Episcopal Church of the Redeemer

Worshiping God, living in community, reaching out to the world.

Tag: Ukraine

Support humanitarian response to the crisis in Ukraine

Episcopal Relief & Development is partnering with the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe to help local congregations throughout Europe provide assistance to refugees from Ukraine.

The Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe is the European presence of The Episcopal Church. It has a long history of ministry to refugees dating back to before World War I. Since the late 1980s, the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center (JNRC) – based at Saint Paul’s Within the Walls in Rome – has provided direct service to refugees from countless countries, helping them rebuild shattered lives.

Episcopal Relief & Development is working with the Convocation to strengthen and expand the capacity of all Episcopal Congregations across Europe to respond to the refugee emergency caused by the violence in Ukraine. The Convocation is creating a fund to support local congregations’ refugee response and will pair those grants with training from JNRC staff. This assistance will vary depending on the needs of the specific refugee groups. It will likely include food, shelter, emergency supplies and trauma counseling. Additionally, JNRC plans to increase its staffing levels, allowing it to provide aid to more people.

“The Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe is reporting refugees in their congregations throughout Europe,” said Nagulan Nesiah, senior program officer, Episcopal Relief & Development. “Through this partnership, we are taking steps to equip congregations to welcome these refugees and connect them to ongoing humanitarian initiatives.”

Episcopal Relief & Development is also working with other partners, including the ACT Alliance, on immediate and longer-term responses.

Please continue to pray for all those impacted by the violence. Donations to Episcopal Relief & Development’s Ukraine Crisis Response fund will help meet critical needs created by this crisis.

Episcopal Relief & Development

For over 80 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for close to 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. Inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children and Climate.

Supporting Humanitarian Response to the Crisis in Ukraine.

The Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe

The Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe is a collection of churches, mission congregations, and specialized ministries spread geographically over six countries in continental Europe.

We are a part of The Episcopal Church, a branch of the global Anglican Communion. The Episcopal Church is a community of 2.4 million members in 16 countries and 110 dioceses. In Europe, our Episcopal churches serve an impressive number of people of different nationalities, as well as local nationals attracted to the appeal of Anglican worship. Congregations within the Convocation vary in size from fewer than 100 members in the mission congregations to more than 1,000 at the Cathedral in Paris. Find an Episcopal Church community in Europe.

Church of the Redeemer

Welcome to Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world. 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 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. We are 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.

May 21, 2022
Episcopal Migration Ministries prepares to welcome Ukrainian refugees

The Biden Administration announced on March 24, 2022, that the U.S. will admit 100,000 Ukrainians and others fleeing Russia. In response, Episcopal Migration Ministries said it will help welcome and assist those refugees and others.

“Another brutal conflict has caused much suffering in Ukraine and an exodus of families seeking safety in neighboring countries,” said Demetrio Alvero, operations director for Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM). “With this welcome announcement today that the United States government will assist in the resettlement of 100,000 Ukrainians, EMM will do its part, as it has for various persecuted refugees from across the world, to welcome them with the assistance of our partners, congregations, and community groups.”

In addition to helping Ukrainians and Russians through a range of legal pathways, including the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, the U.S. will provide more than $1 billion toward humanitarian assistance to support people within Ukraine and assist those affected by the impact of Russia’s war.

Work of Episcopal Migration Ministries in Ukraine

Episcopal Migration Ministries has welcomed and resettled more than 100,000 refugees through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program since the 1980s. In 2021, EMM welcomed individuals from 24 countries to 12 communities across the U.S.

Since 2014, EMM has assisted 420 Ukrainians under the Lautenberg Program as refugees to the U.S. The Lautenberg Program, which initially began in 1990 to resettle Jews from the former Soviet Union, is a family reunification program. It allows certain individuals to bring their family members to the U.S. through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

“Episcopal Migration Ministries continues to offer a ministry of welcome through refugee resettlement and the Neighbor to Neighbor program,” said the Rev. Chuck Robertson, canon to the presiding bishop for Ministry Beyond The Episcopal Church. “Since the 1930s, The Episcopal Church has responded faithfully to God’s call to offer compassion and support to the most vulnerable among us. It is our shared faith and ministry, and the support of volunteers and donors, that will allow us to continue resettling vulnerable populations, assist arriving Afghans, and respond to the crisis in Ukraine.”

