Churches work together for the good of their neighbors

caring for refugees in turbulent times

In a season when national conversations around refugees often stir fear and division, local churches continue to choose a different way: the way of welcome, companionship, and the steady work of showing up for neighbors. This is the heart of our Christian witness — and the heart of Week of Compassion.

As political violence in Afghanistan escalated in 2021, thousands of people were evacuated from their homes, and many were assisted by churches, families, and organizations to resettle in the United States. Week of Compassion supported this effort through our partners and with Afghan Family Support grants to congregations, helping terrified new neighbors find welcome and hope in a new home.

In 2022, a local Disciples Church* partnered with a nearby Baptist Church*, when the pastor there had an idea to serve this growing refugee community through English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Jane*, whose family is connected to both churches answered ​her pastor friend’s call, and what started two years ago with ‘Could you help us do something?’ has become the International Ministry of this city — a ministry that embodies the Gospel by caring for refugee families in meaningful and personal ways, especially in these heated and anxious times.

* In light of current national events and discourse, the name of an individual and the location and specifics of these churches and city have been changed at their request, to safeguard the programming, churches, and individuals involved.

“This is a story of how ministry has evolved to address the current pressing needs, and has become a model for other churches to explore.” - Rev. Grace Kozak,
Week of Compassion’s Associate Director for Immigrant & Refugee Response
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Working with the County’s Adult Education program, the Baptist Church hosts three levels of ESL twice weekly, in both fall and spring semesters. Volunteers from both churches offer transportation and childcare to support adults eager to attend.

​A monthly clothing closet offers clothes and shoes, coats, toys, linens and household supplies. Donations are sorted and stored in the Baptist church’s ample closet space, and volunteers move donations monthly to the Disciples church’s larger gathering hall for distribution day. Volunteers come from each church, and include college students and retired folks, tending all the provisions to care for families in need.

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“Working together, two and two becomes way more than four.” ​- Jane*, director of the International Ministry
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Just a few miles away sits another Disciples church. Knowing it would help families if the clothing distribution could start a month earlier than usual, volunteers said they would host the earlier opening day. Now this third church is part of the effort, even hosting twice in a row and on short notice when the usual hosts needed their space for a memorial service at the same time the clothes closet would be open in their main hall.

When the lead clothes closet volunteer was unavailable for a few months, the door opened for yet a fourth church to join the mix! A neighboring United Methodist congregation was already interested in this ecumenical partnership, leading the Women’s Ministry to help sort and serve.

Volunteering at another’s church can be awkward – finding the right way in, knowing what might be expected or assumed. Now, these volunteers arrive every Wednesday, know and visit with the Baptist church staff, and serve with joy in a space where they feel right at home.

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“Joining together in mission puts other differences aside. We’re in this together.” ​- Jane*
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In addition to simply getting the needed tasks done, serving the local refugee community has meant new friendships among volunteers, and a willingness to help that continues to grow and inspire.

• When a volunteer is unable to fill their usual role, rather than calling Jane and leaving her to fill the gap, volunteers call each other: Can you take my class next week? Are you available to drive in my place?
• Leaning on these relationships – one church providing music while another taught crafts, and youth running games while adults led storytelling – a new summer bible camp for children includes international families in the experience, and is drawing even more church partners, saying ‘We’ll host a night. How can we help?’
• The Disciples church hosts lunch for the international families following their worship service on the Sunday of Thanksgiving week. Baptist church volunteers (whose worship is at a different time), come over and set up so that Disciples members can remain in their worship service and still host as worship ends. After lunch, everyone walks together to the city’s Thanksgiving parade. The pastor at another Baptist Church on the parade route saw the group arrive and offered space on the church’s porch as parade seating, reserving it for them each year since.

Compassion has grown deeper each year, both for the new neighbors settling into the city, and among strangers – ‘friends who just hadn’t met yet.’

​Week of Compassion believes that relationships are sacred, that partnership is the best route to flourishing; connection and accompaniment are core values that propel this work every single day. This International Ministry started as two churches looking to help their neighbors, and now the classes, meals, and mentoring are becoming so much more than anyone had imagined.
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“And that," Jane* says, “is how you feed five thousand – by working together.”

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