Ministry Update
May 7, 2020
Dear Ministry Partners,
We find ourselves in trying times, even unprecedented circumstances in our lifetimes, and I'd like to thank you all for your prayers and financial support. I also have some updates regarding my ministry that I'm delighted to share with you.
We find ourselves in trying times, even unprecedented circumstances in our lifetimes, and I'd like to thank you all for your prayers and financial support. I also have some updates regarding my ministry that I'm delighted to share with you.
COVID-19's Impact
For me personally
My work has been impacted by no less than four major cancellations. This is a tremendous disappointment due to the many weeks of preparation and networking that went into them. Two of these were direct teaching opportunities for Crescent Project in churches where we've never been before. One was a major networking opportunity for one the largest association of evangelicals in Germany. Yet another was an opportunity to start some short-term teams in an extremely fruitful outreach to Arabs on vacation in ski resorts.
Churches here are mostly in survival mode as giving plummets in a cash-based society (compared to the US) and running costs remain the same. Also, shepherding scattered sheep has been a challenge for my own elders and no doubt other churches as well. Therefore, most churches are unable to interact with organizations or causes outside of their own membership. So, the shut-down in Austria has been extreme and remaining active in ministry presents challenges, but we are among the first nations to start opening up again at a federal level. Accordingly, I will pursue these leads with renewed vigor as communication channels begin to open up again.
For Crescent Project as a whole
Many organizations have been impacted by the virus, and Crescent Project is no exception. This year, all of our events and conferences have been moved to online events including our European Conference formerly known as John 10:10. The Hope International Conference, as it is now called, will aim to contextualize our material to the European setting and provide both live and pre-recorded instruction/interaction.
Our aim is to impact even more people with our training by making it more affordable and more accessible than ever before. For example, Sahara Challenge, our premier conference for training pastors and church planters is coming up rapidly, and you can register now for only $99. To give you some perspective, the transit+lodging+materials+ entrance fee cost me about $1,500 when I attended in 2016. So give it a think, perhaps this year is a good time for you to take part! Our info page for all our events is here.
My work has been impacted by no less than four major cancellations. This is a tremendous disappointment due to the many weeks of preparation and networking that went into them. Two of these were direct teaching opportunities for Crescent Project in churches where we've never been before. One was a major networking opportunity for one the largest association of evangelicals in Germany. Yet another was an opportunity to start some short-term teams in an extremely fruitful outreach to Arabs on vacation in ski resorts.
Churches here are mostly in survival mode as giving plummets in a cash-based society (compared to the US) and running costs remain the same. Also, shepherding scattered sheep has been a challenge for my own elders and no doubt other churches as well. Therefore, most churches are unable to interact with organizations or causes outside of their own membership. So, the shut-down in Austria has been extreme and remaining active in ministry presents challenges, but we are among the first nations to start opening up again at a federal level. Accordingly, I will pursue these leads with renewed vigor as communication channels begin to open up again.
For Crescent Project as a whole
Many organizations have been impacted by the virus, and Crescent Project is no exception. This year, all of our events and conferences have been moved to online events including our European Conference formerly known as John 10:10. The Hope International Conference, as it is now called, will aim to contextualize our material to the European setting and provide both live and pre-recorded instruction/interaction.
Our aim is to impact even more people with our training by making it more affordable and more accessible than ever before. For example, Sahara Challenge, our premier conference for training pastors and church planters is coming up rapidly, and you can register now for only $99. To give you some perspective, the transit+lodging+materials+ entrance fee cost me about $1,500 when I attended in 2016. So give it a think, perhaps this year is a good time for you to take part! Our info page for all our events is here.
A Story from Prior to the Crisis
I'd like to share a story from a friend whom I will call Ali (this is not his real name). Ali is from Afghanistan, and we met at the Oasis Outreach Center sometime in early February. The first time we met, Ali came with his friend (whom I will call Mohammad) to one of the Oasis coffee nights. Both Ali and Mohammad had heard about Jesus while they were in Turkey, but neither could really tell me what they understood as the Christian Gospel. For Ali, he knew that Jesus was essential to the Gospel, but didn't know why. Mohammad understood the Gospel as the belief that Christians want to do good things.
I explained to Ali and Mohammad that the Gospel is that God has sent Jesus to live the righteous life that none of us have. He died in the place of sinners such that whoever trusts in Him to save them and repents from their sin will not fall under God's judgment but will instead enjoy God forever. (Yes, that is very much abbreviated from the actual discussion. :D)
The next question was, "so what is the Bible then, since it says a lot more than that?" I went to the chalkboard and sketched a line of redemptive history. I highlighted the events of the garden, the promises to Abraham, the establishment of Israel, the promise to David, the failures of the Kings, and the promise of a New Covenant. Then, when we got to Jesus, the young men saw the beauty of it. Jesus isn't just some important part of the Christian faith. He is the linchpin upon which the entire universe hinges!
