In 2018, Pastor P. of Chad attended a week-long PEACE Plan introduction in Rwanda. Encouraged by PEACE’s practical strategies, Pastor P. began attending PEACE Implementation Zoom training in 2020.
Initially, the pastor was met with resistance as he sought to implement the PEACE mission strategy. Members and other church leaders alike were more comfortable with the older system of evangelism. However, Pastor P sensed that his church needed a new strategy that would bring them straight to the doorsteps of their neighbors who needed Jesus.
As a developing country, Chad is subjected to extreme poverty, and the pandemic did little to relieve their hardships. Pastor P. shares that in the large Muslim communities it is uncommon to aid in each other’s needs, which isolates he most vulnerable. In addition, if a Muslim converts to any other religion, they risk suffering religious persecution from their family and community. In order to protect Muslims seeking hope whilst still representing Jesus, Pastor P. church organized a food drive to address their physical needs whilst demonstrating Christ love. He saw this as an opportunity to care for their community as a whole.
After communicating with the Muslim village leaders, Pastor P. and his church members set out to buy and arrange meal boxes to give out to the community. His church visited two villages, serving a total of 302 homes! That weekend, 10 new faces who had heard of the church’s recent efforts showed up for the church service. Pastor P. explained that any Muslim who wanted to accept Jesus could do so in secret in their home. In doing so, they protected themselves from persecution and became ministers in their own community.
Since the church’s outreach, many neighboring churches have asked Pastor P., “What’s the secret? How is your church growing?” He always answers, “We expect great things from our great God! We hope to keep utilizing The PEACE plan to reach our church community and other nonbelievers.” By leading in example, Pastor P. hopes other churches will witness the fruits of their labor and want to adopt the plan themselves.
To learn more about how to grow the outreach in your church, email info@thePEACEplan.com.
