7 Ways to Pray for the Refugee Crisis This Week

TEAM - The Evangelical Alliance Mission • Oct 15, 2015

Christians in Austria gather to pray. Photo by TEAM

As critical needs grow in the global refugee crisis, TEAM missionaries continue to partner with the local church to welcome the nations arriving on their doorstep. This month we are sharing these testimonies and hope you will follow along on TEAM’s social media and blog.

Today, we begin seven days of dedicated prayer for global refugees and the missionaries among them. We invite you to join us and have created a daily prayer guide available for download below.

DAY 1:

Germany is expected to receive more migrants than any other country in the European Union (Source). In Dresden, a TEAM missionary partners with a local refugee resettlement group to sponsor apartments that house men from Eritrea, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Tunisia and Pakistan. Thankfully, they are able to communicate with the shared language of English.

Please pray for the growing friendships between the refugees and TEAM worker. Pray that that their time together will be mutually encouraging. Please also pray for patience and endurance as this missionary helps these men navigate the difficult asylum paperwork process.

DAY 2:

Missionaries in Bologna, Italy, have interacted with hundreds of refugees over the last year through their local congregation, New Life Church. Located down the road from a dormitory that houses migrants, New Life has opened its doors wide to refugees, inviting them to Bible studies and offering translating services during the sermon. Please pray that their time in the Word together will be rich fellowship for all.

New Life Church hosts Italian language and culture learning to equip refugees for independence and success. Photo by TEAM worker in Italy

Congregants are also seeking to provide tangible assistance, like Italian language lessons, as their new neighbors integrate into Italian society. Pray for meaningful interactions as the church continues to pursue relationships with those living in the nearby dormitory.

DAY 3:

Herzwerk (Heart Factory) was launched in 2007 as holistic response to increased instances of prostitution and human trafficking in Vienna, Austria. Many of the women reached by Herzwerk are refugees from Africa and eastern Europe. Currently, six women who have escaped prostitution, but do not yet qualify for government assistance, are being assisted financially and emotionally through discipleship and mentoring.

Please pray that these women will be given a strong support system and will experience emotional healing. Please also pray against the victimization of more refugees, as their circumstances make them more vulnerable to exploitation and human trafficking.

DAY 4:

Black Forest Academy is an international Christian school in southwest Germany that serves students from 62 nations. TEAM partners with BFA to recruit teachers and staff to serve across disciplines. In response to the migrant crisis, BFA has donated one of its unused dormitories for refugee housing.

Students at Black Forest Academy bake cookies to welcome refugees in Germany. Photo by BFA

On their annual Impact Day, students worked together to prepare the dorms for new families, bake 2,000 cookies and craft 500 welcome cards to place inside each room. A teacher at BFA asks that we join her in praying that she and her students will be true witnesses of Christ’s love among those they are serving.

DAY 5:

Because of geographical proximity, France has become home to many migrants from predominately Islamic countries in north Africa. Launch is a two-year mission opportunity among this population in southern France with hands-on cultural, language and ministry training for those considering long-term ministry.

Please pray that God will call workers to this opportunity and that they will respond with obedience. Pray also for refugees in France, that they will continue to encounter believers and that their hearts will be open to the message of the gospel.

DAY 6:

Greece has experienced high volumes of refugees as many make passage through the country on route to other European Union nations. TEAM partners with Hellenic Ministries in Athens to serve migrant families through meals and access to laundry and bathing facilities. All refugees are also invited to a weekly Bible study, which for many is their first opportunity to hear and study the gospel.

We praise God that some have put their faith in Christ, and we continue to pray for the rest, who have seeds of the gospel planted within. Please pray that many more will experience salvation and in turn make disciples and establish churches wherever they go.

DAY 7:

Workers in Germany report that many of the refugee needs in their context are more emotional than material, as refugees have not received full acceptance from the German people. To help bridge the cultural divide, missionaries in Germany are leading language and custom learning programs, as well as developing a network of Christian families to regularly host refugees in their homes.

Please pray that the refugees will be able to learn key words and phrases quickly to gain more independence. Also pray that Christians in Germany will lead the way in showing hospitality.

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Loving Like Jesus Cross-Culturally (Part 1)

