We are called by God to love those who have been displaced from their homes and provide them with practical care.
“For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the stranger by giving him food and clothing. So show love for the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
Deuteronomy 10:17-19
What we do
At Jericho Road, we see the arrival of refugees and other migrants in Australia as an opportunity to show God’s love in meaningful ways. Our Refugee & Cross-Cultural Support Worker, Andrew Adams, works to equip churches and organisations to meet the needs of people who are making a home here, often in very difficult circumstances. By working with congregations, we can make our churches places where refugees and other migrants can find support, friendship, and ultimately Jesus.
We also work with Sydney Refugee Team to support the hands-on work that is changing lives in Sydney’s refugee communities. This team builds strong connections with families, assisting them as they navigate a language, culture and legal system that is new. Jericho Road provides food donations to be distributed by their team, and also raises financial support to fund their activities and camps.
RESOURCES
The resources below provide further information on the topic of refugees and immigration, some from secular sources and others providing a Christian perspective.
BOOK
The Bible and Borders: Hearing God’s Word on Immigration by M Daniel Carroll R, is an in-depth yet reader-friendly study on what the Bible says about asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants. Available from Koorong.
RESOURCE
Various resources produced by the Presbyterian Church’s ‘Gospel Society and Culture’ committee.
ARTICLE
What does the Bible say about refugees, published by World Vision
RESOURCE
The Joshua Project details the ethnic people groups of the world, the extent of the reach of the gospel for each people group, and the available ministry resources for them.
WEBSITE
The Cultural Atlas is an educational resource from SBS, providing comprehensive information on the cultural background of Australia’s migrant populations.
BOOK
A Beginner’s Guide to Crossing Cultures, by Patty Lane, is a detailed guide to cross-cultural issues yet very accessible for the ordinary reader. Available from Koorong.
BOOK
Foreign to Familiar, by Sarah A. Lanier, is a very brief and easy-to-read introduction to cross-cultural issues. Available here.
FILM
Mary meets Mohammad is a documentary that traces the friendship that develops between Mary, an older Christian woman, and Mohammad, a young adult Afghan Hazara asylum seeker.
ESL RESOURCES
Anglicare has a range of resources for running ESL classes as a church ministry.
Stories
Want to get in touch with Andrew?
Send him an email at aadams@jerichoroad.org.au.
Have a question?
Click below to get in touch with the Partner Ministries team.