken to Him in prayer with an expectancy we had not seen before.

➜Form an orderly queue ... treats at Coventry's Rising Cafe Betel has cared for thousands of men and women recovering from addiction, meeting the majority of its costs through businesses operated by the residents themselves. One recent business development has been the Rising Cafes, opening in Coventry in Spring 2015 and in Lincoln in Spring 2016.

Taking on workers previously labelled as unemployable, Betel’s Rising Cafes demonstrate that in God’s kingdom, everyone can contribute something of worth. The cafes’ staff discover a sense of dignity and purpose, and learn vocational skills. Such has been the Rising Cafes’ success that they are now ranked first on Trip Advisor for cafes in Coventry and Lincoln.

Pray for the Rising Cafes: for great food ➜ and drink, excellent service, well-run, ethical businesses – and transformed lives.

It’s hard to put into just a few words the impact our mission had on us.

We made amazing new friends, experienced living in a close christian community, heard testimonies of Christ transforming lives – the list goes on. The biggest change for us while we were away was realising that God has so much more planned for us – the Trek really opened our eyes to the possibilities. We have come home fired up to take the step into long-term mission.

Go to wec-uk.org/trek for ➜ more info on WEC Short Term

*Top of page source: Oxfam

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The population of the UK includes

»the least first ...

WEC is focusing prayer on 33 people groups which have no indigenous church. Some of them are the last to hear the gospel because they are hardest to reach! Will you join us in praying for God-inspired strategies and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit?

Mwani

>> Source: joshuaproject.net. Photo credits: AEF International; Shutterstock; Rea Finlay

Country: Mozambique Population in country: 141,000 Population in world: 141,000 Main language: Mwani Main religion: Islam Christ-followers: 1% Bible: New Testament only

Khmer

Country: Cambodia Population in country: 13,969,000 World population: 15,730,800 Main language:

Khmer Main religion: Buddhism Christ-followers: 3.2% Bible: complete

Balanta Mane

Country: Guinea-Bissau Population in country: 29,000 World population: 29,000 Main language: Balanta-Kentohe Main religion: Islam Christ-followers: 0.3% Bible: New Testament only

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105

* people groups

SPAIN

¡Welcome Donostia!

During the first two weeks of July 2016, WEC’s creative arts ministry Arts Release hosted ‘¡Welcome Donostia!’, an arts outreach in northern Spain. The project centred around a visual art exhibition on the theme of ‘Welcome’.

Many of the 200-plus visitors to the exhibition commented on the standard of the work and the importance of its message, and heard something of the gospel from team members.

➜The Arts Release team gave a warm, musical welcome UK

New building for Asian Church The Asian Church in Wolverhampton celebrated the opening of their new building in July. Two years ago, the building the church had been renting was gutted by fire.

The congregation had to meet in temporary premises while they raised money for a building of their own..

Finally, at the end of a long and difficult journey, the Asian Church’s new building has been bought, renovated to fit the church’s purposes and opened!. *Top of page source: Operation World

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20%

In any given year a mental health problem

* of adolescents may experience

CHAD

Nomad girl healed A young girl, Kayla, often visits the WEC team’s base. Kayla had lost the ability to walk and talk and only recently began to walk again. Team member Iraci takes up the story: ‘I told God I would like for Kayla to start to talk before the end of Ramadan and for that to happen here at the station. When Kayla told me she was feeling unwell, I prayed and took the authority that Jesus gave us. And then it happened: Kayla started to talk! It was wonderful!

We gave thanks to God for what He has done.’

Pray with us for the healing of Kayla’s soul ➜ and spirit, as well as her body.

»op world...

The population of Kyrgyzstan

The percentage of population of Kyrgyzstan who identify as evangelicals

The percentage of population of Kyrgyzstan living in rural areas

*Top of page source: WHO

likeunlike

After more than 160 An evangelical pastor years, Egyptian laws has been hacked to death restricting the construction of by Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria. churches have been eased…

Ethiopia is suffering its But a new package of worst drought for 50 laws in Russia outlaws years, leading to a huge food evangelism outside church crisis. buildings.

A christian radio Bangladeshi Muslims project in Sierra Leone are turning to is helping communities Christ in huge numbers, recover in the aftermath of despite persecution. the Ebola epidemic.

Sources: Evangelicals Now, CBM, Christianity Today, Christian Freedom International, Feba

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The number of languages spoken in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan’s rank, out of 182 countries, on the Human Development Index

The percentage of Kyrgyzstani people groups unreached by the gospel

Operation World is the research ministry of WEC International.

