In the development of the Discovering Jesus course, the material was extensively trialled among a wide variety of people and situations. Here is the story of one woman who took part in one of these trial courses:
I was invited to take part in a course called Discovering Jesus Through Asian Eyes. I am from a Muslim family, but there were two other girls from a Hindu background who were also interested in Christianity.
The course answered a lot of questions that the majority of Asians ask about Jesus and faith in God. It was very relaxed and enjoyable as we talked about these questions and looked at passages in the Bible. What amazed me was to discover that believing in Jesus is very different from the rules and beliefs that I had tried to follow.
It became evident that many of my “beliefs” were based more around culture and man-made rules. For me, having clear words from God from the Bible strengthened my belief that there is a living God.
As each session went by, I realised that I didn’t have to change who I was; my Bengali culture, my relationships, clothing, or the food I liked, to be a follower of Jesus Christ. All I needed to do was claim Jesus as my saviour, I could be the same person for my family and for myself.
I have never felt such peace in God. Now I know the Holy Spirit is guiding me, giving me peace, wisdom, courage—and I just feel so loved. I don’t feel lonely anymore.
This is an extract from the booklet Jesus through Asian eyes now available from The Good Book Company.
“If you are English, you must be a Christian, right? And if you are Pakistani, you can only be a Muslim? If you are Chinese, you must be…?”
It’s common to link different religious beliefs and practices with certain parts of the world. So a person born into a family of a particular culture may accept those religious beliefs and practices as part of their identity—something they did not choose, but which was handed down to them.
In the same way, many people automatically link Christianity with Europe, America, and countries like Australia. They assume that all white people are “Christian”. But the situation is actually much more complex.... continue reading
The Discovering Jesus course includes, many warm testimonies of Asian people who have found faith in Christ. Here is the testimony from Manoj Ratathaiata which opens the booklet. It showcases how the loving, prayerful concern of a Christian couple, the welcome of a church, and the sharing of the gospel in an appropriate way combined to bring the good news into his life.
In 2007 I was living the high life. I was a successful businessman, buying and selling blocks of apartments throughout the country.
However, as I entered the New Year, my good fortunes took a downturn. As the credit crunch set in, my property business began to wobble. But this paled into insignificance as my two-year-old son was suddenly taken severely ill with breathing difficulties.... continue reading
There are three components to this new resource, plus some promotional materials and a new website to back it up.
Discovering Jesus through Asian eyes is a full-colour booklet designed to be given to Asian people of any background. It asks and answers 16 of the most frequently asked questions that people have about Jesus, Christianity and faith in God, and is filled with warm testimonies from Asian people from different countries and faiths who have discovered the love of God in Christ. The questions are answered carefully from the Bible in a way that is culturally sensitive and gently leads the reader towards belief in Jesus. The booklet is designed to be given to anyone from an Asian background – a neighbour, friend or colleague from work.
How does the course work?
The Discovering Jesus through Asian eyes course is based on the booklet. If someone has read the booklet and wants to know more, you can invite them to join you to explore the questions in a little more depth. The course is split into eight sessions which each look at two questions from the booklet. The emphasis is on friendly, open discussions, which look at passages from the Bible. The studies have been extensively trialled and tested with a wide variety of Asian people.
The Leader’s Guide contains everything you need to know to run a course – extensive notes on the discussion questions, helpful advice on how to address issues unique to different people groups and religions, and ideas for promoting the course, and conducting outreach to Asian people in your local area.
The Discussion Guide is for giving to each person who takes part in a course. It contains all the questions and Bible passages, plus testimonies, and explanations of words and terms that may be unfamiliar to participants.
You can see the whole range, together with the invitation postcards and posters on The Good Book Company website here.
You can order a Starter pack to assess the course, which contains a sample copy of each of the resources.
There is also a dedicated website at www.discovering-jesus.com, with video testimonies and encouragement.
The project office at the Evangelical Alliance offers telephone support, and is organising a series of training days around the country during the rest of 2014. Call them for more information on 020 7520 3831.
Millions of people with an Asian background live in the UK. Some have only recently arrived, others have lived in Europe, North America and Australasia for many generations. Their coming has enriched our culture enormously with food, clothing, art and cinema blending into national life. Asians may have family roots from India and Pakistan, Hong Kong, China, Japan or Korea. But one thing is certain - Asian people are often more open to talking about spiritual things than longer-established residents of the Western world. There is a huge mission field on our doorstep!... continue reading
This week on the blog we are going to feature a new resource that is being officially launched on Wednesday at an event in central London.
Discovering Jesus Through Asian Eyes is an exciting new outreach resource that has been developed through a collaboration between the Evangelical Alliance, The Good Book Company, and over 30 specialist agencies from around the world that are involved in evangelism both in Asia, and among the Asian diaspora in the developed world.
Here at GBC central in Epsom, we are very excited about the potential for this resource to stimulate churches and individuals to reach out to new groups of people.
Follow the posts to discover more about what this initiative might be able to do for you and your church.
I have a confession to make. I’m not very good at having quiet times. I know they are important. I believe the Bible is God’s living and active word that equips me for all I am called to do. And I know that building up my relationship with God in prayer is utterly vital. But I’m still rubbish at doing it. And I feel just awful as a result.
I could give you a list of excuses...
But the trouble is, they are just excuses. Excuses that ooze out of my sinful heart.... continue reading
Extract taken from The Third Day.
Extract taken from The Third Day.