Episcopal Migration Ministries is a ministry of The Episcopal Church. It is one of nine national agencies responsible for resettling refugees in the U.S. in partnership with the government. EMM has 11 affiliate offices in nine states. In addition to its longstanding work in refugee resettlement, EMM is The Episcopal Church’s convening place for collaboration, education, and information-sharing on migration.

Learn more about Episcopal Migration Ministries

Those interested in learning more about EMM’s work can find information and resources at episcopalmigrationministries.org. Sign up for the EMM newsletter or Weekly News Digest at Signup for Our Newsletter.

To give to EMM

To directly support EMM in its work with Ukrainian refugees, visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give. Or you can text “EMM” to 41444 (standard messaging and data may rates apply). Make a note for your donation to support Ukrainian refugees.

To donate by mail, send checks to DFMS-Protestant Episcopal Church US, P.O. Box 958983, St. Louis, MO 63195-8983. Include Episcopal Migration Ministries – Ukraine in the memo line.

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 6220 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.

March 24, 2022
Help ER&D respond to the crisis in Ukraine

Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting Action by Churches Together (ACT Alliance) as it provides critical assistance to support people affected by violence in Ukraine. Working through ACT member Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA) and other local organizations, ACT Alliance is providing emergency assistance such as food, shelter, water and basic supplies to refugees and people displaced within Ukraine.

2 million leave Ukraine

The UN Refugee Agency estimates that as of March 8, [2022,] more than two million people have left Ukraine since Russian forces invaded the country, making this the fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II. Damage to civilian infrastructure has left thousands without electricity or water. Homes have been damaged and destroyed, displacing hundreds of thousands within the country. People are fleeing to neighboring countries such as Poland, Hungary and Romania and their long-term destination is unclear.

HIA response to those leaving Ukraine

On February 27, [2022,] HIA set up a refugee support point on the Ukrainian side of the border at Beregsurány where volunteers are providing hot tea, sandwiches, refreshments, blankets and basic hygiene items for refugees, who often wait long hours to cross the border into Hungary. These refugees include many children and older adults. HIA is in contact with its network of churches and organizations, as well as local governments in Hungary, to coordinate cash assistance, shelter, food and medicine for people who have been displaced.

Other partners in Ukrainian response

ACT Alliance is setting up similar support points at other border towns to assist people as they leave Ukraine. It is working through local partners to provide aid for refugees in Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Poland.

Episcopal Relief & Development is also working with The Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, the Diocese of Europe [Church of England], the Anglican Alliance and United Society Partners in the Gospel as the churches prepare to mobilize on potential immediate and long-term responses to assist Ukrainian refugees in Poland, Romania, Hungary and other parts of Europe.

“Episcopal Relief & Development was founded by The Episcopal Church to help people fleeing violence in World War II,” said Nagulan Nesiah, Senior Program Officer, Disaster Response and Risk Reduction, Episcopal Relief & Development. “We remain committed to supporting our partners on the ground as they meet both immediate and long-term needs created by this crisis.”

Donations to Episcopal Relief & Development’s Ukraine Crisis Response Fund will help the organization and its partners continue to provide assistance to people displaced by the crisis in Ukraine.

Episcopal Relief & Development

For over 80 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for close to 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. Inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children and Climate.

Church of the Redeemer

Welcome to Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world. 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 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. We are 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.

March 15, 2022
A Statement on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
We, as the Circles of Color in the Diocese of Olympia, renounce the acts of violence and war in Ukraine and stand with the many around the world who call upon Russian President Vladimir Putin to cease and withdraw Russian military presence. We raise our prayers for peace in Ukraine and for safety for all those affected in the region: soldiers on both sides, civilians, children and refugees. We pray that the aggressors may have a change of heart and realize that we are all children of one God and members of one human family. Especially we call on the Russian military to comply with international humanitarian norms and avoid targeting hospitals, schools and child-care centers, along with other civilian targets. As Archbishop Oscar Romero said to soldiers in his country,

You are killing your own…brothers. The law of God –‘Thou Shall Not Kill’ — must prevail over an order to kill that a man may give. In the name of God and the name of this suffering people, whose cries rise up to heaven, I implore you, I beg of you, I order you in the name of God: stop the repression.

