Helping Muslims Find Their New Beginning in Christ
From his earliest days responding to the questions of Muslim seekers, Brother Rachid has juggled the needs of various groups:
- those curious about the Christian faith — whether spiritually open or merely interested in vigorous debate
- those earnestly seeking truth
- those ready to leave Islam to follow Jesus Christ
- those who have already taken that incredible step of faith and now need nurturing to grow in their faith
In 2020, Brother Rachid zeroed-in on one group with this pivotal question: How can we help true seekers take the next step?
He and his team soon produced a live, two-day, virtual event titled “New Beginning,” in cooperation with Levant Ministries. They held the first event in November 2020, the second in May 2021 — each with a three-fold goal:
- encourage seekers to start a new life in Christ
- listen and answer specific questions
- provide a detailed explanation of Christianity
For that reason, the conference excluded Christians already enrolled in church/discipleship programs and those with no interest in Christianity.
Using discernment
First, the team created targeted ads aimed at those who had engaged with Brother Rachid’s Facebook page. As a result, more than 900 people registered for the first New Beginning conference!
Then, the follow-up team asked questions to determine each registrant’s interest. Questions included:
- Where are you in your journey to research the truth?
- Have you left Islam?
- What obstacles or questions are preventing you from becoming a Christian?
- Why do you want to join this event?
Those questions elicited meaningful conversations, such as this one with Husam:*
“I left Islam, and I’m looking for the truth and leaning toward Jesus Christ. I need to get in direct contact with someone so I can press on and stay firm on my decision without looking back.”
At the conclusion of the filtering process, the team approved 455 attendees from 47 countries — with the largest numbers coming from Morocco, Algeria, Iraq, and Tunisia.
Powerful results
During both conferences, Brother Rachid spoke live before sharing a pre-recorded segment of testimonies, songs, and additional teaching from key speakers. Then, Brother Rachid opened the phone lines for a live Q&A, concluding with an invitation for people to pray with him and give their lives to Christ.
The content was then aired again online and shared on Facebook and Twitter as well, resulting in even more conversations and questions. Between live sessions and re-airing of the material for both New Beginning conferences, we:
- hosted over 2,100 attendees
- engaged in 377 private prayer chat sessions
- saw 123 people accept Christ as their Savior and pray with our follow-up team, many via WhatsApp
Plans are in place for a third conference to finish out this year, in December 2021. Learn more here.
Without a doubt, fruit from the first two conferences is ever-ripening. Remember Husam, who wanted to attend the conference because he needed support as he leaned toward Christ? He later shared with the follow-up team: “Christ peace be upon you: I want to let you know that my three children decided to follow Christ. Thank you very much.”
Visit our blog to hear more stories about how New Beginning conferences touched the lives of seeking Muslims.
Please pray for all who attended our first two New Beginning conferences — that God’s truths soak into their hearts and that they would start on the path to new life in Christ. And pray for our December 2021 event — that God handpicks attendees from among those who are desperately seeking to know the truth. Learn more about Brother Rachid and his powerful ministry here.