EBENEZER CAMPUS CHAPEL GUEST 2/7/18: REV. JOHN ELIAS WITH THE BRIDGES OPTION

Please join us for our February special guest Rev. John Elias of The Bridges Option. This ministry helps Christians to effectively reach Muslim neighbors with the The Good News of Christ! Chapel Service begins at 9:30am. For more information about The Bridges Option please visit; www.thebridgesoption.org.

For seven years John & Karen Elias served in London ministering in Muslim communities. Prior to this John had been on the pastoral staff at Cedar Crest BFC for ten years. Their work in London involved personal evangelism, literature outreach, and mobilizing local churches and Christians for outreach in their own areas. Since January 2014 they have led The Bridges Option. They are available to churches to help assess area needs and opportunities, develop strategies for outreach, and provide training and resources for effective outreach.

John and Karen Elias have recently transitioned into an exciting new field of ministry, reaching out to Muslims in the Mid-Atlantic United States. My church and I are so pleased at what God is doing through them in this time and place. John and Karen helped open a dialog between us and leaders of the mosque in our community. This led to a Meeting for Better Understanding in October of 2012. The purpose of the meeting was to share the beliefs of the two faiths. We used the Christian belief of Christmas as a gateway to sharing the Gospel. The Muslim speaker shared about the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). It was a great opportunity to contrast the works system of Islam with the grace to be found in the Christian message. Our second Meeting for Better Understanding is being planned for the Spring of this year. John and Karen were indispensable in preparing us to respect their culture while lovingly sharing our faith in Jesus. They would be a great resource for you and your church to reach Muslims in your community!

Pastor Timothy Schmoyer, Bethany BFC in Whitehall, PA