We pray for strength for all who are seeing their homes destroyed and for consolation for those who have lost family and loved ones in this war. We particularly stand in solidarity and love with members of the Ukrainian and Russian churches who are witnessing to God’s love in the midst of this conflict, including St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Moscow and Christ Church, Church of England, Kyiv. We also pray for members of our local congregations and communities, who have family and friends in Ukraine, or who have family and friends serving in the armed forces who may be drawn into this conflict.

As Circles of Color, we are aware that our prayers are needed every day for people in Ethiopia, Yemen, Palestine, Israel, Mexico, Haiti and other areas where violence rages. While not diminishing our concern for the situation in Ukraine, we note that on-going tragic violence and its consequences in areas of the world populated by non-European people of color do not receive the same level of attention by dominant culture media that this white European conflict has generated. We also pray that in the midst of the fear and chaos of this war, that racial divisions do not divide the people of Ukraine, and that they and we may be united in our work for peace for all of God’s children.

We urge you to pray, to not be misled by divisive false media reporting, and to donate as you are able to the organizations listed below:
- Episcopal Relief and Development: Help Ukrainian Refugees
- World Central Kitchen: Fearing for their safety, thousands of families flee Ukraine
- Amnesty International: Ukraine crisis: Help protect civilians
- UN High Commission for Refugees: Urgent: You Can Help Families Fleeing in Ukraine
March 4, 2022
Support humanitarian response to the crisis in Ukraine

Episcopal Relief & Development is mobilizing with Anglican agencies and other partners in order to provide humanitarian assistance to people fleeing the violence in Ukraine.

Working through the Action by Churches Together Alliance (ACT Alliance), Episcopal Relief & Development will provide cash, blankets, hygiene supplies and other needed assistance.

“Ecumenical and orthodox faith networks are on the ground in the border areas of Poland and Hungary,” said Abagail Nelson, Executive Vice President, Episcopal Relief & Development. “We will continue to coordinate with these networks, in order to meet the needs of people who have been displaced.”

Please pray for all those affected. Donations to Episcopal Relief & Development’s International Disaster Response Fund will provide humanitarian assistance for the crisis in Ukraine.

Join Episcopal Relief & Develpment’s response to this ongoing crisis

Your gift will help provide cash, blankets, hygiene supplies and other needed assistance to refugees from Ukraine, as well as others affected by disasters, emergencies and humanitarian crises around the world.

Episcopal Relief & Development

For over 80 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for close to 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. Inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children and Climate.

Church of the Redeemer

Welcome to Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world. 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 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. We are 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.

March 4, 2022
Russian stocks sold by The Episcopal Church

This is a statement on Russian stock divestment from Kurt Barnes, the Episcopal Church CFO.

The Episcopal Church Investment Committee met last week, opening with prayer for peace hours before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In keeping with The Episcopal Church’s firm stand against this continued and escalating aggression, our investment managers sold the church’s Russian stocks, which constituted a negligible portion of overall investment assets.
N. Kurt Barnes
Treasurer & Chief Financial Officer
The Episcopal Church
Statement on Russian divestment from Episcopal Church CFO Kurt Barnes – The Episcopal Church

Further responses from The Episcopal Church on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Call and Prayer for Averting Conflict: The Episcopal Church Executive Council approved a resolution in late January expressing “grave concern about the escalation of tensions and military buildup along the border of Russia and Ukraine” and denouncing “any invasion which would cause great suffering and harm.”

Faith Vigil for Peace in Ukraine: The Episcopal Church and Friends Committee on National Legislation hosted an online interfaith vigil February 23, 2022, to pray for peace in Ukraine and to lament the human harm caused by violence and conflict.

