Action & Impact July Update

Stories from the Network

Members of our network had these stories of growth to share.

They wait with bated breath…

Since February I have been teaching RE each week to in a private Muslim school near Manchester. Students have forgotten their initial nerves, and some fears, about reading and discussing the Bible. We have shared stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph; Moses leading the Exodus, and parts of David's life. This term we have focused on Jesus; His I AM statements, his miracles and parables - they wait with bated breath to hear the outcome of each story. I asked, should Jesus have healed on the Sabbath? The vote was split, and debate ensued between the students. Some are aghast that the man beside Jesus on the cross would see Him in paradise. A 14-year-old asked from their heart, why did God come in human form? A12-year-old today asked if they were allowed to read the Bible outside of RE?! Praise God for the school's leaders who have invited Christians to teach in their school. Praise God for the Bibles we were given.

Who am I talking to?

A Muslim background believer came to faith through visiting a church to pray during her lunch hour. As she prayed, she asked - 'Lord, who am I talking to?' The Lord revealed Himself to her and the vicar of the church shared the Gospel with her. This was the beginning of her walk with God. Since then, many other family members have come to faith!

The pressures are huge…

Welcome Churches has about 1,000 participants across the UK, that are willing, and many of them trained, to welcome refugees. In my church, in Watford, we are currently working in one hotel housing 294 Afghans. We seek to love them, befriend them and provide numerous activities for them to prepare for life in the UK and ease the stress of making a home for months in a hotel, designed for singles or couples staying one or two nights. The statistics suggest they will not be rehoused soon. With school holidays coming there is extra pressure on parents with large families, at a time when many of our volunteers are away on their own holidays. The pressures are huge, the frustration is immense, relationships between the Afghans are in tension and the future is uncertain. In addition, there is the general impression that the government has lost interest in Afghans in favour of Ukrainians. May God give us the ‘stickability’ to go on loving, caring and showing the love of Christ in a situation which seems to be getting increasingly difficult.

New on the horizon

You may recall that our trustees gathered last month for their annual meeting. One of the ideas that was shared came from the Network Circle. They are thinking of offering some topical seminars for Mahabba members and groups. These groups could cover topics like:

• Sharing faith

• How to lead a prayer meeting

As well as giving input, these meetings would offer time for interaction, support and prayer.

We are excited about initiatives like this that come from a grassroot level, seeking to support our various members and groups.

If you have any thoughts about the content for these seminars, do email us at hello@mahabbanetwork.com

Help Mahabba grow & develop: Become a volunteer

As a relational network, volunteers have been vital to the growth of Mahabba. We currently have some gaps in our Support Circle, which help support local groups and Network activity.

For more info and for a friendly chat about whether one of these could be a good fit for you, get in touch with Simon by e-mail hello@mahabbanetwork.com

P.S.

Our local Mahabba groups are the centre of our work as a network. If you’re not connected already, why not get in touch or connect up with someone you know?