M I N I S T RY | P R O F I L E
Reaching Out by Saying ‘Hello’ Ministry to Muslim women starts with relationships By CHRISTINA QUICK
I
n the backyards of churches across America, the Muslim population is growing. According to a report from Pew Research Center, the number of Muslims in the U.S. increased from 2.35 million in 2007 to 3.85 million in 2020. Pew projects that number will more than double during the next 28 years, reaching 8.1 million by 2050. This represents a significant mission field. et many Christians are hesitant to reach out to their Muslim neighbors. Images of Say Hello outreach courtesy of Lynda Hausfeld.
82
Spring 2022
Missionary Lynda Hausfeld has a two-word suggestion: Say hello. Hausfeld is the founder and director of Say Hello: Serving Muslim Women, a ministry of Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM). “Say Hello” suggests the starting point for interaction. “No conversation starts without saying hello,” Hausfeld says. “It really is that simple.” Say Hello focuses especially on female relationships. The idea is to equip Christian women — leaders and laypeople alike — to befriend and minister to Muslim women.
