Christian-Muslim Relations Toolkit: Act

Act locally

• Connect with a local mosque or Islamic center. Visit the Hartford Institute for Religion Research online database of Masjids, Mosques and Islamic Centers in the U.S. to search by your state.
• Create a small interfaith group. For details on how to begin one, see “Communities of Reconciliation: An Interfaith Small Group Journey to Encourage & Facilitate Understanding, Friendship, Peace and Reconciliation”
• Invite a mission co-worker serving in a Muslim-majority context to speak at your church. Contact Stephanie Caudill (stephanie.caudill@pcusa.org) to find out when one of the mission co-workers will be traveling to the U.S.
• Host an Iftar dinner for your Muslim neighbors.
• Hold a Daughters of Abraham Women’s Interfaith Book Club. The website provides suggested book lists as well as guiding principles and ground rules.
• Hold adult educational sessions about Islam at your church to help members better understand their Muslim neighbors. The Thoughtful Christian has several adult studies related to the topic of Christian-Muslim interfaith relations.

Act globally

• Engage with mission co-workers serving in Muslim-majority contexts:
  • Farsijana Adeney-Risakotta in Indonesia
  • Elmarie and Scott Parker in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq
  • Victor and Sara Makari in Israel-Palestine
  • Joshua Heikkila in West Africa

Advocate

• PC(USA)’s Office of Public Witness is an official member of the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign, which stands with American Muslims and upholds American values. The website lists several events and initiatives you and/or your congregation can join to advocate for your Muslim neighbors.
• Holy Discontentment: Lifting Your Voice for Effective Advocacy. This resource outlines the tools in the advocate’s toolbox, discusses their effectiveness and gives suggestions on truly effective advocacy strategies. The resource also has a newly updated section on using social media as an advocacy tool!

Give

• Support mission co-workers serving in Muslim-majority contexts:
  • Farsijana Adeney-Risakotta
  • Elmarie and Scott Parker
  • Victor and Sara Makari
  • Joshua Heikkila
• Give to Mission Personnel Support, E132192
  Gifts from individuals, combined with Basic Mission Support funds from congregations, enable Presbyterian mission personnel to work in approximately 80 countries. Your financial gift is an important part of our global work of walking in partnership with our siblings in countries all across the globe.
• Give to Special Opportunities in World Mission, E864015.  Special funds are needed to increase our response to world mission needs in the areas of evangelism, health, development and other ministries. Overseas mission work is often inhibited because of unpredictable funding patterns. This ECO will provide the means to better respond to the needs of Christian churches around the world as they seek to spread the good news.

To give by mail, please write the ECO number in the memo line and mail the check to:

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700