Funny enough, they didn't even ask about the authority of the New Testament which is where the majority of my conversations at the Oasis lead. They saw the beauty of it. I hadn't noticed before, but the whole room of about 25 volunteers and asylum seekers was watching me draw this out. The self-attesting power of the Scripture was on full display. For Mohammad, he took a New Testament with great excitement that night, but we sadly didn't hear much more from him. However, Ali was a different story.
Ali came back the next week convicted of his sin, and assured that only Jesus could save him. Next came the question, "so what do I do now?" I told him that he should turn away from any known sin, and trust that Jesus is able to save him completely. His life would now belong to Jesus not only as his Creator, but also as his Lord and Savior. This would mean hardship and suffering in this life and glory in the next. Ali was again convinced that Jesus was better than breathing itself. I told him that Christ has not qualified me to recognize him as a disciple, and he should therefore submit himself to a local church and seek to baptized. That very Sunday he went to a trusted congregation and spoke with their elders about baptism. Praise God!
I explained to Ali and Mohammad that the Gospel is that God has sent Jesus to live the righteous life that none of us have. He died in the place of sinners such that whoever trusts in Him to save them and repents from their sin will not fall under God's judgment but will instead enjoy God forever. (Yes, that is very much abbreviated from the actual discussion. :D)
The next question was, "so what is the Bible then, since it says a lot more than that?" I went to the chalkboard and sketched a line of redemptive history. I highlighted the events of the garden, the promises to Abraham, the establishment of Israel, the promise to David, the failures of the Kings, and the promise of a New Covenant. Then, when we got to Jesus, the young men saw the beauty of it. Jesus isn't just some important part of the Christian faith. He is the linchpin upon which the entire universe hinges!
Funny enough, they didn't even ask about the authority of the New Testament which is where the majority of my conversations at the Oasis lead. They saw the beauty of it. I hadn't noticed before, but the whole room of about 25 volunteers and asylum seekers was watching me draw this out. The self-attesting power of the Scripture was on full display. For Mohammad, he took a New Testament with great excitement that night, but we sadly didn't hear much more from him. However, Ali was a different story.
Ali came back the next week convicted of his sin, and assured that only Jesus could save him. Next came the question, "so what do I do now?" I told him that he should turn away from any known sin, and trust that Jesus is able to save him completely. His life would now belong to Jesus not only as his Creator, but also as his Lord and Savior. This would mean hardship and suffering in this life and glory in the next. Ali was again convinced that Jesus was better than breathing itself. I told him that Christ has not qualified me to recognize him as a disciple, and he should therefore submit himself to a local church and seek to baptized. That very Sunday he went to a trusted congregation and spoke with their elders about baptism. Praise God!
Blogging: A New Adventure
A few friends have been pressing me to start blogging for a long time in addition and supplemental to my work with Crescent Project. I actually resisted this primarily because I was concerned that it would distract from the primary purpose of my ministry in Austria: equipping the church to reach Muslims for Christ. However, this strange season of isolation has given me additional time and motivation to finally write. I hope that many of you might subscribe to my blog and see what I'm up to over here. Some of my posts will be directly related to ministry among Muslims, while others have grown naturally out of it. So far, I've written on:
1) The Apostle Matthew's perspective on the Law of Moses
2) Church Membership
3) I hosted a guest article on Spurgeon and the Corona Virus
4) The Actors in Salvation from a Patristic Perspective
And here's what's in the pipeline:
1) Qur'an vs. Bible differing views on inspiration and the impact on evangelism and discipleship
2) Twin Pitfalls in Christian Friendship: Fair-weather Friends and Sycophants
You might be wondering what Church Membership, the Law of Moses, and the Actors in Salvation have to do with Islam. Surprisingly, my interest in all of these topics came out of my interactions with refugees in sharing the Gospel.
At the Oasis ministry, besides the topic of the Gospel itself, I discuss nothing more frequently than church membership and baptism. This stems from the belief that the local church is God's primary means of recognizing and equipping Christians for the Christian life. Among the first questions that a new convert makes is, "so now what?" and our answers to that question must include a local church. All para-church ministries, like mine, should be subservient to this end.
Islam, in its majority expression is inherently fatalistic. Fouad, the President of Crescent Project, often refers to a 6th core belief of Islam as "Qadr" or fate. The Islamic view of "fate" is actually not far off from pagan understandings of woven tapestries and seamstresses, as well as the view of the 4th century Manicheans. The Arabic phrase, "in sha Allah" encapsulates this well. Many Muslims understand that our fates are decided, and we are thus powerless to alter our course. Apathy and resignation frequently come in conjunction with this belief especially among battered and broken asylum seekers. Augustine, himself a former Manichean who later refuted their dualistic and fatalistic worldview, provides insight such that God's sovereignty is a blessing to our willing and acting.
Finally, Islam is legalism, and like all human beings, new converts from Islam have a tendency to see a standard and assume they can fulfill it. However, Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law and He now rules us through the words of the New Testament writers, the law of love, and indwelling presence of His Spirit. The Law is meant to kill, the Spirit brings life.