Available from bookshops

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ENGAGE

To subscribe email: magazine@wec-uk.org

Guest column

Here we go, again Is the Lord calling

!!

‘I love change!’ said nobody in particular.

But when we add ‘I love Jesus’ — I love his call on my life, I love his name, I love to see him glorified in the nations — then change becomes a price worth paying. I am privileged to lead a fellowship of people who believe that.

WEC UK is changing not just because the world is becoming more culturally jumbled or because Christians are becoming just one minority among many.

WEC is rebuilding itself because we have a call to new effectiveness.

We are decentralizing and establishing clusters of people in key areas, especially our cities. From here, working with others, we can reach the nations on our doorstep and model a discipleship that follows Christ wherever he leads.

One early step has been to move our headquarters from a mansion in leafy South Bucks to an office in a multicultural community in the city of Coventry. Over the last few months, walking around our new home, I’ve seen huge potential both for reaching other cultures and for equipping the church to do likewise. This potential extends far beyond Coventry, and we will be just one example what WEC is wanting to do around the UK. We know we can’t do this alone. But that’s a strength, not a weakness. Mission requires the whole body of Christ. So if this stirs your heart, get in touch.

you to serve him

overseas? Follow your heart! Get in touch if WEC can help you take your first step into mission. info@wec-uk.org wec-uk.org

John Bagg WEC UK Director

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Am I right with God and other people?

(Isaiah 59:1-2) We can’t expect to have our prayers answered if we have not dealt with unconfessed sin or conflicts with others.

Illustration by Charben Alilio

Discerning God’s plan for your life can be a tricky business.

How can I tell the difference between God prompting me to do something and my own desire to do it? What if I think God wants me to follow a particular path, but there are real risks involved? Is it OK to ask God for a sign that he’s leading me in a specific direction?

In his book How Are You Doing?

Stewart Dinnen suggests 30 questions which can help us find God’s plan for our life. Reflecting on these points prayerfully can allow the Holy Spirit to speak, to prepare us, to lead us and to guide us. Ten of those questions are listed here (slightly adapted). If you’re currently trying to discern God’s plan for you, we hope these will help!

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Is God’s will my highest priority? (Matthew 6:33) Jesus promises that if we ‘seek first his kingdom’, all of our needs will be provided for.

Am I consistently waiting on God? (Psalm 25:14) Keep the matter consistently before God, thinking things through in his presence.

Do I have peace from the Holy Spirit?

(Colossians 3:15) The Holy Spirit brings a sense of assurance, confirming what God is showing us in other ways. But beware of a peace which is simply the absence of tension, following a time of decision-making!

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HOW TO

How am I putting aside worldly concerns?

(1 John 2:16).

Make sure your decision is not motivated by a desire for position, security or recognition.

What objective ‘signs’ have I seen?

(Judges 6:37-40) When it is hard to distinguish between personal feelings and the Spirit’s confirmation, ask God to do something objective, outside of yourself, as a sign of his will.

Do I know how the Holy Spirit has equipped me?

(1 Corinthians 12:1-11) Your spiritual gifts can be a clue to the path you should take.

Am I bathing in the word of God? (Psalm 119:11) The Holy Spirit will never lead us into anything that goes against the truth of God’s word. So, beware of isolating ‘special verses’ and taking them as guidance.

Do I have spiritual counsellors? (Proverbs 12:15) Share your thoughts with older or more experienced Christians, whose opinion you value. Very often, a sense of confirmation comes through their reaction and advice.

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Am I prepared to step out in faith?

(Luke 5:4) If you know God is leading you in a particular direction, the next step is to launch out, trusting him. Go for it!

If you want the full list of 30 questions, along with a good deal of other useful, spiritual advice, you can buy a copy of How Are You Doing? (Christian Focus) from Eden.co.uk for £4.99, or from your local Christian bookshop.

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I F t l h

N O h o a

R e N g u l

Give your dreams a chance

a a u I a

Committing to a project or community for an extended period gives you time to fulfil your God-given dreams, however big and audacious they might be. Malcolm Gray is based in Thailand.

He remembers: ‘I arrived here as a short-termer, when I was 20. During that year, God opened my eyes and gave me a burden for the Thai people.

I returned when I was 26. That was 15 years ago, and I still dream of seeing a new generation of church planters willing to commit to seeing communities changed, and prepared to invest in Thai believers.’

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u s t L l

l i m h L y c o

Neighbours Worldwide worker Wasim tells a similar story: ‘This work offers me opportunities to share my faith. I love to work with muslim people, to share my testimony and the message of the cross. I’m happy to be in God’s plan and doing his work.’

