Being True Ambassadors of Christ
When we were living in a Muslim country, a local friend once invited me to one of his hangouts and
meet some of his friends. After traveling across town, we finally reached the place.
I asked, “Are you sure the guys here will be ok with me coming here?”
He laughed at my question and said, “Oh, of course!”
As we entered the room though, the tough-looking group of local men looked up and frowned as they saw me. My friend noticed this too and decided to disarm them with an introduction.
He candidly said, “Hello, everyone! Meet my Christian friend. He is different from the other Christians here. He doesn’t smoke or drink or sleep around with other women!”
I thought, Wow, thanks. What an introduction—maybe you should try again! When local Muslims asked about my faith, I was generally low key about calling myself a Christian. I usually prefer the term “follower of Christ” or “true believer.” I knew that there was a lot of baggage that comes with the term “Christian”. It was a trigger word for many Muslims, making them instantly defensive when they heard that word.
Much to my surprise, my friend’s words did disarm the group, and someone immediately invited us to join him and the others at his table. In the hours that followed, though there were some occasional quizzical looks that came my way, we had some very interesting conversations! Most Muslims in that country considered all foreigners to be “Christian”, including the UN community, the non-profit community, as well as any Western diplomatic personnel. Unfortunately, in that high stress environment, there were many people living very sinful lives ( hence, my introduction above). The local people thought that since they were Westerners, they were Christians.
I asked, “Are you sure the guys here will be ok with me coming here?”
He laughed at my question and said, “Oh, of course!”
As we entered the room though, the tough-looking group of local men looked up and frowned as they saw me. My friend noticed this too and decided to disarm them with an introduction.
He candidly said, “Hello, everyone! Meet my Christian friend. He is different from the other Christians here. He doesn’t smoke or drink or sleep around with other women!”
I thought, Wow, thanks. What an introduction—maybe you should try again! When local Muslims asked about my faith, I was generally low key about calling myself a Christian. I usually prefer the term “follower of Christ” or “true believer.” I knew that there was a lot of baggage that comes with the term “Christian”. It was a trigger word for many Muslims, making them instantly defensive when they heard that word.
Much to my surprise, my friend’s words did disarm the group, and someone immediately invited us to join him and the others at his table. In the hours that followed, though there were some occasional quizzical looks that came my way, we had some very interesting conversations! Most Muslims in that country considered all foreigners to be “Christian”, including the UN community, the non-profit community, as well as any Western diplomatic personnel. Unfortunately, in that high stress environment, there were many people living very sinful lives ( hence, my introduction above). The local people thought that since they were Westerners, they were Christians.
Breaking Christian Stereotypes
How are you known by your Muslim neighbors, colleagues, or immigrants in your community? Are you seen as someone who just blends in and is no different than the next guy? Or do they know you as a true follower of Christ? What sets your life apart from others?
We all tend to put people into boxes, and so do Muslims. We need to ask what box we have put them into and vice versa. These boxes are called stereotypes, and they can be very powerful. We have to be careful, personally, not to be unduly influenced by these stereotypes, and we must show our Muslim friends that their stereotypes of Christians do not fit us.
One of the ways we can break these stereotypes is to get into their communities and interact with them so that they can truly see us for who we are. They will eventually come to understand that, though we are imperfect people, we are people living by grace and serving One who is full of grace and peace, Jesus Christ.
I would encourage you to try to get to know a local Muslim family. You could offer to teach English lessons or American idioms to a new refugee family. You could also help an immigrant family that has been here for several years prepare for the citizenship exam. If you know an established family that’s been residing here for a long time, perhaps ask if they could help you understand the history of Islam, or cultural things about their home country. This might include them teaching you to learn how to prepare their favorite foods.
These are just a few ways that can help you connect with your Muslim neighbors and new immigrants to your communities. As you take these steps to get to know them, take opportunities to pray and share stories from the Bible so that your Muslim friends hear about your faith and they in turn can tell others!
How are you known by your Muslim neighbors, colleagues, or immigrants in your community? Are you seen as someone who just blends in and is no different than the next guy? Or do they know you as a true follower of Christ? What sets your life apart from others?
We all tend to put people into boxes, and so do Muslims. We need to ask what box we have put them into and vice versa. These boxes are called stereotypes, and they can be very powerful. We have to be careful, personally, not to be unduly influenced by these stereotypes, and we must show our Muslim friends that their stereotypes of Christians do not fit us.
One of the ways we can break these stereotypes is to get into their communities and interact with them so that they can truly see us for who we are. They will eventually come to understand that, though we are imperfect people, we are people living by grace and serving One who is full of grace and peace, Jesus Christ.
I would encourage you to try to get to know a local Muslim family. You could offer to teach English lessons or American idioms to a new refugee family. You could also help an immigrant family that has been here for several years prepare for the citizenship exam. If you know an established family that’s been residing here for a long time, perhaps ask if they could help you understand the history of Islam, or cultural things about their home country. This might include them teaching you to learn how to prepare their favorite foods.
These are just a few ways that can help you connect with your Muslim neighbors and new immigrants to your communities. As you take these steps to get to know them, take opportunities to pray and share stories from the Bible so that your Muslim friends hear about your faith and they in turn can tell others!
Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
Learn about the spiritual harmony in Vietnam & how missionaries engage with college students. Join us in sharing the gospel!
Explore Georgia's spiritual heritage and the impact of SEND International's mission. Join us in fostering authentic relationships today!
