There is a place for you
Christianity for Immigrants and Refugees
Yes, there is a place for you here, and a God who calls himself the keeper of the stranger. Jesus was carried across a border as a child to escape a king who wanted him dead; he knows what it is to be a refugee. And again and again God commands his people to love the foreigner as one of their own. You are not an outsider to him.
If this is you
To leave home, whether by choice or by force, is to lose more than a place. It is the language that fits your mouth, the food, the faces that knew you, the sense of belonging you did not notice until it was gone. There can be fear, paperwork, suspicion, loneliness, and the ache of missing people far away. Starting over in a strange land is exhausting and brave, and much of what you carry goes unseen by those around you.
God loves the stranger
As an infant, Jesus and his family fled to Egypt to escape Herod. Throughout Scripture, God binds himself to the foreigner and the displaced, and commands his people to do the same, out of memory of their own time as strangers.
An honest word
Faith will not fix your papers or erase the difficulty of building a new life, and it would be dishonest to pretend it does. What it offers is a God who knows the road of the refugee from the inside, a belonging that does not depend on a passport, and a family, the church, that at its best welcomes the stranger as its own. If you are in need, practical help exists, and you have every right to ask for it.
Come and see
You do not have to clean yourself up first, or have the words, or feel any particular way. The living Christ welcomed people exactly where they were, and he still does. You are invited to come as you are and see for yourself. The Gospel of John is a gentle place to begin, and it asks nothing of you but a little quiet and an honest look.
Read the Gospel of JohnMeet JesusAsk for prayerJesus Christ is Lord.
Frequently asked questions
- Does God care about immigrants and refugees?
- Yes, deeply. God repeatedly commands his people to love and protect the stranger, remembering that they too were once foreigners (Leviticus 19:34). Jesus himself was a refugee child. You are not an outsider to God.
- Am I welcome in a church here?
- You should be, fully. A church that follows Jesus is meant to welcome the stranger as one of its own. Many congregations actively help newcomers with friendship, language, and practical needs. It is worth finding one near you.
- Where can I find practical help?
- Many churches and community organisations help immigrants and refugees with food, documents, language, and belonging. You can look for help near you and ask for prayer. There is no shame in needing support in a new place.