Ready to engage?
Have you ever walked through a labyrinth? For some, it is a spiritual practice that can help visualize where you are on certain paths in life. Sometimes you think you are closer to reaching a goal and other times you feel far away, but it’s all part of the journey. For you, our readers, where are you at on your journey in engaging with refugees? Maybe you have been observing and learning from afar, content to stay informed and up to date on what is going on with RLP in Amarillo. Some may feel curious, yet afraid, with real concerns about issues that are important to you like immigration and terrorism. Others may be all read up and educated on current issues, but are nervous to get to know a refugee on a personal level. Still some of you are new to the refugee scene, but are eager to learn more. Wherever you are on your journey, we want to help you plug in, get more information and join a community of people who are on the same path. To that end, scroll down to hear about all the ways you can continue to learn about, grow in your understanding of and invest in the flourishing of Amarillo’s refugees! There’s something for everyone!
For the curious…
Do you want to learn the basics about refugees, discuss your apprehensions, and hear about different avenues to get involved? Then you should definitely sign up for our Refugee 101 Class! It’s free and will be offered monthly. This month’s class is on April 12th from 6-8 PM at The PLACE. You must register to attend as space is limited. Email John, our Director of Church Engagement and Business Development, and tell him to save you a spot!
For the reader…
Do you follow us on social media? If the answer is no, you might not be aware that we have a very informal book club happening! Each month we recommend one new book to read, written by a refugee. The last two months we read books written by Iranian refugees, and even had a lunch meeting to discuss themes and ideas from those stories. If this sounds like something you want to do, then grab a copy of April’s book, Call Me American by Abdi Nor Iftin. Read along in April and join us at the end of the month to discuss!
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For the thinker…
For most of us, discussing hot topics like immigration and refugees with friends or family makes all the warning bells in our heads go off. It doesn’t have to be this way! If you’ve been around RLP for any length of time, you know that we are a people who pray to Jesus for the flourishing of refugees in Amarillo, but we also welcome people from all faith backgrounds to engage with refugees for the good of our whole community. The same is true when it comes to various political viewpoints. There are kind, respectful ways to discuss and disagree on topics that tend to be inflammatory, and in this space we want to build people’s capacity to be learners, listeners and debaters that honor those with different ideas. We encourage you to watch this friendly debate on immigration between National Evangelical Immigration Table Coordinator, Matthew Soerens and Dr. Darren Guerra, a professor of Political Science at Biola University. I bet you’ll learn something new while also seeing a good example of a calm and level-headed discussion on a touchy subject.
For the job seeker…
RLP is hiring again! You can read the job description and find the application on our website.
For the person of prayer…
We are a people who pray to Jesus for the flourishing of refugees in our city. If you would like to be a part of that community and receive prayer updates, click here to subscribe.
For the generous…
If you still haven’t found a way to engage, but love what you see here, then consider becoming a regular financial supporter of RLP. As a non-profit organization, we depend on donations from individuals and churches to do what we do! All gifts are tax deductible. Click here to set up a recurring donation or to give a one-time gift.
