Missions Newsletter - Summer 2022

New Refugee Ministry

Pastor Rick Marshall & Dana Swieson

"You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:34-35)

As presented by Pastor Rick Marshall during the worship service on April 10, 2022:

On Sunday evening April 3rd, I was one of over 10 million Americans who watched the CBS program 60 Minutes. That night the focus of the program was The Refugee Crisis in Ukraine.  The unprovoked Russian invasion has destroyed thousands of lives and the infrastructure of this nation – forcing people to flee their homes seeking safety, and the protection and assistance from other nations. As of yesterday – according to official border statistics – 5,468,629 men, women and children have been forced from their homes in Ukraine becoming refugees.  A refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.

According to the U.N. Refugee Agency, 82.4 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced from their homeland in this past decade. 80% of these refugees originated from these six countries: Syria, Myanmar, South Sudan, Venezuela, Afghanistan and Ukraine.

I can’t wrap my mind around these numbers! They are beyond comprehension!  I can still see the old woman interviewed by reporter Scott Pelley of 60 Minutes.  She was in a Kiev train station saying through an interpreter: “Everything I own is in this suitcase.”

As followers of Jesus we can’t ignore this global crisis. I hear your question – “But this is so big!!  What can I do?  What can we do?”

There are 380,000 churches in America, and 37 million worldwide.  Imagine what could happen if the Body of Christ – united and motivated by love – heard and obeyed the words of the Lord Jesus who said in Matthew 25:

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me …… Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25: 35, 36 & 40)

This morning, I am announcing the launch of the Springton Lake Presbyterian Church Refugee Ministry.  This is our response to this crisis – saving one life – one family -- at a time.

New Refugee Ministry ~ Dana Swieson, SLPC Elder and a Refugee Ministry Leader

In response to this Biblical call to love and show hospitality to the stranger, SLPC has launched a new ministry to become a Refugee Resettlement Co-sponsor with Bethany Christian Services. Bethany is one of the Resettlement Affiliates in the eastern PA region. The purpose of a Resettlement Co-sponsor is to assist a refugee family locate to our area -- be integrated into our community, and ultimately become self-sufficient.

Co-sponsors assist refugee families in the following ways:

• Securing safe and affordable housing in a location near to public transportation & shopping
• Providing the basic necessities initially needed (furniture, household items, clothing, food)
• Providing income support for the first 90 days
• Assisting in accessing government benefits (food and medical assistance)

• Providing instruction & advice on:

  • Local transportation
  • Schooling children
  • English language
  • Job search & employment
  • Finances, banking, paying bills
  • Healthcare
• Providing cultural and community orientation

As you can imagine, being a Refugee Resettlement Co-sponsor is a significant undertaking. It involves much preparation and planning before a refugee family arrives, and then an ongoing commitment to serve that family after they have been resettled in our local area.

It could take a while before we are matched with a family that is to be resettled near us, but once that match happens -- things will move VERY quickly. The length of time between when a refugee family is matched and when they arrive in the community can be as short as one week!

As a church family, we have all the resources needed to show the hospitality of Christ to a refugee family. We need prayers, leaders, volunteers, finances, property, goods, storage space, transportation, etc. In order to be well-prepared to receive a family, a group of people from SLPC are leading sub-teams for each of these areas of responsibility. Our goal is to be ready to receive a refugee family as early as July 1, 2022.

To volunteer or support financially the Refugee Ministry please go to slpca.org/Refugee-Ministry where you will find links to volunteer forms for each of the sub-teams. On that page, you will also find more information about who are today’s refugees, the resettlement process, and how Christians can best minister to these displaced people.  If you have questions about this ministry, or how you can get involved, contact the Refugee Ministry leaders, Dana Swieson (dana@swieson.com) or Andrew Lee (Andrewlee1254@gmail.com), or any of the sub-team leaders.

Please join us in praying for this new ministry. Pray that all the planning and preparation would lead to joyful service. Pray for leaders and volunteers who are available to give of their time and talents when it is needed. Pray that we would have Christ-like attitudes of hospitality, generosity, and humility. Pray for our first refugee family that God has planned for us --- for endurance, hope and protection during this waiting period, and for a grace-filled resettlement in our community.

Maybe the Lord will bring to us Christians who are fleeing persecution because of their faith. What a great opportunity that would be for us to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ by being the church to them. Or maybe the Lord will bring to us people who have never heard of Jesus Christ, or who have only experienced a tainted view of Jesus Christ. What a missional opportunity that would be for us to be examples of Christ to them in very personal and tangible ways. Whatever the circumstances and background of our first refugee family, may we love them as Christ loves them, and give them true hope in their new home.

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers ---” (Hebrews 13:2)