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Refugees

Learn more on the Office of Social Justice or Centre for Public Dialogue website.

“Now we are part of a community”: Youhanna, Yosra, & Abeer

Youhanna and Yosra, and their four adult children Martin, Alen, Aiden, and Abeer are from Qaraqosh, Iraq. In 2014 they were forced to flee their home when ISIS invaded and destroyed their predominantly Christian area. After spending several years in asylum in Lebanon, they had the good fortune of being sponsored to come to Canada by Harvest Bible Chapel. Martin arrived in September of 2017 and the rest of the family arrived in January of 2018.

Another Stain on America’s Moral Conscience

The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld President Donald Trump’s travel ban in a 5-4 vote. It restricts entry of citizens from seven countries to varying degrees: Iran, North Korea, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and Venezuela. Most of these countries are Muslim majority nations.

Rejoicing with Refugees in Italy...For Now

“Praise God, I received my documents!”

One of the beautiful things we experience  in Italy pastoring churches with large populations of congregants from various countries in Africa (but predominantly from Nigeria, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast) is the tradition of giving personal testimony for what God is doing in one’s life in front of the congregation during worship services.

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Summer Justice Reads - CRC Staff Picks

Looking for summer beach reads? Here's what some Christian Reformed justice staff are reading this summer. 

Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo - Zora Neale Hurston

Viviana Cornejo

The Holy Privilege of being Christ's Hands and Feet

On April 10, Aung Ko, Nang, Jet and Joli boarded a plane in Malaysia. Catching three flights, this young family would fly half way around the world to flee poverty and danger to find safety in the United States. With Jet just two years old and Joli only 8 months, it took some desperation and courage for these young parents to fly 17 hours to an unknown place called Michigan.

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The Church: A Community of Visionaries

“In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.”

Agents of Hope in Unjust Structures

Created in God’s image, human beings were made with a unique capacity for developing structure and accentuating the beauty of God’s world. God’s intention was that we would be like his signet ring (see Haggai 2:23), representing and ushering in his justice and righteousness as the caretakers of this world, and of each other. We are meant to make his glory known.

Responding in Prayer to the Refugee Crisis

“Know that the Lord our God loves refugees and His Spirit is moving among them. I pray that their stories will capture your heart like they did mine because then you’ll be moved to do something, too. If you do nothing else, pray that they will find Jesus, pray they will be reunited with their families, pray that they will find purpose and meaning in their lives. We as a country, and we as the Church, have largely forgotten them.”

Help Refugees Flourish in their New Homes

Can you imagine escaping a dangerous situation and finally beginning a new life in Canada...but doing so with $10,000 in debt, before you even started language classes or enrolled your children in school? For more than two decades, Canada was the only country in the world to charge refugees interest on their travel loans. For a nation claiming to welcome refugees, this sent mixed messages.

Welcoming Refugees: From Compassion to Action in 4 Steps

I remember the excitement I felt when our refugee friends walked into the waiting area at O’Hare. The little group from our church did not know how to speak to them, but we had attempted some signs in Arabic and brought small gifts and flowers to try to show them a warm welcome.

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