See people grow

Over time, people mature and new relationships flourish. The chance to see this kind of growth is unique to long-term mission. Paul Lapworth saw exactly this in Senegal. He tells us: ‘It was really exciting, seeing Senegalese believers getting a heart for mission amongst Muslims.’

Malcolm agrees: ‘It has been special to build relationships and to develop partnerships with other church and mission groups. Little by little, we are beginning to see a mission movement get off the ground in Thailand. The paradigm shift in the Thai church from “we only receive missionaries” to “we can send missionaries” is special to witness.’

Photograph: model released/Shutterstock

p w r L m

Short-term mission is fantastic, but to have a long-term impact demands a long-term commitment.

Six of WEC’s established workers tell us why nothing compares to taking the long view.

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MOBILISING FOR MISSION

Unexpected benefits

Market days in Guinea Bissau and Thailand (bleow and right)

God loves to surprise us, it seems. As with so much in life, long-term mission can bring some surprising benefits.

Certainly, this has been Paul and Ruth’s experience: ‘It’s been fantastic to see God fulfil the vision he gave us in unexpected ways.’

WEC hero Lily Gaynor was in Guinea-Bissau for 35 years. Her work had an effect on unexpected people: ‘My parents were not saved and my Mum was bitterly against my going to Guinea-Bissau. They came to visit me twice and really enjoyed it. This was a turning point. Praise the Lord, they were each converted years later, just before they died.’

Rise to the challenges …

Of course, long-term mission is challenging. It would be foolish to pretend otherwise. For June Whitaker, who has served in Ghana for many years, it meant saying goodbye to a career. ‘I knew that if I was going to give up my relatively secure job in the NHS and sell my house it would not just be for a few years but probably for the rest of my working life.’

For Wasim, coming to the UK meant leaving behind the people most dear to him: ‘Initially, I just felt excited. But at that point, you don’t realise that at some point you’ll miss your country, your people, your family, your friends!

So, leaving them behind is hard. This is the price you have to pay sometimes.’

… but reap the rewards In spite of the difficulties, a common theme from our conversations with long-term workers is that the rewards of their ministry far outweigh any sacrifices involved. Lily’s perspective

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THE CONTRIBUTORS WASIM comes from Pakistan. He joined WEC last year, after completing his theological studies, and is now working with Neighbours Worldwide in the West Midlands.

Short-term mission is still important Malcolm is at pains to emphasise how important it is to respond to the challenge of long-term mission: ‘I feel strongly that that is the message today’s generation needs to grapple with. Short-term caters to where they are at. Long-term challenges them to go further than they can see.’

But short-term volunteers can still play a vital role in supporting and refreshing established missionaries, as Lily recalls: ‘At a critical time, two wonderful nurses joined us and stayed for a year. They met a real need – though I wish they could have stayed longer!’

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LILY GAYNOR spent 35 years as a WEC missionary in a remote area of Guinea-Bissau, providing essential medical treatment and translating the New Testament into the local language. You can read Lily’s extraordinary story in her biography, God’s Needle, published by Lion Hudson and available from your local bookshop or Eden.co.uk MALCOLM GRAY and his wife, Kerstin, are the leaders of WEC’s Thailand branch.

JUNE WHITAKER has been serving with WEC Ghana for 18 years and is now part of their leadership team.

PAUL AND RUTH LAPWORTH have just returned to the UK, after spending six years in Senegal.

Paul helped lead a church planting movement amongst the Wolof people. Ruth’s responsibilities in finance, admin and leadership helped release others for frontline mission.

You + WEC Is God calling you to a long-term commitment to mission? If you think he might be, your WEC regional rep can help you answer that call. Get in touch through wec-uk.org/contact.

Photos: Rea Finlay and unsplash.com

is particularly challenging: ‘I think a total life commitment was what God needed from me. And I thank him for this privilege. Any cost has been repaid a thousand times.’

Wasim makes a similar point: ‘My reward is that I feel great satisfaction when I’m sharing my faith and helping students. God is making my dream of sharing my faith with the nations come true!’

If you’re not sure, why not come to a Mission & Me weekend and get a taste of cross-cultural mission? Find out more at wec-uk.org/events

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BE CHURCH WHERE THERE IS NO CHURCH

A living hope for refugees No-one could see media coverage of the civil war in Syria and remain unmoved.

