A Vision for Loving the Urban Poor

In 2000 God brought our family to live and work in an urban ghetto in an African Muslim nation. For many years our team has successfully carried out development work amongst some of the world’s poorest. Through our work we have blessed tens of thousands of poor urban Muslims in the name of our Lord Jesus, and several house fellowships have now been establish amongst Muslims who love and follow Al-Massih. One reason for this has been the example set by the team itself: all of us, singles and families alike, demonstrate the love we have for the poor of our nation by living incarnationally amongst them, learning their languages, adopting their lifestyle, thus removing some of the barriers which separate us. People have responded to our message because they see the way we live our lives.

Our experience during these years has deepened my understanding of a God who cares passionately for the poor, and my eyes have been opened to the vast opportunities which exist amongst poor urban Muslims. Many of the largest and most needy cities in the world are in Muslim countries (think of Cairo, Khartoum, Jakarta, Karachi, to name just a few), and yet the numbers reaching out to the urban ghettos in these places are tiny. When I talk about this to others I am often told that reaching the urban poor is just too difficult, or too dangerous; and yet our own experience is testimony to the fact that God can equip and use us for this task.

The sheer number of poor urban Muslims represents a huge challenge for the worldwide church. In order to meet this challenge we need to see a new wave of pioneers step forward, primarily (although by no means exclusively) from those currently in their 20s and early 30s. As I have talked to young people of this generation I have sensed a growing vision for reaching the urban masses.

One of the things we are looking to do in Frontiers is to partner with and help prepare these pioneer teams, to facilitate a new wave of community work amongst poor urban Muslims. Who will we find to join us in this challenge?

John Shepherd (Team Leader with Frontiers)