What's faith got to do with it?

"That changes everything."

Our faith in Jesus Christ includes the conviction that God sees, hears, and cares for us along with the assurance that evil, death, and suffering will not get the last word. As a Jewish friend once told me, that is a worldview that changes everything.

Evil does not get the last word.

For those who take it to heart, this Life-giving worldview strengthens hope and resilience. We witness it firsthand as it helps refugees and asylum seekers endure and transcend the hardships and toxic uncertainties that are part of their everyday life.

What's faith got to do with it?

Dr. George Kalantzis recently reflected on the role of Life-giving faith in the mission of IAFR.

The world thrives on fear and death, forces that influence and control many interpersonal and international relationships – relationships dominated by the fear of those who are not like us. This common condition of fearing the other moves us away from the One who is Love.

Fearing the other moves us away from the One who is Love.

But the grand story of God is Life-giving as it reveals God is Life because God is Love – and that God invites us to share in that love. Life is to be loved by God and in relationship with the One who is the Source of Life.

The birth of Jesus Christ we celebrate at Christmas is about God moving toward us even when we are moving away from God.

God is Life and not a destroyer.

It all comes together in the resurrection which is God’s proof that God is Life and that God is not a destroyer. So we need not fear death and all of its instrumentalities that erect walls of hostility making enemies out of strangers.

We are not enemies.

And so we can confidently proclaim to strangers that God is Love and demonstrate that we are not enemies.

Partnering with Refugee Churches

In Kakuma and Dzaleka refugee camps, we pursue our mission in partnership with refugee churches – faith communities that share this Life-giving worldview. As Kalantzis notes, These are people who have been colonized, displaced, and marginalized for generations.

Their faith has been forged in the midst of hostility, injustice, suffering, and loss.

We have much to learn from them.

Kalantzis notes, We visit Kakuma to walk along with and come under the leadership of the refugees. We give them license to trust themselves and their wisdom.

Dr. Who?

Originally from Greece, Dr. George Kalantzis is Professor of Theology at Wheaton College and serves as IAFR Senior Fellow of Theological Development. Kalantzis is a contributor and author of many books and serves as Director of The Wheaton Center for Early Christian Studies.

In response to a request for theological training from refugee church leaders, Kalantzis has been serving with IAFR in Kakuma refugee camp for many years. He is also investing in the theological formation of IAFR missionaries.

I’m glad to be a part of IAFR because they understand the love of God – they don’t see enemies in strangers but friends. - Dr. George Kalantzis

Missionaries = Our most valuable asset!

Whether in Africa, Europe, or the USA, it takes trusted relationships to strengthen faith and hope. That’s why our IAFR teammates are our most valuable asset as we pursue our mission of helping people survive and recover from forced displacement

CLICK HERE to support an IAFR missionary today!

Helping people recover from forced displacement requires more than meeting physical needs. Recovery work requires building relationships of trust and strengthening a Life-giving worldview that help refugees and their host communities make space for one another so that everyone truly belongs. That is why our ministry is relational at its core.

Give to where it is most needed

If you prefer, we invite you to make a special donation to where it is most needed by giving to the IAFR Sustaining Fund. We are deeply grateful for our Sustaining Partners who invest in the mission of IAFR in this way!

CLICK HERE to give to where it is most needed!

Thank You!

When you partner with IAFR, you are meeting critical needs, strengthening hope, and re-humanizing our refugee friends. Your support is a tangible sign to them that they are not forgotten and that God hears and sees and cares for them.

Many thanks to our faithful and generous financial partners who make it possible for our team to show up in the lives of refugees and asylum seekers every day!