As you may be aware, a recent Executive Order placed a pause on funding for refugee resettlement in the United States, which includes funding for those newly arrived refugees who are just beginning to get on their feet here. This affects thousands of refugees, including many who live in our community, who are at risk of losing housing and access to basic care. To clarify, a refugee is defined as any person outside his or her country of nationality who is unable or unwilling to return to that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution based on the person’s race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Many of these people have fled from war-torn countries and extreme trauma and are among the most vulnerable in our society. They have been vetted and were invited to come here but are now facing a new fear of loss of funds for their basic needs and means for providing for their families.
While this can be made into a political issue, the hope is that it would not. This call is not about what the government should or shouldn’t do, but rather a call to the church, given the current needs of the refugees in our community, to reach out and care for the vulnerable, as Christ has asked of us.
While the government agencies are unable to provide help during this freeze, the Church has an opportunity to fill the gap, and we’d like Table Rock to be a part of that. Several churches are coming together alongside Glocal (a non-profit Christian organization in Boise that connects and cares for refugees in our valley) to welcome, love, support, pray for, and show-up for the new refugees in our community in a tangible way. Here are ways we are hoping you might get involved:
PRAY: Pray for the families who have been impacted by this order both locally and abroad—that their physical, financial, and spiritual needs would be met. And, pray that the Lord would mobilize the Church to help do this. You can also join us and other churches in the valley to pray together on Monday, February 24th from 6-9pm at Holy Trinity Church (501 N Curtis Rd. Boise, ID 83706). You can come anytime during this 3-hour period
LEARN: Learn more about how you can help and be trained in the skills needed to best care for refugees by attending Glocal’s training class on Thursday, February 27th from 6-9. You can register for the class HERE!
CONNECT: Glocal is aware of at least 86 refugees in our city who are in need of jobs in order to create stability and provide for their families. If you know of possible job opportunities, let Glocal know about them HERE.
GIVE MONEY: Glocal is hoping to raise at least $100K for the Glocal Family Assistance fund to provide emergency funds for refugee families in need as well as $3K-$5K per month per family to help support families with the cost of living until they secure a job. HERE is the link to donate. Choose “Give to Family Assistance Fund” from the dropdown menu.
GIVE TIME: Come alongside these refugees as a friend and volunteer to help with tangible tasks such as driving to appointments, helping get groceries, assisting with housing needs, assisting with child care needs, etc. HERE is a volunteer form where you can let Glocal know how you might be able to help. If you are able to give of your time in this way, it would be best if you could attend the Glocal training class on Thursday, February 27th from 6-9pm. You can register for the class HERE!
As stated by a brother in Christ…”This is a chance for the church to become actionable, and I have to believe that will change the life of the church as much as it will change the life of the refugee. In the words of Isaiah: ‘If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.’ (Isaiah 58:9-11).”
Thank you for considering how the Lord might be calling you to take part in caring for the refugees in our community. If you need more information or decide to take part in any of the ways listed above, please let us know by emailing admin@tablerock.church, so we can come together as a body on this. It would be fun to link arms with others, attend the prayer night or training together, and meet to share more about how we can help!