An Interfaith Call to Peace for Ukraine: Presiding Bishop Michael Curry joined other interfaith leaders in this joint statement issued February 24, 2022.

Church of the Redeemer

Welcome to Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world. 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 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. We are 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.

March 1, 2022
Presiding bishop, interfaith leaders pray for peace as Russia steps up its advance on Ukraine

[Episcopal News Service] More than a dozen interfaith leaders, including Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, offered prayers and calls for peace in Ukraine on February 23, 2022, during an online vigil organized by The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations and the Quakers’ Friends Committee on National Legislation.

Participants in the hourlong vigil included representatives from the Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faiths and several Catholic and Protestant Christian denominations, as nearly 1,000 people watched and listened live on Zoom and Facebook.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

Curry, in his opening remarks, offered prayers for the “people and children of God whose lives and freedom are threatened.” Nearly 200,000 Russian and Russian-backed troops have deployed to the borders of Ukraine for what Western leaders have warned is an imminent invasion of the former Soviet republic, and some of those troops already have moved into an eastern region held by separatists.

“We pray for peace. … We pray for a just peace,” Curry said. “We pray that the lives of innocents and the lives of any human child of God will be spared. We pray that our leaders will find a diplomatic way, a nonviolent way.”

Bridget Moix of the Friends Committee on National Legislation

Bridget Moix, the general secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, acknowledged that the vision of peace shared by people of many faiths “seems very distant right now, with the threat of war in Ukraine escalating.” Those who work for peace must speak out all the louder in the face of that daunting reality, she said.

“We’re here with a commitment and a persistence, that peace is still possible,” she said. “We are here together for this time to share courage and hope with one another.”

Participants watched on Zoom and Facebook

The vigil was attended by more than 700 people on Zoom, according to the Office of Government Relations. Some of them submitted their own brief prayers for peace using the session’s chat tool. An additional 150 or so people watched the vigil livestreamed on Facebook, where it is now available on demand.

Recent history of Ukraine

In August 1991, Ukraine followed the Baltic states and declared its independence from the Soviet Union, which a month later dissolved. In 2014 Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula, an act Western powers condemned as a breach of international law.

Then, late last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin began positioning troops near its border with Ukraine. On Feb. 21, Putin declared in a speech that he would recognize two eastern Ukrainian provinces as independent states and send in Russian troops as “peacekeepers.” The escalation prompted the U.S. and Western European countries to implement new economic sanctions against Russia while rallying NATO unity in opposing further Russian aggression. Though NATO does not count Ukraine as a member nation, Putin has cited the prospect of the country someday joining the Western alliance as one of his top grievances.

Religious leaders and denominations around the world have condemned Russia’s apparent march to war, with Pope Francis calling for a world day of peace on Jan. 26. The Episcopal Church joined that call when its Executive Council passed a resolution that expressed “grave concerns about the escalation of tensions and military buildup along the border of Russia and Ukraine.”

Other speakers at the Vigil

Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America said during the February 23 vigil that all people of faith share the work of advocating for peace.

“May our security come not from weapons but from respect. May our strength come not from violence but from love,” Eaton said. “May our victory not be one of revenge but of forgiveness.”

The Rev. Charles Robertson, canon to the Episcopal presiding bishop for ministry beyond the church, closed the vigil by urging participants and attendees to continue the work of peace.

“In this vigil of faith and prayer, we have gathered together on behalf of those who even now face the specter of war and suffering and injustice,” Robertson said. “Let us not conclude this vigil but continue it, each of us, through our persistent prayers for peace and through our persevering commitment to justice. … Let us be instruments of peace, of justice and ultimately of hope.”

– David Paulsen is an editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

Church of the Redeemer

Welcome to Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world. 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 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. We are 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.

February 24, 2022

Spring forward this Sunday, March 8, 2026. Daylight saving time starts.

Stop by The Hangar at Kenmore Town Square anytime between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm for Ashes to Go on Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025.

3rd Sunday in Lent (Year A), March 8, 2026. Services at 8:00 am (no music) and 10:30 (music). Christian education for children and adults at 9:15 am. Spring forward one hour for the start of Daylight Saving Time.