This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

This month, our friends at Episcopal Migration Ministries share the many facets of their work with refugees and other forcibly displaced people.

Episcopal Migration Ministries: Neighbor to Neighbor

Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM), the refugee resettlement and migration ministry of The Episcopal Church, provides training and ongoing support to faith communities who serve as community sponsors for asylum seekers. Through EMM’s Neighbor to Neighbor program, community sponsors welcome their new neighbors by offering friendship, fostering community connections, and providing practical support such as housing, assistance in accessing services and navigating the community, enrolling children in school, supporting adults in learning English and securing employment, and more.

What’s the process?

Neighbor to Neighbor (NtN) is organized into five phases, with EMM guiding and supporting NtN teams through each step.

1. Discernment: Prospective NtN teams complete an initial interest form and attend an information session.
2. Training: NtN teams are granted access to on-demand training videos and resources, as well as other training materials, so they can learn, plan, and prepare to welcome their new neighbors.
3. Readiness Assessment: NtN teams provide EMM with detailed descriptions of their plans to welcome their new neighbors. EMM reviews the plans, meets with the NtN team, and, once approved, works with partner organizations to match a new neighbor to the team.
4. Matching & Sponsorship: The team welcomes their new neighbors and follows their detailed plan. NtN teams have regular check-in calls with EMM, attend monthly Communities of Practice calls with other NtN teams, and submit reports on team activities.
5. Conclusion: EMM provides each NtN team with resources and coaching on how to bring the community sponsorship relationship with your new neighbors to a close. We reflect with you on the experience and celebrate your work as you, in turn, mark the conclusion of this chapter in your relationship with the new neighbors.

To learn more, complete an initial interest form at bit.ly/ntninterestform.

Ways to support Episcopal Migration Ministries

Donate

Your gift helps makes this life-changing ministry possible. To make your tax-deductible donation today:

• Text “Give” to 41444
• Call +1 (212) 716-6002 to give over the phone.
• Give online by visiting https://bit.ly/supportemm.
• Send your gift by check or money order to:
  DFMS-Protestant Episcopal Church US
  PO Box 958983
  St. Louis, MO 63195-8983

Volunteer or sponsor

Volunteer at your local resettlement office or become a community sponsor. Learn more about these opportunities at episcopalmigrationministries.org.

Educate

Explore EMM’s resources, opportunities, newsletters, webinars, Hometown podcast, blog posts, and more at episcopalmigrationminsitries.org.

Pray

Please include Episcopal Migration Ministries regularly in your prayers. Refugee resettlement ministry includes professional staff, but also tens of thousands of volunteers, congregations, and community partners and stakeholders, who all come together to welcome and support our new neighbors.

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Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6210 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.