It’s an unbearable situation. Those who stay in Syria face snipers, artillery bombardments and critical shortages of food and medical services. Those who flee must leave behind everything they know and risk their lives to find shelter elsewhere. But even amongst the death and trauma, there is hope …

WEC is working in the nations bordering Syria (and, to a limited extent, within Syria itself), serving people displaced by the conflict. Five years after the outbreak of hostilities, immediate humanitarian aid is giving way to long-term development work. As part of this effort, WEC’s workers offer English classes, health clinics and distribution of food and hygiene packages to refugee families.

Perhaps most moving of all are the programmes to help refugees recover from trauma, including using art to help children come to terms with their recent experiences.

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BE CHURCH WHERE THERE IS NO CHURCH

Lucy’s

STORY

Judy, the leader of a trauma art programme, remembers a particular girl who benefited from this therapy.

‘Lucy is nine years old and came for our trauma drawing program. She and her two older brothers were walking on the street when they were attacked. Her 13-year-old brother died in front of her and another child was badly wounded. In the first lesson, Lucy drew a picture of herself and her brothers, together on a street. The following week, her mother came with her and talked to me in private. She was very upset that we had asked her daughter to

remember and even draw this horrible event. She refused to allow her dead son to be in any of the pictures.

‘In the next session, Lucy was struggling to draw anything. A few days later, we visited Lucy’s mother and told her what we observed from Lucy, and she gave permission for Lucy to draw what she needed to, according to the programme.

Lucy brought home a nicely decorated drawing book with all her paintings. Her mother was very surprised to find what Lucy was dealing with internally but not talking about, and was so grateful for how we had been able to help her daughter.’

Illustrations by Charben Alilio WEC-UK.ORG

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BE CHURCH WHERE THERE IS NO CHURCH

andrew’s STORY

Andrew, a WEC worker in the region, has seen first-hand how God’s people are bringing hope to displaced people.

‘A small local church in Iraqi Kurdistan has been working with the Syrian Refugee Councils responsible for approximately 1,000 Syrian refugee families. Over the past two years, the church has been able to direct approximately £40,000 for the physical needs of these refugees, and has assisted in developing a school for Syrian primary children, to help them get integrated into the local community. The website of one of these Refugee Councils said of the small Kurdish church: “We are Muslims, but they have been the only group to come and assist us!

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‘We are Muslims, but the church have been the only group to come and assist us!’

Not a single Mullah nor any Mosque did anything for us.” Some of these Syrians have come to know Jesus through the witness of this church and are growing in their faith.’

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BE CHURCH WHERE THERE IS NO CHURCH

Through this kind of practical service, God is revealing himself to people in need of the hope only he can offer. But there’s more. Reports have come in of an amazing move of God among Syrian Kurds, and several churches being established among them along the Turkish border.

Missionaries in the area speak of unprecedented openness among refugees (christian and non-christian alike) to talk of spiritual matters. Along with the amazing things God is doing among the muslim refugees, He is also working among the Christians of the

‘There is bombing and shelling in our city – but the Lord is able to protect us!’ orthodox churches, bringing a revival of their faith.

A Syrian believer comments: ‘We know the Lord is working because he is transforming evil to goodness.

In our small corner of Syria, up until 2013, we were only a few people meeting together as a house group. Then the Lord sent among us a strong, mature servant who has helped us and encouraged us to share the gospel more effectively. Over these last years, many Syrians have come to our area escaping the fighting; some have stayed

and others have travelled on out of the country. But today we are a church of about 300 believers – and the people are really thirsty to know the Lord. We have different people responsible for running the services. There is bombing and shelling in our city – but the Lord is able to protect us!’

You + WEC Please join us in praying for Syrian refugees. The situation is heartbreaking, but God is at work even here, to change lives and transform futures.

Find out more at wec-uk.org/news/ pray-with-us

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REACHING PEOPLE

The UK is home to over 2.7 million Muslims* and the number is increasing all the time. But reaching the muslim population is far from mission impossible, says Colin Bearup.

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*Source UK census, 2011.

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Since I started out in mission to Muslims, 35 years ago, there have been some big changes. Probably the biggest change is that there are now Muslims coming to Christ! And that’s certainly happening. In Chad, which I know best, we’re seeing several movements of muslim-background believers. I was involved in planting a church there for people who converted from Islam.

Elsewhere, I’ve met Algerians of muslim heritage who have turned to Christ. Iranian followers of Jesus are all over the place. There’s a big movement in Bangladesh and more localised things in the Middle East and parts of West Africa. I’ve met individual believers from probably 20 or 25 muslim countries, some of which were listed as having no believers at all as recently as 1978, in the first major edition of Operation World. So God is most definitely at work.

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The UK has some great projects too.

