Training & Consulting

Equipping and supporting effective ministry among refugees

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January 2020 Training Opportunity!

Come take a deep dive with us into the realities facing those forced to flee their homes because of hatred and violence. We will learn how to help people recover from forced displacement. Our goal is to prepare you for fruitful and sustainable investment in the care and recovery of refugees and asylum seekers.

When? 12 - 16 January 2020
Where? Mt. Olivet Conference Centre (MN)

You are welcome to join us whether or not you have any refugee ministry experience. Registration is required along with a deposit by December 30, 2019.

Click here to register now!

How can IAFR help you?

Perhaps you want to help people survive and recover from forced displacement, but you're not sure where to begin. Or maybe you are already serving refugees but feel the need to be better equipped?

IAFR missionaries bring a wealth of front-line refugee ministry experience and perspective to our training and consulting work that is highly sought out by churches, agencies and practitioners around the world.

We can provide training on a single topic, several days of in-depth material, or consultation for your ministry team. A selection of our common topics are listed below. We are also launching a webinar series this year.

Click here or on the Training Email Sign Up button at the top of the page to be notified about upcoming webinars and training opportunities.

Training Content

IAFR's training program will help you gain an in-depth understanding of refugee realities along with biblical perspective and cross-cultural tools to help you develop a ministry strategy well-suited to your unique context. Click on a topic below to learn more about the training session and its content.

Ministry Strategy

Develop a contextualized strategy to help people survive and recover from forced displacement.

Emotional Well-Being for the "Helper"

A key part of supporting refugee recovery involves engaging in authentic and mutual relationships with people who have experienced deep loss. Learn how to maintain your own emotional and spiritual health while remaining a compassionate and helpful advocate for forcibly displaced people.

Christian Witness in a Humanitarian Context

Churches have unique strengths that can make a real difference in refugee recovery, and many Christians find the divine mandate to welcome the stranger a compelling reason to get involved. This topic addresses how we can be authentic in our Christian identity and desire to witness to Christ while maintaining high ethical standards that respect the freedom and dignity of those we serve.

Investing in Long-Term Recovery

What is the difference between humanitarian aid or relief work and helping refugees recover for the long-term? Learn what refugees say it takes to help them really recover from the trauma of forced displacement

Biblical Perspective

Develop a biblical perspective concerning issues related to refugees and forced displacement.

Refugee Realities

Gain an in-depth understanding of the global refugee crisis.

Training & Event Calendar

Upcoming training opportunities, conferences, workshops and speaking engagements are listed below. Click on a heading to learn details of an event.
12-16 January 2020 | Foundations of Refugee Ministry

Date: 12-16 January 2020
Time: We will begin at 5:00 PM CST on Sunday, 12 January -- and end at 9:00 AM CST on Thursday, 16 January
Theme: Foundations of Refugee Ministry
Location: Mt. Olivet Conference Center in Farmington, MN (45 minutes from Minneapolis)
Registration Required: Click here to register now!

Details:  This training will take a deep dive on the reality faced by those forced to flee their homes because of hatred and violence. We will discuss the process of recovery after forced displacement and some crucial 'context clues' for ministry in humanitarian space. Our goal is to prepare you for fruitful and sustainable investment in the care and recovery of forcibly displaced people.

Both those with prior experience and those with no prior refugee ministry experience are most welcome.

Registration is required with a deposit received by December 30, 2019 to confirm your spot.

 

21 November 2019 | Is There Anything We Can Do?

Date: 21 November 2019
Time: 1:00 PM CST (UTC -6 / Chicago time)
Theme: Is There Anything We Can Do? Responding to the Issue of Forced Displacement
Location: Online
Registration: Click here to register now!

Details:  When faced with the massive scale of an issue like forced migration today, many of us feel understandably overwhelmed. What is it that a church or an individual can do that would really make a meaningful difference in the midst of such suffering? What do we have to offer?

Join us for a webinar about responding to the needs of people fleeing humanitarian disasters. We will use IAFR's model of the 'Continuum of Response' to think about the kinds of help that are useful and how those needs intersect with the strength of local churches."

 

25 June 2019 | Overview of the Refugee Highway

Date: 25 June 2019
Time: 1:00 PM CDT (Chicago time)
Theme: Overview of the Refugee Highway
Location: Online
Registration: Click here to register now!

Details:  This IAFR webinar will offer a global snapshot of the realities of refugees and others forced to flee their homes because of violence and hatred. Whether you're new to the topic of refugees and forcibly displaced people or just looking for a way to stay up to date, this webinar is for you.

Register today to join us for a one-hour session featuring Tom Albinson, Founder/President of IAFR and Ambassador for Refugees, Displaced and Stateless People for the World Evangelical Alliance.

 

12-15 April 2019 | Ministry Among Refugees and Displaced People

Date: April 12-15, 2019
Theme: Ministry Among Refugees and Displaced People
Location: The Netherlands
Registration: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to email us for more information

Details: This four-day training follows the Eurasia Media and Distribution Consultation (EMDC).

