Churches of Welcome

Churches of Welcome:
Welcome Hub

Jesus said: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matthew 25:35)

God’s call to recognize him in “the stranger” — the foreigner, the immigrant, the outsider — is an ancient call. At times, the Church embraced the call, at others, she rejected it. What will she do today?

The number of people forcibly displaced from their homes has reached the highest point in recorded history. Hundreds of millions of people have been driven from their homes as a result of three growing and interconnected realities — violent conflict, climate change and extreme poverty.

Is your church hearing the Spirit whisper “It’s time to see Jesus in the face of the stranger”?

What is Churches of Welcome?

Churches of Welcome is a national movement of churches, all with different backgrounds and histories, embarking on a discipleship journey and missional opportunity to engage one of the greatest humanitarian crises of our time.

Are you ready to move beyond politics and unite in Christian service to our neighbors?

Then you’re already part of the Churches of Welcome movement!

The most ever. Hundreds of Millions of People.

Desperately seeking refuge

Fleeing for their lives

Praying for safety

40% of them are children

Take the next step.

Learn More

Coming Soon

A Discipleship Journey: Learn > Do > Serve > Lead

As the movement grows, World Relief will support your church with vital resource packages that include training courses, 24/7 discussion groups, live forums, and other resources to help your church along this discipleship journey. World Relief has been helping churches likes yours serve the most vulnerable for 80 years!

Join the Churches of Welcome waitlist by sharing your interest.

Join Waitlist

Learn

Is your congregation ready to learn more? Is it confused by the political division or just wants to know what can be done to help refugees and other immigrants? We have a multitude of courses and resources — from 101 to advanced.

Do

Is your congregation ready to roll up their sleeves and do something? Or would it benefit from a tangible learning experience? We can help.

Serve

Perhaps your church is sensing the call to serve vulnerable immigrants in your community. Explore your longer-term service opportunities for small groups.

Lead

If your congregation has been committed to serving the vulnerable immigrant community for some time, consider helping other churches join the movement. Lead locally, regionally or nationally.

Frequently Asked Questions

What common values do Churches of Welcome share?

Churches of Welcome are as diverse in their views as their individual church members. You will not be required to sign any document or commit to certain policy positions. At the same time, we hope that we can informally agree on some basic biblical values and common-sense principles.

World Relief is the humanitarian arm of The National Association of Evangelicals. World Relief is also part of the Evangelical Immigration Table (EIT), a coalition of Christian churches, leaders and ministries who seek to encourage distinctly biblical thinking about issues of immigration. The EIT also provides discipleship resources focused on immigration from a biblical and missional perspective and advocates for public policies consistent with biblical values.

The principles promoted by the EIT are summarized in this excerpt:

As evangelical Christian leaders, we call for a bipartisan solution on immigration that:

Respects the God-given dignity of every person
Protects the unity of the immediate family
Respects the rule of law
Guarantees secure national borders
Ensures fairness to taxpayers
Establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents
Learn More

Is this a part of the “Open Borders” or “Sanctuary City” movement?

What is the difference between Refugee vs Asylum Seeker vs. Humanitarian Parolee?

Refugee is someone who has been forced to flee conflict or persecution and has crossed an international border to seek safety, according to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR. If the person flees their home but is still in their own country, they are referred to as an IDP (Internally Displaced Person). A refugee applies for protection while overseas and enters the U.S. legally after approval.

Asylum Seeker requests protection from persecution (asylum) and is allowed to legally stay in the U.S. while the case is under review.

Humanitarian Parolee is allowed to legally enter the U.S. temporarily (parole) for emergency or urgent humanitarian reasons.