Perhaps you want to help people survive and recover from forced displacement, but you're not sure where to begin. Maybe you were engaged in a different type of ministry and now there are people fleeing from, through, or to your area in search of safety? Or maybe you have been serving refugees for some time but have hit some stumbling blocks and realize you need more tools?
We believe God is calling the Church to engage in life-giving ways along the Refugee Highway. The goal of our training is to equip people, congregations, and organizations for ministry among forcibly displaced people that is fruitful, sustainable, ethical, and faithfully Christian.
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Take this free, self-paced course to learn how the strengths of a local church provide an ideal context for the recovery of forcibly displaced people.
When evangelism is combined with humanitarian aid we are faced with some very complex choices. This course addresses common ethical concerns and offers principles for faithful Christian witness among people in distress.
We can provide training on a single topic, several days of in-depth material, or consultation for your ministry team. Click here for a description of some of our most common training topics.
Watch this IAFR training session to learn about the common phases of a humanitarian crisis and how they are experienced from the perspectives of those who are forcibly displaced, those who host the displaced, and those engaged in helping the displaced.
This recording was made during a training sponsored by the European region of the Refugee Highway Partnership in response to the humanitarian crisis created by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
IAFR training will help you gain an in-depth understanding of refugee realities along with biblical perspective and cross-cultural tools to help you develop a ministry strategy well-suited to your unique context. Learn more about our core topics below.
REFUGEE REALITIES
A global overview of forced displacement including key terms and statistics from the refugee highway and relevant international law documents.
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON REFUGEES
An overview of forcibly displaced people in Scripture and why God cares about refugees.
THE CONTINUUM OF RESPONSE
An overview of the needs of displaced people in various phases of the journey from flight to integraon and how churches are uniquely suited to recovery work
RECOVERY MINISTRY UNPACKED
A series of conversations unpacking how to support refugee recovery including practical examples and lessons learned from a variety of contexts.
WORKING IN HUMANITARIAN SPACE
Introduces the concept of humanitarian space and how ministry in this area presents particular challenges; includes discussion on government and humanitarian stakeholders, their motivations and concerns, and helpful approaches for engagement.
WHEN EVANGELISM MEETS AID
A discussion on having a faithful Christian witness in refugee ministry; addresses concerns of coercion and ethics in combining a spiritual message and basic aid.
OUR GOALS AND MOTIVATIONS
An invitation to reflect on what drives us in refugee ministry and how we communicate our goals and motivations in an honest and helpful manner.
BEST PRACTICES FOR REFUGEE MINISTRY
Principles of best practice in work with displaced people.
CONTEXT ASSESSMENTS
A tool for identifying the strengths and opportunities for ministry in your context and determining a starting point for beginning or strengthening your ministry.
WALKING WITH THE WOUNDED
A basic introduction to trauma for the layperson; how to avoid harm and be a helpful friend to someone who has survived trauma.
THE COST OF CARING
Discussions on how to maintain your own emotional and spiritual health while walking alongside people who are healing from trauma.
Additional topics are available upon request. Contact us from the form at the bottom of this page.
The response to the global refugee crisis requires more than the services of emergency relief agencies. It requires long-term recovery work that serves to strengthen hope and help refugees rebuild their lives.
All too often, refugees find themselves viewed only as people in need. They are confined to the receiving end of the humanitarian and social services that keep them alive. As necessary as they are, it can be dehumanizing to be on the receiving end of such services.
Recovery work helps re-humanize people and restore hope by strengthening community, faith, emotional well-being and personal capacity. It also gets behind the ideas and solutions of refugees, recognizing the important part they play in finding solutions to their displacement.
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Let us know if you are interested in exploring how we might be able to help you better prepare for ministry among forcibly displaced people.
IAFR is a member of the ICVA Network.
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