Last year, millions of refugees fled war and violence in their home countries, risking everything in search of safety and peace. This forced migration crisis, spurred largely by the Syrian civil war, is part of a troubling global trend: over the past decade, the number of forcibly displaced people has doubled to 60 million. Global response to the Syrian refugee crisis, particularly in the aftermath of the Paris attack last year and more recently in Brussels has been intense, and often couched in nationalistic, xenophobic and religious terms, as well as concerns about national security. Through a highly informative and interactive presentation, workshop participants will: 1) learn more about the Syrian refugee crisis and the response of the U.S. government to the crisis; 2) get their questions and concerns about the refugee crisis answered and addressed; 3) discern what it is that the Bible and our Lutheran faith tradition call us to do with respect to welcoming vulnerable refugees and migrants; and 4) get a solid understanding of the refugee resettlement program in the U.S. and explore opportunities to live out our faith by embracing and welcoming the strangers through the ministries of justice and service.
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) draws from the deep well of our Lutheran theological understanding, our cherished Lutheran heritage, our commitment to humanitarian relief and our identity as people with immigrant roots as we put faith into action in solidarity with migrants and refugees. We approach our work from a grounding in our deepest core values, reflecting our understanding of how we witness to God’s love for all people to realize a vision of just and welcoming communities. LIRS works with migrants and refugees, U.S. Lutherans, and many partners in service and justice to accomplish our mission.
The Synod Assembly will be preceded on Thursday, June 2 by a Day of Learning, featuring a series of workshops centered around our assembly theme of “Church Together: Welcoming the Stranger.” Register for this year’s Day of Learning here.