18 Sep Friends of Refugees

Friends of Refugees (FOR) Alliance is a multi-church, city-wide collaborative effort to show the love of Christ to our refugee neighbors in relevant and tangible ways.

Opportunities to serve range from one-time events to weekly commitments, including women’s English class, kids’ literacy and sports programs.

Through a partnership with FOR Alliance, Idlewild is engaging the refugee community at the Sulphur Springs campus.

Please join us in reaching out to refugees among us.

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them,
because they were harassed and helpless,
like sheep without a shepherd.”
– Matthew 15:32

Refugees are arriving in Tampa Bay from places of surpassing darkness and violence.

Almost all of these locations are within the area of the world known as the 10/40 Window: where the Gospel has been suppressed through institutional barriers and abuse of power. Not surprisingly, the majority of the world’s UUPGs (Unengaged, Unreached People Groups) live in this window.

At present, 41.5% of the world is defined as unreached. At present, only 0.000102% of Christian giving goes to evangelism of the unreached. (In the US, 6% of Christian giving goes to missions; only 1.7% of this 6% goes to ministry to unreached people groups.)

Scripture cries out against injustice. By the grace of God, we as the church join that cry, longing for the Gospel of Jesus to be shared among communities who have for too long lived in isolation from a Christian witness.

This refugee ministry is a response. We are gathering together, in unity – the same unity Jesus prayed that we would have – to pursue acts of genuine love, service, and restoration for communities who have been impacted by violence.

As we show the love of Christ, we are asking the Lord to open doors to the Gospel.

Already, individuals are getting saved. Already, lives are being changed.

Please join us in reaching out to refugees among us.

May the Lord conform us to His image more and more as we seek to walk with Him, longing to see the darkness of this world lit up with his Light.

Values

We affirm the inerrancy, authority, power, wisdom, and beauty of Scripture. As we seek to bless our city, we do this by living according to the teachings of Jesus.
In light of this, we are committed to:

Respect

Relating to others without pretension or discrimination; honoring the dignity of each human;
expressing this respect in cultural forms that are understood and valued
[James 2:2-4, 2 Corinthians 5:16]

Integrity

Transparency and ethics:
No deception, no manipulation, no exploitation
[2 Corinthians 4:2, 2 Corinthians 8:21]

Humility

Rejection of pride and arrogance; choosing a posture of servanthood that mirrors the example of Christ
[Philippians 2:3-8]

Patience

Not insisting on our own way; handling time in a way that is generous
[1 Corinthians 13:4-5]

Honesty

Speaking truthfully, loving genuinely
[Colossians 3:9-10, Romans 12:9]
Privacy

Honoring an individual’s rights and boundaries;
being protective of the stories that are entrusted to you
[Luke 6:31, Romans 12:15]

Unity

Maintaining unity in the Spirit and in how we serve together; collaborating in a way that invites different parts of the body to be involved in a way that is orderly, mutually encouraging, and glorifying to God
[John 17:20-23, Philippians 2:1-4,
1 Corinthians 12:12-27, John 13:35]

Love

Practicing love according to its biblical definition as innately tied to the Gospel of Jesus Christ; as imitators of Jesus; in a posture that seeks to serve rather than control; in alignment to God’s mandates, with all other ideologies in submission to his Lordship; as the highest commands that rises above all others and encapsulates all others

[John 3:16, Mark 12:30-31, Matthew 5:45]

Get more information on reaching out to refugees in our community.

We offer new volunteer orientation, along with front-end and ongoing training to support believers who step forward to engage with refugee neighbors. This includes subjects like trauma-informed evangelism, sharing the Gospel with communities who have experienced long-term conditioning, cross-cultural friendship, essentials for serving children and minors, and more.

Testimonials regarding training sessions:

“Learning about Islam was a spiritually defining moment for my Christian walk. Understanding how the Muslim thought process so closely mirrored that of someone from my own background was a poignant, teachable message for me. I learned about the love of Christ in a deeper way during the class! I encourage anyone with a deeper yearning for knowledge to take it!” – Tia

“When I first started encountering refugees, I really knew nothing about ministry in general. By having such a deep and thorough knowledge of Biblical principles, and also the teachings and nuances of other worldviews, [the teachers] were foundational in helping me develop a heart for those around me, and the practical skills to navigate new things – all done in a way to break down walls and barriers, and to build bridges.” – Steve

“My curiosity and desire to understand other cultures and beliefs is what inspired me to be a part of the class. What I didn’t know is how much my own faith would be revitalized! Taking time to understand other worldviews will help tremendously when relationships are being formed with our brothers and sisters in their communities. People of all backgrounds need to know we care about who they are in order to have meaningful conversations about subjects like hope.” – Lora

Signup today to join us in reaching out to refugees among us.

We believe that “Love your neighbor” starts with see your neighbor; know your neighbor; hear your neighbor.
Thank you Idlewild Church for the ways you have stepped forward to show and share the love of Christ with our refugee neighbors.

“Those who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as those who love war.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

“We pray because our vision exceeds our ability.
Prayer is the soul’s deepest cry of rebellion against the way things are, seeing the lost of this world and crying out,
‘This does not glorify God, and so, by God’s grace, it must change!'”
David Garrison

“Jesus was the Word of God made flesh, and yet he chose to surround Himself with 12. This is the Jesus way…we lock arms together.”
Fouad Masri