What is different from the Camel Method or even the Camel2 Method from the AIM Camel2 Method?
Glad you asked! The Camel Method is one great tool to reach Muslims for Christ. In my opinion Camel2 has an even a greater chance of multiplying that success as it is CPM/DMM obedience based training. This in itself is a game changer! My hat goes off to its creator Kevin Greeson! Thank you so much!
The AIM Camel2 method tries to go one step further. It still uses the unchanged Camel2 method as just a bridge to the Gospel. It still uses the AIM 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 (T4T) method of multiplication. Nothing new there. Here is where it gets a bit not so black and white.
The biggest problem for that people group to go viral is that once someone declares that they are “Christian” they are, at best, cut off from their family and community completely. Dead to them either physically or metaphorically. How can you get multiplication in that environment?
We believe that the answer is to separate out what is their faith beliefs and practices from their religious and cultural beliefs and practices. Decide what is their cultural heritage and values from their personal faith values. Sounds like splitting hairs but we do it all the time everywhere else. Why not here? Once you have decided what that dividing line is then you have to modify their faith but let them keep as much of their culture as possible. We did this very badly over the centuries. African and PNG missionaries would get the people to dress up in suit and ties as well as sing 200 year old songs from the other side of the planet. Neither of which originated in the Holy Lands? To believe in Christ you also had to take on OUR culture as well.
This led to all sorts of problems.
Sure cannibalism was not to be encouraged but what of theirs could have stayed without harm until the Holy Spirit moved them deeper into knowledge of Christ?
Ask yourself what could stay for now? What has to go straight away? Does praying 5 times a day mean that you can’t follow Christ? Does even praying corporately in a public area mean that you can’t follow Christ? Does what you pray and the state of your heart matter?? What if you also started to pray privately in a more personal and private way?
If you can keep people connected with their Oikos and let them be a light to their community surely they will have more impact into their community for Christ.
We started with an “allow all list”, then weeded out the immediate bad items to be replaced. The historical method to witnessing to these people has been a “deny all” list. The result was getting converts in the ones and twos and then have to fully support them forever. This approach never really went very far in its impact to the broader community or country.
This by the way is the exact method and complaint the Persian have against the Shite Muslims. Persia had a rich and vibrant culture of language, music, art, science, mathematics, etc. When they were forced into Islam they were forbidden their music, art, etc. and it was all destroyed! They had to comply with their new religion totally. Now that they are escaping from their homeland into places like Australia they refuse to call themselves ‘Iranians’ but insist that they are once again called “Persians”. Are we doing the same thing? Ask yourself who’s responsibility is it to change people’s hearts: you or the Holy Spirit? Paul writes that all things are permissible in Christ but not all things are beneficial. Or “I am all things to all men… in that some may be saved…” (1 Cor 10:23, 1 Cor 9:22, 23; Naaman 2 Kings 5, etc…) Perhaps it is up to us to help them sort out this list and not just prescribe a one size fits all jacket?
With this in mind the AIM Camel2 method tries to keep everything possible that makes them palatable to their people as well as to Christ their new Lord and saviour. Their language, customs and even some of their religious practices that do not conflict with scripture we encourage them to keep until they themselves change their culture. After all this is how the Roman Empire was transformed over time. Anything that is contrary with scripture and Christ we correct immediately.
This by the way, would go horribly pear shaped very quickly if there was not a very high degree of accountability within the disciples to God, Scripture and their mentors. Fortunately the "A" in AIM stands for accountability and therefore is the first thing that is automatically built in if done correctly.
Seek Scripture, Seek wisdom on your knees! Allow what can be allowed. Disallow only what you know cannot be allowed. Ask what others have done and perhaps learn from other people’s mistakes.
We are now starting to see Oikos strings stretch back into their home countries for the first time. Nothing to shout hoorah about, but more than we have ever seen before.
It is a wild ride for sure. Trust in the Lord and follow him.
If you do not have the strength of faith to eat this meat then don’t worry. I am sure the Normal Camel2 plus the bookmarks will still help the Kingdom. Something is better than nothing! There is not just one way, our way.
Pray for boldness, pray for wisdom, pray for the Kingdom here on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Macka
Here are a few things that we have tried as an example:
- Let them still identify publicly as "Muslim" and not "Christian". Muslims who follow Christ. ('Muslim' just means 'submitted' by the way.) Muslim as a culture or people group. We are "born again in Spirit" but we still keep our earthly name and family. We just have a new Spiritual family as well. Our allegiance is to our new family but we still respect our old one. (Eph 6:2, Exo 20:12 and Jn 3:7)
- Let them use Muslim terms (Arabic terms) like Isa for Jesus, Allah for God, etc... after all it is just another language like English. (Don't get too hung up on 'Jesus' for example, it is not even his given name.)
- Let them participate in corporate prayer, fasting, giving to the poor, and the like that is part of the family experiences
- When in mixed groups let them read from or hear the Quran in areas that not too bad as a bridge to the others. Privately more and more will be replaced with the before books (our bible). (Publicly undercover if you like. "I see that you are very spiritual people....the 'Unknown God'...")
- What ever you deem necessary and right