The Stuttgart Migrants and Refugees Ministry at St. Catherine’s Anglican Chaplaincy focuses on practical initiatives: offering German language classes, providing clothing through the Kleiderkammer, and building relationships to help refugees adapt to their new surroundings.
German classes started in late September, initially enrolling five participants, which later grew to 12, with seven attending regularly. Classes are held weekly, combining grammar lessons and conversation practice. Despite challenges in balancing different learning levels, the sessions have provided a steady foundation for participants to improve their language skills.
The Kleiderkammer project has completed its preparation phase, which included sorting donated clothes to ensure good quality. While the distribution system is ready, no formal distributions have taken place yet as we continue final planning. Being informed the congregation’s involvement in this initiative will hopefully strengthen community awareness and support for refugees.
Visits to refugee centres were carried out during the initial period to introduce the ministry. These visits were limited in their impact due to scheduling challenges, as many refugees and staff were unavailable on Sundays. The chaplain is temporarily managing this aspect of the ministry while seeking additional team members to strengthen efforts.
Overall, the ministry has laid a solid foundation, with valuable lessons learned about the importance of timing, flexibility, and community participation. While there is still much to do, we remain committed to walking alongside refugees in their journey.
For your prayers:
- Pray for the German classes, that they may continue to inspire and equip participants with skills to adapt to their new home.
- Pray for the successful launch of the Kleiderkammer distribution, so it may meet real needs with dignity and care.
- Pray for better strategies to connect with refugees and for the recruitment of more volunteers to help strengthen the ministry.
- Pray for wisdom, compassion, and energy for the chaplain and the team as they navigate the challenges of this work.
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