I've tried to make these articles applicable to as much of the Christian life as possible in order to reach more people. However, I sincerely hope that they also help us to temper our evangelism and discipleship to Muslims in order to better reflect God's revelation of Himself.
1) The Apostle Matthew's perspective on the Law of Moses
2) Church Membership
3) I hosted a guest article on Spurgeon and the Corona Virus
4) The Actors in Salvation from a Patristic Perspective
And here's what's in the pipeline:
1) Qur'an vs. Bible differing views on inspiration and the impact on evangelism and discipleship
2) Twin Pitfalls in Christian Friendship: Fair-weather Friends and Sycophants
You might be wondering what Church Membership, the Law of Moses, and the Actors in Salvation have to do with Islam. Surprisingly, my interest in all of these topics came out of my interactions with refugees in sharing the Gospel.
At the Oasis ministry, besides the topic of the Gospel itself, I discuss nothing more frequently than church membership and baptism. This stems from the belief that the local church is God's primary means of recognizing and equipping Christians for the Christian life. Among the first questions that a new convert makes is, "so now what?" and our answers to that question must include a local church. All para-church ministries, like mine, should be subservient to this end.
Islam, in its majority expression is inherently fatalistic. Fouad, the President of Crescent Project, often refers to a 6th core belief of Islam as "Qadr" or fate. The Islamic view of "fate" is actually not far off from pagan understandings of woven tapestries and seamstresses, as well as the view of the 4th century Manicheans. The Arabic phrase, "in sha Allah" encapsulates this well. Many Muslims understand that our fates are decided, and we are thus powerless to alter our course. Apathy and resignation frequently come in conjunction with this belief especially among battered and broken asylum seekers. Augustine, himself a former Manichean who later refuted their dualistic and fatalistic worldview, provides insight such that God's sovereignty is a blessing to our willing and acting.
Finally, Islam is legalism, and like all human beings, new converts from Islam have a tendency to see a standard and assume they can fulfill it. However, Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law and He now rules us through the words of the New Testament writers, the law of love, and indwelling presence of His Spirit. The Law is meant to kill, the Spirit brings life.
I've tried to make these articles applicable to as much of the Christian life as possible in order to reach more people. However, I sincerely hope that they also help us to temper our evangelism and discipleship to Muslims in order to better reflect God's revelation of Himself.
Prayer Requests
1. My wife and I are currently weighing our options for visiting the US right now. It's hectic time to travel, so please pray that the Lord would provide us insight and wisdom in how best to proceed.
2. Please continue to pray for Jonathan and Lina's primary duty of being a mom and wife. She is dedicated beyond compare to all the challenges and blessings of motherhood, but we're always trying to find just the right balance of ministry commitments and Lina's schooling such that Jonathan doesn't have to pay the price. Please pray that the Lord would direct our steps and guard us from over-committing during the Corona crisis.
3. I've started blogging in order to glorify God in a few ways: 1) to equip and bless Christians 2) to develop my writing and communication skills and 3) to explore some new avenues to fund my work. This season of raising a child and being on virus lock-down has strained us and many of our supporters. Please pray for one another and for me that the Lord would sustain us and show a way forward.
4. I've mentioned that the past months have had a share of disappointments. Please pray that the Lord would move my heart to trust in His extraordinary providence, and move forward with strength as soon as the movement restrictions are lifted. We also have many new avenues to serve God online, so I rejoice in that. My heart remembers the words of William Cowper in his famous hymn,
"Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face."
2. Please continue to pray for Jonathan and Lina's primary duty of being a mom and wife. She is dedicated beyond compare to all the challenges and blessings of motherhood, but we're always trying to find just the right balance of ministry commitments and Lina's schooling such that Jonathan doesn't have to pay the price. Please pray that the Lord would direct our steps and guard us from over-committing during the Corona crisis.
3. I've started blogging in order to glorify God in a few ways: 1) to equip and bless Christians 2) to develop my writing and communication skills and 3) to explore some new avenues to fund my work. This season of raising a child and being on virus lock-down has strained us and many of our supporters. Please pray for one another and for me that the Lord would sustain us and show a way forward.
4. I've mentioned that the past months have had a share of disappointments. Please pray that the Lord would move my heart to trust in His extraordinary providence, and move forward with strength as soon as the movement restrictions are lifted. We also have many new avenues to serve God online, so I rejoice in that. My heart remembers the words of William Cowper in his famous hymn,
"Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face."
I thank my God for each of you and pray that He continues to provide you strength to run the race. Christ's peace be with you.
Your brother in Christ Jesus,
Matthew
Your brother in Christ Jesus,
Matthew
Editor's Note: This ministry update has been heavily revised from an initial email that I sent out yesterday. By God's grace, I received some push-back from a dear friend that I had not communicated enough of what was going on in my ministry. I pray that this updated form better reflects insights into my thinking and my undertakings in recent months. Please give me any feedback that you have to my ministry updates at mshort@crescentproject.org.
