Have I Been Called?

Simple answer: Yes, we are all called to make followers of Jesus among every people group. Less simple answer: Its worth taking a little time to nd out if God really has called you to cross-cultural work before you jump on the plane.
Two starting principles Firstly, you shouldnt be reading this if you havent already started talking to your own church leadership (but youve started now so you may as well nish!). Best place to start is with your home church on board: they know you and can support you as you explore Gods calling. They will recognise Gods call on your life (Acts 13:1-3) and support you in your adventures. Secondly, if God says something to you, dont keep asking for advice, conrmation and signs indenitely. If you know God has spoken to you, do not doubt it, no matter what we or anyone else may say (James 1:5-7). The experience of others As we journey with you we trust God will lead us in your preparation, and give us glimpses of his plan for you. We will also look for the effects of Gods calling coming out in your life. What does this mean? People who have gone to serve long term have tended to do some of the following: 1 Learn about Gods heart for the world in scripture 2 Learn from others experience; get praying for cross-cultural work 3 Learn about other countries and religions, and how to share the gospel 4 Share their calling with the church and the church leaders 5 Get actively involved in church life 6 Pray through personal pastoral issues and seek to mature as a person

Romans 8:29 -

At the foundation of all this must be a strong prayer life. Only as we spend time with God can we be made more like him and get his direction.

We are not searching for the nished article (like it exists), and this is by no means the checklist for a successful candidate, but we encourage you to get stuck in, because through these activities we can see that God is leading you, and God can show you where youre going. Remember we are people who are committed to growing personally (Phil 3:14), and, in cross-cultural work in particular, we are looking for teachability . Still, we have seen people who have left out some of the things outlined above and come unstuck later on! If some of them are missing or lacking, we might advise you to spend a little more time in preparation and checking out the call. It may not be a long time, but long enough to make sure the foundations are solid! Digital resources (click to visit) Our ezone resources frontiers.org.uk/thesource/ezone/ Other Info and resources oscar.org.uk, christianvocations.org Highlighting unreached people groups joshuaproject.net, peoplegroups.org Whats going on in world outreach missionfrontiers.org, brigada.org Prayer 24-7prayer.com/ow, 30-days.net Go Global resource CD Order a copy through our website 1 Gods heart for the world in Scripture We suggest looking at one of the many books available on the subject, e.g. Let the Nations be Glad by John Piper. Other possibilities include following a course such as Perspectives (www.perspectivesuk.com) that looks at Gods heart for the world and our purpose in it, over a number of weeks, either by correspondence or in a small group. As well as regular teaching at church we recommend ensuring your basic theology is sound. Try Bruce Milnes Know the Truth. You could listen to Our God is a Missionary God by John Stott which outlines that Gods heart, from Genesis to Revelation, is for all the nations to know Him. (This is on our audio page frontiers. org.uk/thesource/ezone/thingstolistento.php).

2 Learn from others experience Take opportunities to listen to workers and to talk with them. Carl Medearis tells incredible stories of Jesus working where we tend to think he is not (carlmedearis.com/ audio.html). Jesus Says Go by Robin Wells covers those what if questions and should get you red up about a life of mission available from 10ofthose.com. Biographies of prominent missionaries of previous generations, such as Hudson Taylor and Amy Carmichael, are denitely worth a read. The Global Mission Handbook edited by Steve Hoke and Bill Taylor has excellent articles on cross-cultural service. If you feel that you are called to work with Muslims it would make sense to pray for people in Muslim ministry. Contact agencies to receive prayer letters of workers in your region of interest. Prayer information from all over the Muslim world can be obtained from Fellowship of Faith For Muslims (www.f-f-m.org.uk). 3 Learn about other countries and religions, and how to share the gospel We recommend: Friendship First by Steve Bell helping ordinary Christians discuss good news with ordinary Muslims (available from Frontiers or Interserve). Nick Chatrath has written a guide called Reaching Muslims. Carl Medearis writes that we should be pointing people to Jesus, not Christianity, in Muslims, Christians, and Jesus: Gaining Understanding and Building Relationships. Colin Chapmans classic Cross and Crescent is well worth reading. Also helpful: womens ministry - Mothers, Miniskirts and Muslims by Christine Mallouhi. Folk Islam: Muslims, Magic & the Kingdom of God by Rick Love. Please email for more recommendations. The debate Who is God and How are We Saved (on Youtube) explores contentious issues between Muslims and Christians a help to share more effectively and avoid fruitless arguments. Take an interest in the country or region God puts on your heart. Check out news websites. Even better, make some friends from these countries. Get involved with international student or immigrant ministry. Pray. 4 Share your calling with the church and the church leaders These people know you best and can advise you. Raising your support base is vital and this will generally come from friends and your church, so share your vision with them as it develops. Many agencies will not accept candidates if they do not have the support of their church. Biblically (Acts 13), the church recognises Gods call on your life and will send you out and support you in prayer. 5 Get actively involved in church life For individuals serious about discerning their appointment from God to establish churches among Muslims, the single most important factor is previous active participation in the life of the church; to understand what a church is and how it functions and to have practical experience in labouring to build up the church body (Greg Livingstone: Planting Churches in Muslim Cities). 6 Pray through personal pastoral issues and seek to mature as a person If you or others recognise any issues that need addressing, seek to address them and grow. Issues such as self image, how we see God (Is he a loving Father?), our ability to resolve disagreement and conict with others, our attitude to leadership and being prepared to press on through difculty and still know the delight of a relationship with God are all important on the eld and need to be built in early.

Lets keep talking! Our aim is to help you discern Gods call on your life, serve you and glorify God. Why not contact us through the website or give us a call? Your journey to the Muslim world starts right here!

Have you been called?

INVITING ALL MUSLIM PEOPLES TO FOLLOW JESUS web: www.frontiers.org.uk | tel: 0303 333 5051 | email: info@frontiers.org.uk

WITH LOVE AND RESPECT,