Refugees in Crisis

Conflict in Syria and northern Iraq has resulted in millions fleeing their homes and enduring tremendous suffering. Their displacement has often also caused an increased receptivity and afforded greater access to the gospel. With strategic partner relationships in both the Middle East and Europe, ReachGlobal is uniquely positioned to minister along transit routes and at destinations of this mass movement of people.

We are responding to this crisis by partnering with national churches to minister to the refugee’s physical needs while developing relationships with entire families in order to share the good news of Christ in a private and appropriate manner. As home churches develop, we are helping partners identify and equip emerging leaders so mature churches travel with the refugee community as they return to their homeland or disperse to other parts of the world.

Our vision is to tangibly minister Christ’s love among the refugees by building relationships, multiplying disciples and planting churches, so mature churches travel with the refugee community as they return to their homeland or disperse to other parts of the world.

Oasis

Oasis is a partnership between EFCA ReachGlobal and FEC (the Free Evangelical Church of Lebanon and Syria).

Through Oasis, we’re reaching over 150 Syrian refugee families, meeting physical needs, ministering to children, training for practical skills to help refugees thrive, teaching the Bible and equipping a house church movement. The vision of Oasis is to share the gospel with Muslim refugees in a holistic way and disciple them in a growing relationship with Jesus.

Oasis has eyes on Syria with a strong vision for church plants in more Syrian cities.

Pray

• For Syrians, Yazidi, Iraqis and other people groups being persecuted and displaced.
• Our ministry partners who are working in difficult and dangerous settings to bear a bold witness of Jesus to the communities they serve.
• Evangelism and outreach in affected people groups resulting in gospel transformation.
• Wisdom for our ReachGloabl staff and national partners to best serve the refugees in ways that will express God’s heart and will result in disciples being multiplied.
• God’s people addressing the specific needs of impacted individuals.
• God’s provision of needed resources (the Spirit, people, finances) for the church to be the church.

Serve

Send a short-term team: Come spend a week (or a year!) working alongside an evangelical Arab church that is reaching out to refugees. We need your help to visit Syrian refugee homes, help with food packets and other relief, and see what God is doing in this beautiful yet war-torn region.

• Contact crisisresponse@efca.org for further details on sending a short-term team.

Vision Trip: A one-week trip to help your church build relationships with our ReachGlobal staff and partners. We’ll show you what God is doing in the Middle East and help you consider ways that your church can get involved.

• Contact mena@efca.org for more information about dates and location.

Send interns or longer-term workers: Specific needs have been identified for people to teach English in outreach schools operated by our partners; anyone with physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech therapy experience; or a willingness to learn Arabic and serve as home visit leaders. Ideally, these folks would come for 6-24 months to invest in refugee kids learning English.

There are also opportunities for summer internships for college age or recent grads starting in the summer of 2019. And there is always great need for anyone willing to consider serving long-term. Long-term opportunities are available for those interested in sports, nutrition and exercise ministry, ESL, church planting catalyst, trauma and abuse ministries and medical doctors.

• Contact mena@efca.org for more information about dates and location.

Check out local refugee resettlement agencies in the area you live.

Give

Resources are needed for:

• Meeting immediate physical needs of refugees
• Medical supplies
• Shelter materials
• Materials for kid’s and women’s ministry programs
• The physical infrastructure needs of partners (basic things like gas for vehicles, cell phones, ministry materials, stipends/gifts for some response workers, etc.)
• Ongoing, long term disciplemaking outreach efforts
• Transition, resettlement and skill development resources
• Other special projects as they arise (e.g., $6,000 to help hundreds of families with heaters and blankets to help them get through the cold winter)

Give online or mail a check designated Refugees in Crisis 21709-3983 to:

EFCA, 901 East 78th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55420-1300

Contact ReachGlobal MENA Division or ReachGlobal Crisis Response for additional information.