Resources
Joining the Family - course
The course was originally designed to be run face to face in groups using video clips, with a facilitator’s guide and participants’ handouts to guide the discussion. There are six sessions of teaching and testimonies. The teaching content comes from 25 interviews with believers of Muslim background and experienced mentors speaking from the heart. Wherever possible, groups should have one or more believers of Muslim background with them so that everyone can learn directly from their insights and deepen mutual friendships.
A condensed version of the course is now available for use with groups meeting online. The JtF team themselves regularly run this version, offering it as a taster for those who want to experience the content before leading their own groups. To book onto one of these central courses, please register via our 'Book an event' page.
The course is currently available with subtitles in English and Norwegian. If you are interested in partnering with us to subtitle the content in other languages, please get in touch with the JtF team.
The course's objectives are for participants to:
- compassionately understand issues that believers of Muslim background face
- be equipped to ‘be family’ for these believers, caring for them and helping them grow in Christ
- learn from them and be enriched by their insights, ministry gifts and cultures
Session overview:
1. Journeys to Jesus (the testimonies of Muslims turning to Jesus)
2. The pearl of great price (the cost and joys of following Christ)
3. Welcome to the family (how local churches can ‘be family’ for these believers)
4. Being transformed (how believers grow in Christ and how we can help)
5. A blessing for our churches (how we can benefit from what these believers bring us)
6. Ambassadors for Jesus (believers relating to their Muslim families and communities)
Joining the Family - book
The book goes into greater depth than the course, perfect for anyone wishing to learn and think more about this topic
Available in English and Dutch.
"This excellent book is just what the church needs to help us catch up with the remarkable work God is doing in bringing people from Muslim backgrounds to Christ and to equip us to play our part in helping them grow with us as fellow members of his family." - Vaughan Roberts, Rector of St Ebbe's and Director of Proclamation Trust
These resources were developed in partnership with Interserve and Carfax Media, with additional help from Elam Ministries and the Mahabba Network.
Coming soon
The team behind Joining the Family are regularly adapting these resources and developing new initiatives to better serve you and your church. We are currently developing a program for entire church congregations to learn together and looking forward to sharing this soon.
Can you help with our current research?
We have heard some people say that, a few years after starting to follow Christ, 70% of believers of Muslim background (BMBs) are not found in local churches/fellowships. What helps or hinders people from truly integrating into a local expression of the body of Christ? What have the experiences of church leaders and members been of welcoming and journeying with BMBs in their church? What could be changed that would help BMB faith journeys, and see churches being enriched by these new members? How could the expanded community be encouraged to more fully become God’s family together?
The Joining the Family team are currently gathering reponses to these questions and more, for the benefit of God’s kingdom generally and ministry amongst believers from Muslim background and local churches specifically.
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