Arsenal Hill Refugee Ministry

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Evaluation is an important aspect of ministry. The interviews conducted on the refugee ministry at Arsenal Hill Presbyterian Church (AHPC) provide a snapshot of the ministry at a point in time. Such a snapshot can be encouraging to those involved in ministry, as it provides feedback as to the value of the hours invested in serving refugees. However, in addition to just providing information about the ministry, feedback is important in assessing ways in which the ministry can improve to better meet the needs of the refugees. Excellence in ministry is a continuous process of listening and learning. Responding to the current migration crisis is so important—it is worth investing time in thoughtful evaluation.
The answers provided during the interviews …show more content…

The church intentionally seeks volunteers who know the Lord and want to make Him known to the refugees. As a consequence, signs of relationship with God and people are characteristics seen among the volunteers serving the refugees, such as prayer, fellowship, and proclamation of the gospel.

Principle 2: Refugees receive affirmation of their dignity, value, and the contribution they make.
The refugees are feeling affirmed by the church in their dignity and value. Besides approval, they showed excitement in their descriptions of the relationship with the church. They feel very appreciated when church members visit their homes and when they share their food in the events organized by the church.

Principle 3: Organizations and churches assist refugees in response to their needs without discrimination.
They feel accepted and loved by the church. They do not point out any sign of discrimination in the relationship with the volunteers. They recognize and appreciate the effort of the church members to respect and value their …show more content…

One of the results of this feeling has been the recruitment of more volunteers as the church members share with more and more people about the work they are doing. The answers showed, though, that the motivation needs to be translated into actions, especially in the public square.

Section 3: The Role of the Church
Principle 10: The local church plays a vital role in the ministry to refugees.
Even though the volunteers from outside of the church have been a great help in the work, the church members are highly involved in the refugee ministry, including the pastor and his family, which is admirable since the ESL classes happen on Sundays (when the pastoral families are very busy). The church provides its facilities, members, and other resources for the work to be done.

Principle 11: Local churches will utilize appropriate external resources for effective refugee ministry.
The volunteers are a good example of external resources that the church is utilizing in the development of refugee ministry. The church recognizes that it cannot do the work alone and has been recruiting and partnering with qualified volunteers to run the

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