Joining the Family: equipping churches around the world

 

Although initially only tailored for Western churches, JtF’s core themes nevertheless resonate with churches and believers from Muslim backgrounds (BMBs) worldwide.

 

What is Joining the Family?
“Joining the Family” is an initiative to help churches in the West to understand, love, equip and learn from Christ’s follower of Muslim heritage.

But has this vision become a reality?
Yes. Many churches and individuals in the UK have been enriched by JtF, and the initiative continues to grow, touching lives and building bridges of faith.

Is it only active in the UK?
While the UK has been the primary focus, JtF’s reach extends beyond. There’s a growing interest from those working with refugees and diaspora communities in Europe. This has led to the translation of JtF course in some European languages. For instance,

• The course is now available in Norwegian.
• The accompanying book has been translated into Dutch.
• A German version of the course, with subtitled videos, is underway.

In addition to that, some participants on our centrally-hosted Zoom course have also gone on to run courses in Australia.

Does JtF only apply to Western churches?
Although initially only tailored for Western churches, JtF’s core themes nevertheless resonate with churches and believers from Muslim backgrounds (BMBs) worldwide. This global relevance opens exciting new possibilities.

So what’s happening beyond the West?
JtF is exploring how its vision and aims can support churches and BMBs outside the West by asking the following key questions:

• Is there a recognized need for the aims and vision of JtF in a particular country/region?
• What might help churches and BMBs in this country/region to fully unite in Christ?
• How relevant are the aims and vision of the JtF course for this country/region?
• Should the current course be contextualized, or should a completely new and tailored approach to be developed locally?

Here’s an update on JtF’s progress around the world:

 

East Asia (Single Country): A small group experienced a taster of the JtF materials, followed by a consultation to assess local needs. This led to the formation of a planning group, comprising local partners and Word of Life (WoL) staff, to reformat and use elements of the existing course alongside fresh materials specifically designed for the local context. The first pilot of this contextualized course starts in November 2024.

Africa (Region): A diverse group, representing eight countries and people groups, gathered for a taster session and consultation. This group not only reviewed JtF’s themes and content, but also considered how relevant the learning format (videos and discussions) would be for the African contexts. They identified a number of ways in which JtF’s aims resonated with their respective contexts. Hence, plans are underway to work through the whole course together in order to determine the best approach for equipping churches in this region. We trust God to provide the resources needed to achieve this vision.

South America (Single Country): In South America, they are in the early stages of deciding how best to adapt the course. Options under consideration include making minimal adjustments, such as subtitling and translating the materials; going one step further by dubbing the videos to enhance engagement and incorporate some local flavour; or undertaking a more substantial contextualization. They would greatly appreciate prayers for wisdom in choosing the most effective approach.

 

This approach of partnering locally to produce something that is in keeping with WoL aims and vision – building up BMBs, deepening understanding, equipping churches – is something we pray will be a blessing to all as we seek to be the family of Christ together across the world.