Christian Women Reaching Muslim Women
Conversation Starters With Muslims
Christian women friends, have you ever wondered…
“How do I start a conversation with Muslim women around me?” or “Where can I meet Muslim women?”
If so, I think you’ll enjoy this practical blog. First, I’ll share a fun place you can meet many Muslim women, then a helpful framework for how to start conversations, and finally links to additional resources that will help you be an authentic Christian witness as you build new relationships.
A Fun Place to Reach Muslim Women
I’ve found that ethnic food festivals are fun places to intentionally reach Muslim women. Recently, I attended a food festival at my friend, Nina’s invitation. Nina is a Turkish Muslim, and we’d been texting each other for almost a year. We’d meet face-to-face for the first time at her large Turkish community’s local festival. I couldn’t wait.
Friends, you don’t need to wait for an invitation like Nina’s to attend an ethnic food festival. Discover fun events like this near you through Facebook or Eventbrite.
Events like this are fun places to cross cultural and religious boundaries to reach many Muslim women and look for “Persons of Peace” – someone whom the Father might be drawing to Jesus and the Holy Spirit is preparing to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. (Note: This is one of iHOPE’s 5 Essentials.)
How do you determine if you’ve met someone whom God might be drawing to Jesus? The truth is, you can’t know for sure. Yet you can be willing to put yourself out there, intentionally start conversations and look for clues for where our Father might be at work.
How to Start Conversations
Bring a Christian girlfriend along and pray together that the Lord would lead you to meet Persons of Peace. Then, dive into the crowd and meet new people.
Here’s how that looked for me: With plates full of home-made Turkish food, my Christian friend and I crossed a sea of Muslim families and joined a large picnic table full of people we didn’t know.
Nina was late, so we had to quickly cross cultural and religious divides to make new friends and find “persons of peace.”
Now if you’re an introvert like me, you may find starting conversations like this challenging. If so, you’re completely normal.
Praying and asking FORM Questions helps me to start conversations.
FORM Questions
Most Muslims are friendly and hospitable and will respond enthusiastically to loving, open-ended questions like these. I find that these heartfelt questions help open up opportunities to find potential persons of peace.
F = Family/friends: “Tell me about your family,” and “How did you meet your husband?” Note: This question at the festival I attended led to a deep, rich table-discussion about the role “love” plays in Christian and Muslim weddings.
O = Occupation/Interests: “Tell me about your work,” or “Tell me what you’re studying in school.”
R = Religion/Recreation: “Tell me about your faith…I’m a follower of Jesus. That means I believe what the Bible says in Romans 10:9 (I quote it).” This is very important. Memorize Romans 10:9 and be ready to share.
M = Me/Message: Look for opportunities to share how Jesus is active in your life right now.
If your new friend might be a “person of peace,” she won’t be put-off by your sincere, heartfelt questions. If the Spirit leads, pray WITH your new 
Muslim girlfriend right then, in Jesus’ name (Essential #3).
Then, take a fun, cell-phone selfie together. Text your new friend the pictures so that you have each other’s names and cell numbers to further engage as an authentic Christian witness. Follow-up with a quick “great to meet you” text the next day. Then, synch calendars to grab a cup of coffee or lunch.
“Don’t start and build your relationship on everything EXCEPT Christ.”
Helpful Resources – Learn more
- Read more practical ideas like this in the iHOPE book, Muslims: 5 Biblical Essentials.
- Listen to this iHOPE Empowers Podcast HERE about Essential #2: finding a ‘person of peace.’ (You’ll find the iHOPE Empowers podcast series on iHOPE’s website, iTunes or iHeart Radio.)
- Watch this free, iHOPE Empowers video online HERE about Finding a Person of Peace. Enroll HERE to watch the 5-part series and get the corresponding Small Group Study Guide. You can also find it in RightNow Media.
You’re all set to practice what you’ve learned.
Christian women, email me at karen@iHOPEministries.org to share how this iHOPE blog and resources has inspired and/or empowered you to reach Muslim women.
