Caring for Refugees

[Caring for Refugees] Outreach and Evangelism: What Works Today? | 13 Tips for Women Church Planters | [View online] [ChristianityToday.org] [Donate] [Local Church Outreach Newsletter] Wednesday, February 01, 2017 Caring for Refugees By now you've probably heard about the president's executive order banning entry of refugees and immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim nations. I won't comment on this decision beyond being saddened by a fallen world where the welfare of naturalized American citizens is pitted against the welfare of those seeking entry. However, I will unequivocally say that as Christians, refugees and immigrants are our neighbors and we are called to love them regardless of whether they are Christians, Muslims, Samaritans, or Nones. Politics is a complicated arena. Our calling as Christians is extraordinarily simple. As long as we see refugees and immigrants as "others" or statistics, our compassion will be stunted. I think the best way to see them as our neighbors is to hear their stories. [The World Next Door], is written by a husband and wife who have been living with and serving beside refugees for years. They attach names and faces to refugees and offer helpful advice for tangible ways we can make an impact in their lives. Keep reaching out, [Editor] [Jonathan Sprowl] Editor, Leading Outreach Sponsored by NavPress [Your Healthy Conversation on Race Starts Here] Many church members share proximity but lack authenticity. We sacrifice crucial conversations for the sake of apparent harmony. That is not love, nor does it produce true community... Justice & Compassion [The World Next Door] When the church embraces its refugee neighbors, blessings flow both ways. D.L. and Krispin Mayfield When I (D.L.) was young and attending Bible College to be a missionary, I heard a lot of dire statistics. We talked a lot about the 10/40 window, about the explosive growth of Islam around the world, about the burn-out rates of missionaries. We read about culture shock, learned about various religions, grimly prepared ourselves to go to the hardest places, most likely alone, to do the best work for God. [Click to continue] Outreach & Evangelism [Outreach and Evangelism: What Works Today?] When traditional outreach misses the audience and "evangelism" becomes a dirty word, how can we share the Good News? Rob Toal Today's church faces profound challenges within the broader culture: political correctness, postmodern relativism, religious pluralism. We live in a society full of unchurched people who don't know the basic tenets of Christianity or the redemptive story the Scriptures tell. The church at large has a poor reputation among non-Christians. Many hold distorted views of Jesus, the gospel, and traditional Christian faith, so they are biased against us before we've had a chance to start a conversation. [Click to continue] Global Mission [Single Women: Doing the Job in Missions] Many of us never discover our full potential until we're squeezed in the vise of necessity. Tim Stafford I had a mental picture of single women missionaries when I came to Kenya. I knew them as faded women wearing faint mustaches and clothes cut for a sawhorse. They muttered to themselves. Quite obviously they had escaped from a country where no one wanted them, to hide harmlessly in a foreign land. Anyone who has attended a missions conference has seen the type. But I now think a missionary at a missions conference is like a fish on a wall. Out of context, and out of action, they have no juice. Of the missionaries I admire most, a large proportion are single women. [Click to continue] Practical Training [Evangelism: A Way of Life] 12 Session Bible Study More from CT Pastors [We Were Seduced by Power] Five pastors confess their temptations to manipulate, control, and cling to worldly significance. Jamin Goggin with Glenn Packiam, J.R. Briggs, Joshua Ryan Butler, and Tyler Johnson [Model Preaching] There are some things in preaching that are better caught than taught. Lee Eclov [8 Reasons I've Started Listening to Church Leadership Podcasts Lately] Listening will never replace reading. But podcasts have become a significant and valuable part of my church leadership learning experience. by Karl Vaters Related Free eNewsletters Each weekly issue equips you with the best wisdom and practical tools for church ministry. [Sign Up Now] Inspire life-changing community innovative training resources, Bible-based curriculum, and practical articles. [Sign Up Now] Work & Vocation [Andy Crouch: My Work as a Father Will Outlast Any Word I'll Ever Write] CT's outgoing executive editor looks back on the successes—and anxieties—of his twelve years in journalism. Since he joined the staff of Christianity Today in 2005, Andy Crouch has become somewhat of a household name in many Christian circles. The last twelve years have seen a lot of mountaintops for him, including the publication of such influential books as [Culture Making] and [Playing God] and a successful tenure as CT's executive editor. [Click to continue] Church Planting [Today's Devotion][13 Tips for Women Church Planters] Beyond where to plant and what strategy to use Dorothy J. Haire When planting a church, many leaders focus on the plethora of organizational decisions that must be made. For instance, how will you prepare yourself: seminary training, extensive reading, studying church planting strategies, or an apprenticeship? You'll also need to decide whether to plant independently or with a denomination, where to plant, how to finance the church, and even how to staff the church. [Click to continue] [Local Church Outreach] Delivered via email to subscribers weekly. [Subscribe] | [Email Preferences] | [Unsubscribe] | [Privacy Policy] | [Advertise] | [Subscribe to CT] You are currently subscribed as: {EMAIL} Copyright ©2017 [ChristianityToday.org], Christianity Today, 465 Gundersen Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved.