As announced by +Antonio in April 2024 the Council has approved his proposal for the next phase of our Ministry to Refugees and Migrants: moving for giving to the stranger at the door towards journeying together along the road of life in Germany.
Rationale:
Our Chaplaincy has embraced a vital ministry dedicated to migrants and refugees, reflecting our diverse community. Through initiatives like Kleiderkammer and Stammtisch, we have provided essential clothing and fostered social integration through language conversations. We also offer informal assistance, recognizing the fluid needs of newcomers. Our approach emphasizes advocacy, flexibility, and cultural sensitivity to empower migrants and refugees and strengthen community bonds. We’re committed to creating an inclusive environment where every individual feels empowered, connected, and understood.
Vision
Empowering Lives, Building Bridges: A Future Where Every Migrant and Refugee Flourishes
Mission
We empower migrants and refugees through education, language proficiency, and community engagement, fostering successful integration, dignity, and cultural sensitivity. Our mission goes beyond immediate needs, aiming for a future where every individual thrives in their new communities.
Goals
- Empowering through Education
Understanding migration and refugee laws is crucial for migrants and refugees in Germany and beyond. It provides legal protection, guides asylum applications, ensures access to services, aids integration, prevents legal issues, avoids workplace exploitation, facilitates family reunification, clarifies residency requirements, and empowers active engagement in community life. This knowledge safeguards rights, enhances navigation of new environments, promotes successful integration, and fosters empowerment within host societies.
- Immediate Relief through Kleiderkammer
Our relief initiative, Kleiderkammer, provides clothing and essentials for refugees and migrants, addressing immediate needs and promoting dignity in their integration into new communities. Beyond practical relief, it empowers them, fostering dignity, identity, and cultural sensitivity. Suitable clothing enhances overall health and facilitates participation in education and employment. Additionally, these projects foster community building and volunteer engagement, uniting individuals and organizations in supporting those in need.
- Learning the language
Learning the language is essential for successful integration. Through our German language study program, we open doors to employment opportunities, enabling access to a broader job market. Language proficiency is crucial for daily life, understanding local customs, and participating in community activities. It fosters cultural understanding, reduces isolation, boosts confidence, and facilitates access to education, healthcare, and legal information, ensuring effective communication of needs.
- Journeying with the migrants and refugees
Supporting migrants and refugees involves regular engagement, fostering community, and organizing initiatives beyond material assistance. This endeavor cultivates meaningful connections, belonging, and friendship, encouraging cultural exchange and empowerment. It provides a platform for collective decision-making, skill-sharing, and community-led efforts. Involving local volunteers fosters shared responsibility and sustainability. Flexibility, cultural sensitivity, and understanding diverse backgrounds are crucial. Seeking feedback and collaborating with local organizations ensures a lasting positive impact on migrants’ lives.
Activities:
- Preliminary
- Chaplaincy Consultation on Migrant and Refugee Ministry
This aims to engage the congregation in assessing needs, planning, and implementation. This involves promoting understanding, ownership, and active participation. We’ll assess resources, prioritize cultural sensitivity, and involve the congregation in critical assessments, advocacy, and awareness initiatives. Long-term planning, collaboration, and feedback ensure sustained support, with a focus on educating the congregation about migrant and refugee issues. This collective approach fosters shared commitment and ownership for the ministry’s success. - Organizing and planning of the Migrants and Refugees Ministry Project Oversight Committee and volunteer workers.
- Chaplaincy Consultation on Migrant and Refugee Ministry
- Regular Activities
- Forum on Migrant and Refugees Rights and Welfare
- Conduct once in this program period or as needed.
- Kleiderkammer
- Provide clothing and essentials to newcomers to meet their immediate needs.
- If items are unavailable, source them from other centres or purchase as needed.
- Distribution is based on individual needs, and items are always available on demand.
- Saturday German language learning
- Two German language teachers will be entrusted with this task.
- Beneficiaries include those unable to afford language school fees and enrolled students seeking practice opportunities.
- Journeying – Regular engagements with the migrants and refugees
- Visits to asylum and refugee centres
- Children and parents’ activities: cooking, playing, mobile activities.
- Meetings and consultations
- Year-end or project-ending assessment
- Forum on Migrant and Refugees Rights and Welfare
Funding applications pending
How might you become involved?
What skills and talents, what time and resources can you offer to help support this ministry to those less fortunate than ourselves, that we may journey together and transform lives – from strangers into friends?
