About Us
Our Purpose and History
Encountering the World of Islam (EWI) is both a book and a course. Since the program began in 1992, EWI has developed a proven track record of helping Christians understand Islam and of fostering positive relationships between Muslims and Christians.
EWI looks at the whole global community of Muslims, most of whom live in South and Southeast Asia (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan) rather than in the the Middle East, as is often supposed. We recommend EWI for anyone wanting to gain a broad Christian perspective on today's world.
EWI originated with the U. S. Center for World Mission, which first sponsored a course called Perspectives on the World of Islam in 1992 and continued refining the curriculum in the years prior to September 11, 2001. The US Center for World Mission’s Perspectives Study Program served as the model and inspiration for EWI.
In 2002, oversight of the course and book was transfered to Caleb Project, and in 2004 the name was changed to Encountering the World of Islam. The program is now overseen by Caleb Resources, a ministry of Pioneers.
Encountering the World of Islam is a recognized Perspectives Family curriculum.
Discover God's Heart for Muslims
Are Muslims open to the gospel? God is at work redeeming those we have often wrongly feared. He wants to call them by his name!
• Islam is not the world’s fastest growing religion. Evangelical Christianity is!
• More Muslims have become followers of Jesus Christ in the last 25 years than in the previous 1250 years.
• Many Muslims are poor and illiterate. Their lives are filled with famine, disease, and war. How should we respond to the needs of Muslims in the name of Christ?
Where do Muslims live? Most Muslims are not Arabs, and most don’t even live in the Middle East.
• Only 20% of Muslims today speak Arabic.
• The four largest Muslim nations are Indonesia, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, each home to at least 100 million Muslims.
• About two million Muslims live in the U.S. Many are immigrants who grew up in Muslim families, but about one-third are American converts to Islam.
How do Muslims see Jesus Christ? Most Muslims are not radicals. In fact, they are deeply offended by the actions of radicals in the name of Islam.
• Muslims respect Jesus as a prophet of God, born of a virgin, who performed many miracles and will come again.
• The Qur’an mentions Jesus 93 times, calling him the Messiah, the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and the All Righteous One.
Surely God is at work in the Muslim world! While one out of every three non-Christians is a Muslim, only one out of every 12 missionaries works among Muslims. The opportunities are great. Join us for Encountering the World of Islam and find out how to have a part in God’s work of reaching Muslims with the gospel.
