"So Much More"

Recently we were blessed to be one of the few ministries working in the Middle East to be included in a survey done by Strategic Resource Group. It was a lot of work to reformat an understanding of what we do to fit into the structure of the questions they asked. That's because God has given us a very special strategy for doing it.

One thing that was reiterated to me, though, about our work, is how much more we can do, on the gifts we receive, because of that strategy. I can't take credit for this. I'm far from being the sharpest knife in the drawer. However, if you take time to listen to God, He'll tell you things that not only make you look good, but more importantly, make His work more effective. It's because of Him. But what are those vital elements which make us unique and effective? Please note that some of those elements aren't unique to us, like the use of radio. However, the unique way that we do those things and how we use them together with other strategic components does make the difference. So, while other ministries use parts of, or variations on some of these strategies, it's the number and mix that we use which makes GRO the effective tool that it is. Let me share a few with you.

• We primarily teach Muslims about Christ through teaching the Scriptures. Teaching is what we're told to do in Matt. 28:18-20, "teach all nations... teaching them to observe all things...".
• Radio itself is an effective tool. It offers a warm, personal voice. The absence of a 'hard' picture of the 'voice', as in television, leaves the listeners' imagination open to create their own 'picture' of the host in their minds. So, radio fosters the perception of a warm relationship between the host and listener in the mind of the listener. It thus keeps them listening a long time, to a person he or she sees as a personal friend.
• We use primarily ex-Muslim program hosts. Our radio programs are produced, not only in the language of the listener, but our hosts also utilize the vocabulary and frame of mind and heart of our Muslim listeners. This creates cultural continuity in relationship between host and listener and thus enhances the heart connection between the host and listeners. They feel like they belong.
• We address, primarily, Muslims and ex-Muslims. Our material is written and contextualized, that is, it's presented in the cultural context of the Middle East - where incidentally, the Gospel was born. This is done to reach the Muslim heart. So, again, they keep listening, but also listen with the heart. This also helps Christians who are listening to pick up that vocabulary and mind set, enabling them, in turn, to reach the Muslims around them.
• We often use the Quran and Haddith [writings about Muslim traditions] as jumping points for addressing subjects. We can do this because Muhammad plagiarized many things in the Quran from the Bible and from Christian and Jewish teachings. Don Richardson, in his book, "Eternity in their Hearts", teaches that God has purposely put these things there for us to use to reach the lost. So we have some excellent starting points to start from in teaching them the Scriptures. Paul used this approach on Mars Hill. See Acts 17:22-34. These things include many Biblical characters [Jesus, Adam, Abraham, etc.], Bible stories and subjects [like respect for parents, etc.], which appear in the Quran, making an excellent segue for the Muslim mind, into Biblical teaching. So we get to teach them what the Bible says about all those things. An excellent example of this is that the Quran calls Jesus, "the Messiah". So, from there, we teach them what the Bible says about Jesus being the Messiah.
• We use a low overhead, low cost approach. Radio is already a low cost approach compared to most, especially the international air-time that we use. We produce programs in a small studio on site at the hosts' homes, instead of having a big headquarters somewhere and making all the radio hosts and teachers come to it. So only a small headquarters facility is required. This also means that a smaller, therefore less expensive staff is required. The Internet web sites with programs and downloads that we're developing, to put the Gospel in their hands on line, also are an inexpensive, effective and safer facet of our strategy.
• We also cooperate with other ministries who, in turn, re-air our programs at their expense. Why reinvent the wheel and waste money to record new programs all over again? We've already recorded the programs. Other ministries use their own stations to broadcast our programs, on a different channel at another time to give Muslims yet another chance to hear about and receive Christ.
• We use local ministries to follow-up listeners wherever possible. Cooperation with local, on-the-ground ministries saves staff and gives listeners personal, face-to-face contact. This fosters involvement in a local church, wherever possible. It also makes for a more effective discipleship experience.

I'm not hear to blow our horn, but God really has given us a very special strategy to reach Muslims worldwide. Please stand with us and pray that the Lord will continue to bless us so that this strategy can be developed to the fullest. There’s so much more to be done!