EMQ » Jan – March 2025 » Volume 61 Issue 1
Islamic Family Evangelism
Summary: Over two billion people identify as Muslims worldwide. Due to globalization, they live across the world and are our neighbors and co-workers. This makes it even more important to understand their context. Approaching Muslims with the gospel from an individualist perspective is often unsuccessful. A shift in approach to a family-based incarnational ministry using a contextualized house-church model could improve missions outcomes.
By George Dumitrascu
In the aftermath of the second Gulf War in the spring of 2003, my family and I were ministering in Suleymaniah in Northern Iraq. It was there we met Ali, his wife Nouria, and their son Ahmed. Ali, an engineer, and Nouria, a pharmacist, lived in the basement floor of the house we were renting.
We were newcomers to the region, and their fluency in English made it easier to connect during that challenging time. Through them and our coworkers, my family and I gained a deep understanding of Muslim family life and culture, learning practical ways to demonstrate and share the love of Christ.
Today, over two billion people identify as Muslims worldwide. Their presence is growing, not only in traditionally Muslim regions – countries traditionally associated with the 10/40 window[i] – but also in places like Western Europe and North America due to globalization. They are not just our neighbors, but also our coworkers and classmates.
In this context, Christians’ efforts to reach out across cultural boundaries, understanding the different values and family structures, have a greater chance of success with an accurate comprehension of Islamic family values. Only after understanding these values can proper contextualization occur. Then evangelism can happen as a natural relational experience.
