John Gilchrist and Yusuf Ismail engaged in two debates last weekend organized by AntWoord. The following is an impression from Udo Karsten of how it went.

Our regular monthly meetings usually on the second Sunday of the month after the morning service at church have been going. We are a small nucleus of a group but all great beginnings are small so one is told. We share about our experiences and plan ahead.

With the New Year we are looking forward to the great opportunity for starting the outreach. A small nucleus of people met in the later half of January as our first initial Outreach team meeting. Great beginnings are often small and so I looked around a group that was keen and dedicated to the task. What an encouragement.

It was Sunday evening. Around the round wooden table with coffee and home made biscuits we waited for the senior pastor to join us. “How do you establish a Muslim Outreach Team” was on the agenda. The real challenge for this church is that they are in an area where Muslim do not exist in great numbers and don't stick out very much. Nevertheless on a new construction site in the nearby industrial area a Mosque is being build. It is claimed that this Mosque will be the biggest in the southern hemisphere and will host a primary and secondary school for boys and a training centre and college for Muslim clergy and tablighies (Missionaries).

So the seminar was very helpful to people. Now the next Sunday evening the event had arrived. 

    Christians and Muslims had set up a table with literature at the main entrance to the churches hall where the "Scholarly Exchange" was taking place. The both speaker arrived in good time and cameras where set up and microphones tested etc. Eventually everything was ready. The evening could begin.

Recent events have prompted me to set out and write a series of entries about how to start and maintain an outreach team in a local church. Because this is a public blog I will leave out names and places or have the liberty to change them. What is this column all about? Well I like to share the story of how an outreach team came into being. the story is not finished but it is developing as I type these lines. I have no idea where this is going and how long this will run but it might be interesting to some others. I have no idea how often I will write. Let me not commit to too much. Let's rather see where this is taking us. Well with this explanation up front it is time to begin.

The Christian Study Guide to Islam entitled Unveiled is a manual informing Christians what Islam is all about from a Christian perspective. It will help Christians to know what the religion of Islam teaches and provide an understanding of the world-view of Muslim people. This guide can be used in group study for Home cells or as a basis for a seminar

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Even so the World Cup in South Africa is over Kickstart continues. The next Kickstart day in Gauteng will be held at Rosbank Union Church on Saturday 31 July 2010. All Christians are welcome to participate. Do the organizers a favour and register by calling Rosebank Union Church at 011 784 6214. The curch is located at: Cnr St Andrews Road & William Nicol Drive, Hurlingham (close to Santon).

Kickstart web site has gone beyong 8000 hits per month. With this I feel we need to provide a way of feedback to the users. So we implemented a guestbook. You can leave messages anonyously or you can sign them. The details (email and name) will not be displayed publicly but will help us to be of better service to you.

Enjoy.