International (MNN) — Fouad Masri, founder and president of Crescent
Project, says millions of Muslims in North America need to know
about the hope of Christ.
It's a vision he's shared since
1993, when he established Crescent Project. Masri, a Lebanese pastor, grew up in
the war zone of Beirut. After his own
encounter with Christ, he saw a need to equip
Christians to reach out to the Muslim community.
Most Muslim ministries have focused
on sending full-time missionaries overseas to Muslim countries. Crescent
Project has used an entirely different approach: train the local church to
reach out to the Muslims in the community.
They are considered one of the fastest growing and most influential
populations, although Fouad notes that the Muslim population is not growing by
conversion numbers, but rather by immigration and biological family
growth.
Many Christians are intimidated by the unknown, but Masri says the task is manageable. "The way to reach Muslims is to do it the Jesus
way: one person to reach one person. Our
goal, as a ministry, is to help local believers and local churches reach out in
love to their Muslim neighbors and give them a gift."
It's easier than you might think.
"Many Muslims in America are pious, and they are open to talk about Jesus
because they hear about him. They don't know much about him."
The 'gifts' are Outreach Packets which help move conversation about Christ in the right direction. "It's a packet of material that includes
a movie on the life of Christ. It includes a booklet on why Christ died for our
sins called 'Adha in the Injeel.' It also includes a book that explains why the
New Testament has not been corrupted, along with a card explaining how to receive a free
New Testament; individuals can go to our Web site and get one for free."
Crescent Project has mobilized
over 10,000 North American Christians to better understand Islam and extend a
message of hope to their Muslim neighbors. The Outreach Packet is just one way to do it. Their teams offer more in-depth training,
too, but any evangelical advance is really all about relationship.
For
a limited time, the Crescent Project is offering MNN listeners these
Outreach Packets at no charge. If you'd like to request one to give to
your Muslim friends, please e-mail Emily Hall at [email protected] with your contact information. This offer is for US residents only.
In addition, it is only being offered
until the end of June, so after that offer ends at the end of June,
you can order outreach packs at www.crescentproject.org.
