Immigration Representatives from eight Des Moines churches, Including First Unitarian, met in January and February to discuss how our churches can support refugees and asylum seekers. As a result, some of these congregations contributed to our Afghan Family Fund. Now Grace United Methodist & Plymouth UCC have partnered to plan a two-part seminar for Central Iowa faith communities to learn more together and build partnerships to support asylum families. The sessions look informative and helpful, and could help us build community connections.
Details and the link to register are included below. If you can attend, please register using the link below.
Join us on April 20th and May 4th for a two-part series for faith communities that will explore:
- Theological reflections on welcoming the stranger
- The needs of asylum-seeking families
- How faith communities can form partnerships to support and welcome families seeking asylum in the United States.
Please consider coming with a small team to both sessions. See below for more info on each session.
REGISTRATION: Sign up for the April 20th session here and let us know if you plan to attend in person or on Zoom. We will send the Zoom link to those attending remotely.
PART 1
The first session on April 20th will delve into the immigration system, debunking myths, and dissecting recent legislative actions. You’ll also hear from a church that has recently taken in an asylum-seeking family, including their successful efforts to engage broad community support. Speakers for this session include:
- Bob Dean, Retired United Methodist pastor
- Ann Naffier, Co-Legal Director and Managing Attorney, Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice
- Erica Johnson, Executive Director, Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice
- Elaine Imlau, Family Hosting Coordinator, First Unitarian Church
Register now! Sign up for the April 20th session here.
PART 2
The second session on May 4th will dive more deeply into how faith communities can partner together, including tips and considerations from a group of Ames congregations who have collaborated successfully to support asylum-seeking families. This facilitated session is designed to create connections between faith communities that are ready to take the next step and provide some level of support to families.* Speakers for this session include:
- Dr. Jared Wortman, Senior Pastor, Plymouth United Church of Christ
- David Hansen, Chair, Ames Sanctuary Interfaith Partners (ASIP); Ames Friends representative to Ames Area Religious Leaders Association
* The second session will be much more productive for you if you come to the first session with a small group of people interested in learning more, who are ready to work with others in their faith communities and have deepened those discussions between the two sessions. (A registration link for the second session will be available at a later date.)
We look forward to seeing you at these events!
Joint planning team from Grace UMC & Plymouth UCC
Laura Sands, Alicia Claypool, Neil Fagan, Lorraine May, and Erin Riker