How You Can Tangibly Help Refugees in Your City

Below is a modified email I sent out to my Mosaic Church congregation this morning. I’m posting it on my blog in case there are others in the Grand Rapids, MI area who want to get involved. And, wherever you live, I hope to provide some ideas for how you and your church can make a difference in your city. You can Google “refugee resettlement agencies in (fill in your nearest big city)” and your agencies will pop up. All resettlement agencies across the country are facing the same issues I write about here. Reach out to them and ask how you can help, they will love to hear from you!

A refugee is an official legal term for people who have fled their countries to escape conflict, violence, or persecution and have sought safety in another country. Refugees often live in tent communities in border countries while waiting to return home when it’s safe, or be legally resettled in a long-term country to start a new life. A very small percentage end up being resettled. The United States has long been one of the many countries around the world that helps to resettle refugees, until a few weeks ago. To learn more about refugees, you can visit the United Nations refugee website or the evangelical Christian non-profit World Relief, who is one of the leaders in refugee resettlement and church engagement. 

These past few weeks have been heavy for many of us. I personally have been involved with refugee resettlement since 2007 because of the Bible’s command to help the foreigner, oppressed, and poor, and have many friends who are refugees, including friends in our Mosaic family! While prayer and advocacy are important, God has led me to make sure that I, and we as a church, are also hands-on in helping real people living in our communities during this crisis. I need this in order to get my heart and mind above the noise and make sure I’m being a real part of the solution, not just talking about it. 

Church World Service is a Christian non-profit that does refugee resettlement in Grand Rapids. They have 70 refugees under their care that are still within the first 90-day window of arrival, which is the window where federal funds provide rent, food, and access to jobs and school. Not only did the recent executive orders stop refugees from resettling in the United States, it stopped all funding for the refugees already here who were promised these essentials to help get them on their feet. Church World Service laid off 2/3 of its staff (nationally and in Grand Rapids) so that their refugees wouldn’t become homeless or go without food. 

There are 5 ways you can help the 70 Church World Service refugees now living in Grand Rapids:

1. Become a “one-off” volunteer. This is a volunteer list that Church World Service will reach out to when there is a one-time need for a refugee individual or family. This will typically be a ride to a medical appointment or job interview, doing job interview prep, or could be the need to simply make a visit or share a meal as a friendly face. You can join this list here. Joining doesn’t commit you to anything, but you will be sent volunteer opportunities as they arise. With only 1/3 of the regular CWS staff still employed, this is a crucial need. 

2. You/we can sponsor a family. This is a big commitment and would require a minimum of 5 different individuals/household from Mosaic to carry this load. Sponsoring a family means our sponsorship group would be the primary support network for one family while they are in their 90-days (and helping them with the transition period afterwards), helping connect them with local resources, helping them with paperwork, being their friends, playing with their kids, sharing meals, giving rides, etc. There is CWS training for this. Email Pastor Noah if you are interested in being on a sponsorship team from Mosaic. 

3. Attend the Thursday, February 20th 7:00pm CWS virtual gathering. This is a special event for churches in West Michigan to raise awareness and be mobilized. Register here. 

4. CWS has an immediate goal of raising $20,000, 100% of which will go to rent, food assistance, bus passes, clothing, and other direct client support services for clients in the 90-day service period and newcomers outside of the 90-day period with emergency needs. Give here.

5. Pray! You can download World Relief’s prayer guide here.

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Noah Filipiak

Founding Pastor at Mosaic Church

Noah is the founding pastor of Mosaic Church, a multi-ethnic church in urban Grand Rapids, MI. He is a grad of Grand Rapids Theological Seminary.
He is:
Author of Beyond the Battle: A man's guide to his identity in Christ in an oversexualized world
Host of the The Flip Side Podcast
Join an online men's small group led by Noah and team at BeyondTheBattle.net

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Latest posts by Noah Filipiak (see all)

• How You Can Tangibly Help Refugees in Your City - February 12, 2025
• A Biblical Understanding of Romans 13, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities…” - February 6, 2025
• Ep. 110: Dr. Ingrid Faro on Satan, Demons, and Evil - February 3, 2025

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