Faith Formation Project

Section 1: Why start this ministry?
A. State your calling. How is it that you believe God is working to bring you to launch this ministry?
My calling is two-fold and primarily unclear at this point. I am to plant a church, I believe in the states, but I'm not sure, and I am to be a missionary, in the classical sense, to somewhere in the Middle East, I do not know where yet. There I will minister to Muslims. In this project I am, totally apart from any divine inspiration, attempting to combine my callings into a unified ministry that will combine aspects of both.
B. Briefly state your vision. What will this ministry look like in five years?
This ministry is meant to be a Mosque for lovers of Christ. I want to create a place where Muslims can maintain their cultural identity and traditions while placing their focus on Christ. In five years, I hope to have a center that can minister to the needs of American Muslims who have converted to Christianity. In terms of numbers, I think that about 40 adults in attendance would be a good goal for five years. There will be times of prayer conducted 5 times a day. Worship services that combine the post-modern church and the typical Jum'ah service will take place on Fridays, in keeping with common Islamic practice. Everything will be directed at worship of Jesus, the Father God and the Holy Spirit as a triune being, but the balance between what looks “Christian” and what looks “Muslim” will be a product of the will of the congregation.

I also would like to have my Mosque do ministry to the poor and needy of the area. This would be almost necessary being that, according to a 2001 Study by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, 70% of mosques in America provide some sort of assistance for the needy. According tot he same study, 20% of mosque contain schools, but for this mosque that would be more of a long-term possibility than a pressing need.
C. Why is there a need for a ministry in this area?

I plan to plant this Mosque is Patterson, New Jersey. According to a study done in 2000 by The Association of Religion Data Archives, New Jersey had the highest concentration of Muslims n America, 14.35 per 1000 people. According to the same study, Passaic County has the greatest concentration of Muslims in New Jersey, 45.8 per 1000 people. Comparatively, for all Evangelical denominations combined in Passaic County there are only 31.9 adherents per 1000 people. There is an obvious need for a Christian ministry directed at Muslims in the area.

Section 2: Who is your ministry focus group?
A. Describe your ministry focus group. Include appropriate demographics

The ministry focus group is Muslims and Christians who have recently been converted from Islam. The US Census Bureau cannot gather religious information based on national law, but on their website they directed to a number of private organizations. According to a study done with the 2000 census by The Association of Religion Data Archives, New Jersey had the highest concentration of Muslims n America, 14.35 per 1000 people. According to the same study, Passaic County has the greatest concentration of Muslims in New Jersey, 45.8 per 1000 people. Comparatively, for all Evangelical denominations combined in Passaic County there are only 31.9 adherents per 1000 people.
B. Describe the particular needs of your group/community.

My group needs to be able to worship Christ in a safe environment while maintaining their cultural identity. The new converts would need a large amount of discipleship and Biblically founded teaching on what is true and what is not. Islam and Christianity use many of the same “characters” in their texts, but the personalities and the divine aspects of the characters' lives are commonly interpreted very differently.
C. Describe the proposed location, if necessary.

The proposed location would be in the suburbs of Patterson New Jersey. Hopefully, a location would be available that would be in a neutral location in terms of the nearby religious atmosphere while simultaneously being within easy driving distance of a number of Muslim-dominated communities.
D. What are some possible names for your new ministry?

I have no idea what I will name this. Preferably, I would like to have mosque in the name and avoid anything that was outrightly Christian, while still giving the message that this mosque is different from the other ones in the area.
E. How will you determine the name?

I would like to be able to go from church to church in the area and interview former Muslims who have converted to Christianity about what they would imagine a Christian mosque would look like and what its name should be. From the pool of ideas generated something useful must come.

Section 3: What kind of ministry are you trying to start?
A. State up to, but not exceeding, eight core values of your new ministry.

1. There is only one true God who has revealed Himself in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

2. All the 66 books of the cannon of the Bible are inspired of God and are the infallible revelation of God to man and the final rule of faith and conduct.

3. All mankind is innately marred by sin and is in need of salvation that can only come through faith in the atoning work of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the only Son of God by grace.

4. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a Scripturally backed experience that empowers believers to do the work ordained for them on this earth and is normally evidenced by speaking in tongues.

B. State and expand your mission statement.

Our mission is to provide a safe place for Christian converts from Islam to worship and pray to the one true God within their own cultural context.

Many converts from Islam are persecuted not only overseas, but also in America, our goal will be to provide as much as we can to keep our adherents safe a well taken care of. Christian ministries are very focused on white, middle-class Americans. The church causes people to become a part of the church culture in order to be Christian. The goal of this ministry will be to allow people to maintain their cultural identity while worshiping.

C. What style of ministry will this be? What "model" will you use?

The basic model for this ministry will be like a church that is planted in a foreign context. This will not even be a home missions church. Everything will be considered cross-culturally. In terms of missions styles, this will be pioneer missions in that the pastor, Imam, and his very small staff, if any, will carry out almost all of the tasks of the church at first and then after a few years and, hopefully, a few converts the members can begin to be worked into the leadership structure.
D. Draw your ministry flow chart as your presently envision it.

E. Describe your ideal launch team.

In my research, I found that most mosques in America (78%) have one part-time leader who also works a second job. That will be my starting point. My launch team would consist of myself and my wife. Both of us will work other jobs at first if necessary. I will deal with the “pastoral” functions and male counseling, and she will deal with counseling the women.