Example Monthly Schedule

First Steps:

• The first month of meetings should be held at a very neutral place (a restaurant in a private room is great)

• I often suggest a Middle Eastern restaurant that serves halal food to make everyone feel more comfortable.

Suggestions:

• If you feel led, make it clear that your desire is NOT to convert one another to Christianity or Islam.
• Humility and genuine apologies (if necessary) opens the door to more heart impacting friendships.
• Highlight the need for A New Strategy and a new chapter of Muslim/Christian relations.

Lesson Suggestions:

• Introduction #1 - A New Strategy

• Introduction #2 - A Blueprint That Works!

Discussion 1 – Introductions and icebreaker games (Name Game). What does your name mean and why did your parents give you this name? Do you like your name? Why or why not.

Discussion 2 - Expectations and fears of the process. What fears or concerns have you had about being a part of this interfaith small group process? What are your expectations? Do you have any concerns?

Lesson Suggestions:

• Religion - Part 1

• Religion - Part 2 

Discussion 1- Basis Identities (Place of birth, family, vocation, etc.) Share what it means to be Muslim. How important is your identity to you as a Muslim? Is there any conflict between the two? Discuss your place of birth, family, vocation, etc. Share what it means to be an American and a Christian. How important is your identity as an American and a Christian? Is there any conflict between the two? Discuss your place of birth, family, vocation, etc.

Discussion 2- Sharing life’s passion and hobbies. What is your life’s passion? What motivates you and makes you feel alive? What causes tug at your heart? What makes you deeply happy and what troubles you at times? Do you have any hobbies or other things that you enjoying doing in your leisure time?

By now we have started developing friendships based on commonalities of our fears and expectations, who we are as people (we work, we play, we have families) and on our common goals for life (passions and hobbies) Next we move the friendship level deeper by talking about our Identities as they relate to family and faith.

Now we move into a home or homes. We also during the next month begin to break out into small groups of 4 to 6 people that are mixed between faiths and males and females. After the group break out time we come back together to share thoughts

Lesson Suggestions:

• Religion - Part 3

• God - Part 1

Discussion 1- Bring your Holy Book (Qur’an or Bible) and share a favorite verse from your book and why this is important to you.

Discussion 2 - Share faith journey. Why are you a Muslim or Christian? When did you make a decision and why did you to choose to be a Muslim or Christian? What were some of the key elements of faith that affected your faith journey?

By now the group has identified similarities and some differences around family and faith. The common ground we are going for here is the common wound we have growing up and our need to connect with God to heal our hearts. We begin to see that we are all uniquely created by God and that we share a common bond as humans who are living for a better future for themselves and their children. As human beings who are unique in God’s created order we are to serve Him and to serve others.

We are developing a safe place for both Muslims and Christians. As we meet in homes we begin to look at what makes us different. We look at what culture, our family, our faith leaders have told us about the other. We express our thoughts and feelings about the other. We set a few ground rules here about sharing with respect. We do this by doing a few simple exercises using pen and paper.

Discussion 1 - What does the Muslim Community think and feel about the Christian Community. In this meeting the Muslims do the talking and the Christians do the listening. We do not defend nor judge their perceptions and feelings. The Christians after the Muslims have shared look at the list to see what points they agree and what points they cannot agree with. My experience shows me that Christians agree with what Muslims think and feel about their perceptions

Discussion 2- What do Muslims think and know (perceive they know) about Christian Theology and Doctrine? Points that we don’t agree on typically are Trinity, Jesus as God and his death and resurrection, authority of Scripture. The same process and result as meeting 9. There are Muslim and Christian leaders today who believe that much of our theological conflicts are a deadly misunderstanding. This is an opportunity to explore these questions in a safe, respectful and friendly environment.

Discussion 1- Reverse of Meeting 9 and with same results however usually the criticism (i.e. fear) of Muslims by Christians is greater since 911. This is a tremendous opportunity for Muslims to alleviate those fears and help Christians see that peace and understanding is on the hearts and minds of American Muslims.

Discussion 2 - Reverse of Meeting 10 with same results, however usually the understanding of Islam is minimal. Just as there are key areas of theology that Muslim will typically differ with Christians there are usually points that Christians don’t agree are with Muslims such as Jesus is only prophet, the authority of Qur’an, and the role of Muhammad. It is my experience however that the gap is closing between many Muslims and Christians. They are not seeing each other as friends on a journey together towards God. This provides greater spiritual space for creative theological reflection and spiritual journey sharing that is not divisive.

*Dialogue Dinner*  (repeat quarterly)

Discussion 1 - is Christianity 101 (see Islam 101 for format)

Now we move into the action phase of our gatherings. At this point the Christians and the Muslims have had a paradigm shift. Neither side sees the other as the ‘enemy’ but as fellow human beings struggling to relate to God (Allah). We now come up with a list of what we have in common as well as the list of what makes us distinct (again here we see it is the main theological issues but these come as no surprise to the other, i.e. Jesus, the Qur’an, etc. etc.)

Discussion 1 - What will we tell our friends about what we have learned and how will we do this?

Discussion 2 - What ways can we serve the community together?

Discussion 1- How can we continue our friendships and bring others into our fellowship?

Discussion 2 - Tell each other what our new friendships mean to us. End in prayer

*Dialogue Dinner*  (repeat quarterly)