NETWORK LIFE

Summer is a great time of the year to start new friendships with those of Muslim faith in our communities, as the weather is warm, the days are longer, and people are outside more often.  

Interviews with those, who after coming to North America, chose to leave Islam to follow Jesus, identified some key common factors that were fruitful in their journey. The top three factors were that Muslims had an experience with a Christian Church, had a Christian friend and had access to the Bible in their heart language. 

Starting a friendship with Muslims involves taking the first step to befriend them, listen to their story and learn about their lives. As M. Bonner says in the article ‘Choosing Relationships with Muslims in Our Communities’ “Muslim friendships are built through common experience and intentionality." As followers of Jesus, we are to be intentional about getting to know our neighbours and loving them as Jesus would.    

This summer I intend to purposely take a few hours of my evening every Friday and go for prayer walks at the park where I often see Muslims and newcomers spending time at with their families. I’m praying for God to prepare the way for my path to cross the path of those who he is already drawing to Him and to teach me to love the ones He brings my way.  

Summer is also a great time to invite our children’s friends to join the many Vacation Bible Schools or Summer Camps at the churches in our communities. My son has a good friend who is a Muslim, and I took the opportunity to invite his friend to join my son in the youth camp he will be attending this summer. I’m now praying for the Lord to open doors and speak to this young men’s life during the week he will be exposed to the Scriptures, worship, fun and new friendships.  

Canada Day is another great way to befriend and welcome newcomers and Muslims in our midst. For many newcomers in our communities, this is going to be their very first Canada Day experience. If you already have friends who are new to Canada, make sure to invite them to celebrate Canada Day with you and your family.

If you don’t have any newcomer friend yet, ask the Lord to bring some your way and be expectant of who He places around you. The other day I prayed for God to bring a newcomer into my life and to my surprise, a few days later as I was looking for box cake mix at Walmart, I approached a young lady who worked there, to find out she was from Nepal and had recently arrived in Canada to attend the community college in my city. We chatted for a few minutes and ended up exchanging phone numbers as I invited her to go for coffee sometime to get to know each other better. I’m planning on inviting her to join my family and I on Canada Day as we celebrate and I pray this will be the beginning of a new friendship.  

You can find information about Canada Day celebrations across Canada here.  

Another great way to form friendships with newcomers in our communities is by volunteering with Canada Connects “an initiative to help newcomers settle by matching them with Canadian citizens or longtime community members.” This initiative is funded by the federal government through the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and is available through the many organizations that offers services to newcomers in most communities across Canada. To find a settlement agency near you please click here.  

God is at work among us and as we make ourselves available, He uses our lives in amazing ways to bring people one step closer to Jesus.  

When we love like Jesus loves us, through genuine friendships and with servant hearts, Muslims in our midst experience God’s love for them too and are drawn to the Father’s heart. Choose to take the first step today.