Refugee Ministry

THE PEOPLE
Each year there are approximately 500 refugees resettled in Chicago through the work of Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministries (www.irim.org).  Refugees come from countries like Burma, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Russia, Vietnam and Cuba.  Many have left behind everything when they were forced to flee their homeland.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to welcome them to our city and demonstrate God’s love to them by making their transition here easier and more pleasant?

THE OPPORTUNITY
The Moody Church’s service to the refugee community is a unique opportunity for our church to get involved in practical and tangible ways.  Every refugee and refugee family arrives at O’Hare airport awaiting a warm welcome and practical assistance in the resettling process.  The bulk of supportive services are provided by the resettling agencies but there is a significant need for personal involvement and support as well.

The unique feature of this ministry is the ability for every person at The Moody Church to participate in the process of “adopting” a refugee family by meeting one or more of the many small areas of need.  There are three main avenues in which you can serve:

Leadership Role
We are currently looking to develop a leadership team which consists of a Director, Logistics Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator and an Administrative Assistant.

Volunteer Time
Choose one or more of the following:

• Greet individuals/families upon their arrival at O’Hare and transport them to their new place of residence.
• Ensure the new place of residence is clean and properly set up for the arriving family.
• Spend time with the new arrivals (flexible and entirely dependent on your availability and interest).

Invest Resources
Choose one or more of the following (quantities vary with size of family):

• Rental assistance
• Purchase food to cover their first month
• Provide furnishings for their new residence
• Provide clothing
• Provide “Welcome Pack” materials (click here for details)

There are new refugee families arriving in Chicago every week. Most of them desperately need help finding their way in a country that is new and strange to them.  Please prayerfully consider this taking the opportunity to show them Christ’s love by welcoming and helping them transition their lives here.

For more information please contact John Rush at refugeeministry@moodychurch.org