By Megan Lunsford • 23 Apr, 2024

When seeking to serve cross-culturally with an authentic love for others, there’s no better example for us than Jesus. If we sat around a table and threw out the question, “How do we love like Jesus?” I think we would have several commonalities as we respond. For example, Jesus loved all people right where they were. He loved those who were deemed the least, those hardest to love, or those who were His enemies. These are all beautiful realities of the heart of Jesus. When we step into relationships, it can be easier to take on the warmer, more gracious gestures of Jesus’ love, especially in cross-cultural relationships. Think about it––when doing life with those who look and act differently than us, we are already out of our comfort zones and would rather keep things as simple and familiar as possible. But there are other facets of Jesus’ heart we often overlook that can transform us and others even more into His likeness. Jesus is love because God is love. Everything Jesus did was out of love; it’s the mere definition of who He is. As followers of Jesus, He calls us to the same: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John:7-12) Every display of love we offer to others is an opportunity for them to encounter the ultimate love of the Father. That’s a pretty big deal! In this article, we’ll look at three expressions of Jesus’ love that we tend to overlook when engaging others cross-culturally. (Next month, we’ll look at three more.) 1. Jesus loved sacrificially. Everywhere Jesus went, crowds followed Him. We even see times in Scripture where Jesus had plans to step away for time alone but those who were hurting found Him and He had compassion on them and stayed with them. Can you imagine rarely having any time to yourself but, instead, constantly being surrounded by crowds of people wanting help from you? Jesus loved sacrificially. He welcomed all who came to Him with love and compassion, never turning anyone away. “When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) In the same way, we can make room in our lives for Jesus to bring sacrificial interruptions which, in His eyes, are orchestrated encounters to transfer His love to others. It can be tempting to be so “on mission” that we are full steam ahead and find ourselves frustrated when the Holy Spirit sends an interruption into our path that we feel we don’t have time for. Or, perhaps, we have scheduled a meet-up but it’s the norm in another culture to be 30 minutes or an hour late. We anxiously think through how it will affect whatever we have planned next. While it’s normal to feel a little stressed, what if the very "interruption” standing in front of you was really a divine appointment sent by God? Or what if that person running late experiences how peaceful and gracious you are in adapting to their culture and therefore, they can encounter a beautiful display of Jesus’ love? To truly represent Christ, we should remain ready and willing for each assignment the Lord sends into our path, no matter the cost or how much we will have to re-route our day. He is always a hundred steps ahead and will work all things for His glory and our good. 2. Jesus loved by discerning each situation well. Think about how many situations Jesus had to respond to on a daily basis. We read in Scripture that there were lines of people waiting to be healed by Him, talk to Him, hear His teachings, or simply touch the hem of His robe. Jesus was fully dependent on His Father to discern each situation before addressing it. “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19) Another temptation we can have when in a relationship with those God has sent us to is to think we already know the solution or what God wants to do before we’ve even asked Him. We believe we are full of knowledge, so we just pull from the bank we have stored within and go with it. However, when we access what is familiar to us as our default, we risk missing out on a God-given solution that might truly be the key to unlocking whatever challenge is in front of us. What does this look like when interacting with others? We can simply ask, “God, what is on Your heart for the person standing in front of me?” Then we listen and respond as He speaks. When we make it a daily habit to pause and hear God’s heart for each situation before responding, we are guaranteed to be effective in loving those around us. He knows the heart of every person that will cross our paths. Imagine how impactful we can be if we first lean on His wisdom and discernment before moving forward. 3. Jesus loved by speaking truth. Most of us are familiar with the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. If we are honest, this conversation makes us a bit nervous as none of us would be comfortable with Jesus calling out intimate details of our lives that we would prefer to hide. But Jesus went further than just airing her dirty laundry. He offered her the hope of the Gospel and a relationship with Him - a divine fulfillment that could never be found in an earthly relationship. Jesus modeled a powerful example of loving others well cross-culturally. He took the low place and spoke truth, truly out of love––speaking to her heart from His. Like Jesus, our goal in sharing the truths about Him and His Word is to bring hope and satisfaction through Him alone. When we speak truth from Scripture, we are calling others higher into all God has for them. The tricky part here is we should avoid speaking truth if it isn’t first fueled by compassion. If it merely comes from a place of judgment, condemnation, or self-righteousness, it will fall flat 100% of the time. But if it truly comes from love, you are likely to not only win a heart back to the Father but, like the story of the Samaritan woman, even an entire village! If you see someone living outside of God’s best for their lives, ask God to show you your heart before engaging theirs. Once your heart is properly postured, you can speak truth out of an overflow of God’s love and trust Him for a transformation in their lives.

Hospitality, Help, and the Hope of the Gospel

By Suzanne Pearson • 16 Apr, 2024

TEAM Canada provides warm welcome and trusted friendships for diaspora populations living far from their native countries. As TEAM Canada workers Peter and Ruth (names changed) drive from their home to a nearby community center, they pass numerous apartment buildings and townhouses. Most of the families who live there are immigrants. They’ve left their countries of origin due to political unrest, trauma, and other difficulties. They’ve left family, friends, homes, jobs, and personal wealth behind. They search for peace, justice for the oppressed, and rest from fear and weariness. And as they adjust to a new country and a new language, they are often very isolated from others around them. “The sad reality is most immigrants are never even invited inside a Canadian home,” says Ruth. Peter and Ruth and their team try to change that reality. For the last nine years, the team, which includes workers from partner organizations as well as volunteers, has held English classes at the community center. Three days a week, over 60 students from more than 20 countries come together to learn English as well as to fellowship together and receive practical help in assimilating to a new normal. Meeting Needs and Building Trust That practical help may come in the form of procuring furniture, clothes, or dishes for newcomers, assistance with creating a resume and finding a job, or teaching people how to navigate Canadian laws and the medical system. As these tangible needs are met, relationships are built. “We invite them into our homes for meals and games,” Ruth shares. “We take them on hiking trips, picnics, outings, and out for coffee.” This is particularly important in this type of ministry because most immigrants come to Canada from cultures that value hospitality. Conversely, Canadians do not typically prioritize hospitality and consequently many newcomers feel lonely and isolated. Inviting folks to various gatherings and outings allows the team to spend extended time hearing people’s stories, struggles, hopes, and dreams. When she speaks about building friendships, Ruth’s heart for the people she serves is evident. “Hearing their stories, it’s easy to love them, and many have become close friends,” Ruth says. “We recognize the value of steady one-on-one relationships.”