I can think of Anglican churches in Birmingham and Manchester who are reaching Muslims, and several WEC workers in this country are finding fantastic opportunities. I know of many other examples that I haven’t seen personally. In general, there’s plenty of good, fruitful practice going on, especially with asylum seekers. So it’s an exciting time to be involved!

If you and your church want to reach Muslims in your community, the first step is to get your church members – or at least a group of them – into a good frame of mind. I really recommend Friendship First for that (see the boxout on page 24). I’ve seen a

Photograph: model released/Shutterstock

REACHING PEOPLE

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unsplash.com

Friendship First Friendship First is an interactive training course, enabling Christians to approach their muslim friends with confidence, by equipping them with the skill and resources needed to be an effective witness to Jesus Christ. Through testimonies of how God is working through Christians around the country, the course encourages us that to reach out to Muslims is not to attempt the impossible. God is at work.

Friendship First was developed by the original Mahabba group (in Oxford) and has been made available to others by Interserve. Mahabba is now a nationwide network which exists to enable churches to reach out with love to their muslim neighbours.

To find out more, see mahabbanetwork.com.

Colin’s tips for sharing good news with a muslim friend

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Act in love

Win them over

This might sound obvious, but for a lot of Christians, fear is a big factor when they approach Muslims. It’s important to get past that. Speaking and acting in love make all the difference.

Sharing the gospel doesn’t necessarily mean winning arguments and correcting people’s theology.

Very few Muslims have come to Christ because someone argued with them.

Again, speak and act in love.

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REACHING PEOPLE

good number of Christians use it and find it very valuable.

It helps you sort out your attitude towards Muslims and raises your expectations of what God can and will do. It gets you out of the mindset of tackling the impossible and brings home that Muslims are people we can relate to and that we can trust God to work.

After that, form a working group and do whatever is most appropriate for your community. It really isn’t necessary to be an expert in Islam to share your faith with

a Muslim. A church I know are just going from door to door, greeting people and asking if there’s anything they can pray for. It’s relational, it explains who they are without pressuring people, and it creates an opening to share the good news. And Muslims are very receptive to that approach. In other places, people are going out with copies of the Jesus film and things like that. Perhaps there are lots of young people in your community?

Do something for them.

Is there a need for a mums and toddlers group? Set one up. Whatever you do, you don’t have to do it in a vacuum – there are people who can help. For example, the Mahabba Network would be glad to support you.

Colin Bearup was, until recently, Branch Leader for WEC Chad. He is now transitioning to ministry in the UK, focused on enabling Christians to reach their muslim neighbours.

Assume they know

Be respectful

Muslims know something of God. They know about creation, judgment and moral order, for example. If we talk about these subjects in a way that almost assumes our friends have the same peace, acceptance and forgiveness we have, they may recognise they lack these things. We actually have what they are looking for.

Never criticise Islam, because that will immediately put your friend on the defensive.

They’ll be duty-bound to stand in opposition to you. And remember, your friend has the right to believe something different to you.

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Q&A

How or when did you become a Christian? I grew up in a christian home and I’ve believed in God from a very young age. Just before I turned 18, my dad fell seriously ill. At that point, something clicked. As a family we prayed and cried out to God for a miracle. That was the time I decided to put all my trust in God for everything.

How did you become part of WEC? I found out about WEC through my church friend Chris (WEC’s Media and Communications Team Leader). She knew I was studying design and motion graphics and asked if I’d like to help WEC with some design work. I wanted a role that let me really serve God, so I said yes. It was a real answered prayer.

What does your role involve? I am a multidisciplinary designer so it varies from graphic design to motion graphics, from video editing to illustration. Whatever needs to be done that I am capable of doing, I do. I love being able to use my skills in mission.

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»profile ...

NAME Charben Alilio NATIONALITY Filipino-British PLACE OF RESIDENCE Pontefract West Yorkshire ROLE WITHIN WEC Multidisciplinary designer

What is it like being a WEC Associate – giving some part-time help to WEC? It’s great! I get to work for a christian organisation, spreading the gospel, and at the same time I can focus on my family and my other interests.

And what other interests do you have? As a professional dabbler, I have many. I love to sing and play guitar.

I enjoy art and I spend a lot of time practising calligraphy and painting.

I am also a very visual person, so I love capturing moments through photographs and video.

Who’s your hero? My parents. I am always astonished when I hear about the way that they have lived their lives and how they have found God. I can truthfully say that they are the bravest people I have ever known.

If you were a superhero, what would your power be? Teleportation. It’d cut back all of the time and money I spend on travel — one blink and I’m there!

Or the power to calm people. Imagine: a war is breaking out and I could just say ‘shush’ and everyone calms down and drops their weapons.

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