#41. Encouraging Urban Missions to Muslims: Common Mistakes and a Way Forward

Seth Bouchelle highlights how the command to love our neighbor and the great commission fuse in modern urban missions.

He challenges assumptions about cross cultural ministry, the examples modeled by Jesus and effectively reaching out to Muslims. Plus as a peek in to the world of missions, he explains why being a missionary is a lot like being a standup comic.

What You’ll Learn:

• How studying Islam could be counterproductive in building relationships with Muslims
• About the importance of honor-shame dynamics in outreach to Muslims
• How being a missionary is similar being a stand-up comedian

About the Guest: 

Seth Bouchelle has been planting churches among diaspora populations in NYC since 2014. Currently, he serves as director of Equipping for the Exponent Group. The focus of the Exponent Group is to “help organizations build healthy disciples that multiply the gospel.”

Through this role Seth works to train evangelists and advance disciple making skills within urban churches and nonprofits.

Seth is the co-author of Mosaic: A Ministry Handbook for a Globalizing World and the author of Lost Faith: A Practical Theology for Post-Christendom Ministry.

Scripture Related to Episode:

Leviticus 19: 34; Love the Foreigner

Matthew 22: 38-40; Love Your Neighbors

Matthew 28: 16-20; The Great Commission

1 Corinthians 3: 9; Coworkers with Jesus

2 Corinthians 5: 11-21; Ministry of Reconciliation

Links Related to Episode:

Contact Seth Bouchelle at The Exponent Group

Mosaic: A Ministry Handbook for a Globalizing World, Seth Bouchelle co-author

Lost Faith: A Practical Theology for Post-Christendom Ministry by Seth Bouchelle

Timestamped Show Notes:

01:18 - Topic: Why Muslim Evangelism Requires Its Own Skills and Ethnography

02:21 - Ministry through the Generations

03:57 - Loving Your Neighbor and the Great Commission in Cities

03:57 - Why Should More Christians Reach out to Muslims in Their Cities?

05:38 - Where to Start in Outreach and Evangelism

06:13 - Studying Islam for Ministry

06:31 - Curbing Assumptions

07:26 - Honor, Shame, Knowledge and Kindness

09:53 - Common Mistakes of Short-Term Missions Teams

11:03 - Common Islamic Ideas about Teachers

12:20 - Problems with Being a Teacher

12:47 - Engaging as a Learner and Honoring Your Neighbor

13:50 - Teaching versus Discipleship

16:25 - Respect, Politeness and Cross-Cultural Dynamics

18:15 - Re-interpreting Silence in Cross-Cultural Context

19:13 - Repeating Mistakes in Missions

19:43 - Unwrapping Missions from Colonialism

20:47 - Sharing the Gospel across Generations

21:53 - Biggest Hurdles for Muslims to Become Christian

22:17 - Is Multicultural Really Multicultural?

22:42 - More Like Jesus or More Like Us

25:14 - What Does It Mean to be Godly?

26:16 - Incarnational Missions

27:47 - Contact Seth Bouchelle

29:57 - A Stand-up Comedy Routine from a Missionary

31:54 - Joke: Huh, Huh, Haha, Haha

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