We will provide an overview of the Refugee Highway and a framework for understanding the real needs and opportunities for engaging with displaced people in various contexts. This training also includes biblical perspectives on forced displacement, discussion of best practices for ministry leaders, and insights into the unique context of ministry in a humanitarian context.

 

5 April 2019 | Understanding Trauma Refugees Face

Date: April 5 2019
Theme: Understanding Trauma Refugees Face and the Response of the Church
Location: Bethany International, Bloomington, MN
Registration: Click here to visit the event's website

Details: Churches and individuals can be a key part of supporting the recovery and emotional well-being of displaced people through offering safe relationships. This seminar will address how to come alongside someone who has experienced traumatic loss and grief in a way that is truly helpful.

We will offer this one-hour seminar two times as part of the Pastor & Church Leader Forum.

 

20 March 2019 | The Emotional Well-being of the "Helper"

Date: March 20 2019 at 1pm CT
Theme: The Emotional Well-being of the "Helper"
Location: Online
Registration: Click here

Details: Befriending refugees and other displaced people often exposes well-intentioned ‘helpers’ (missionaries, volunteers, church leaders, etc.) to stories of suffering and injustice. Being a witness to this kind of brokenness takes a toll on all of us in different ways. While we choose to lean in to the world of our suffering friends, we can also be intentional in maintaining our emotional and spiritual health for the journey.

If you are a friend of displaced people or you are tasked with caring for Christian workers for whom this is an ongoing focus, join us for this webinar. We will talk about the particular weight of this type of ministry and provide some strategies for building our personal resilience along the way.

 

20 February 2019 | Asylum Seekers in the USA

Date: February 20 2019 at 12pm or 6pm CT
Theme: Asylum Seekers in the USA
Location: Online
Registration: See below

Details: Join us for a one-hour conversation with IAFR staff working with asylum seekers in Minnesota. Bring your questions and come ready to learn! Sarah Miller, our US Regional Leader, will cover the basics of the asylum process in the USA. Then we’ll hear from Sarah and other local staff members about the challenges and opportunities of their growing Jonathan House shelter ministry.

Both live sessions will have the same topic and focus.

Register for the one that works best for your time zone below:

Click here to register for the 12pm session.

Click here to register for the 6pm session.

 

28-30 November 2018 | COMIBAM (Costa Rica)

Date: 28-30 November 2018
Theme: Missions among the Diaspora
Location: Costa Rica

Registration: The COMIBAM gathering is by invitation only

Details: Tom Albinson, IAFR Founder/President, will be speaking and consulting with a large network of mission leaders from Latin America concerning refugee realities and ministry opportunities along the Refugee Highway.

2-3 November 2018 | PRAXIS Conference (George Mason University)

Date: 2-3 November 2018
Theme: Innovation in Peace Building (The PRAXIS Conference)
Location: George Mason University, Arlington, VA

Registration: Required. See www.thepraxisconferencedc.com

Details: The PRAXIS conference is bridging the gap between scholars, practitioners, social entrepreneurs, and religious communities to develop effectiveness in peace building.  It is presented each year by George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution.

The theme for the 2018 Conference is Innovations in Peace Building. Jacob Tornga, IAFR Regional Leader for East Africa, will share about a successful program in Uganda that is preparing and assisting victims of violence to return to their communities of origin in the north of the country.

Request a Training Opportunity

Interested in scheduling a training opportunity? Please let us know. We will do our best to develop a training to meet your needs.

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IAFR Training

Refugee Realities

Gain an in-depth understanding of the global refugee crisis.

Biblical Perspective

Develop a biblical perspective concerning issues related to refugees and forced displacement.

Recovery Work

Learn how you can help people recover from the trauma of forced displacement.

Ministry Strategy

Develop a contextualized strategy to help people survive and recover from forced displacement.
IAFR missionaries bring a wealth of front-line refugee ministry experience and perspective to our training and consulting work that is highly sought out by churches, agencies and practioners around the world.

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A Movement of Hope

Let’s make a difference together!

There are 70.8 million forcibly displaced children, women and men in the world - the highest number ever recorded. That's 1 in every 108 people alive today. Another 37,000 people are uprooted every day.

Three reasons why we refuse to lose hope.

First, God is alive and well along the refugee highway today. Second, Refugees are more than people in need. They are an important part of the solution. And third, God has begun a worldwide movement of his people to welcome and love refugees.

Learn more below.

PROJECTS

Discover how you can help people survive and recover from forced displacement by providing them with shelter, water, Bibles, church buildings, schools, income-generation, specialized training and more!

LOCATIONS

Whether by joining the support team of one of our missionaries or by joining one of our teams yourself, you can show up in the lives of refugees. Explore the unique work of IAFR in Africa, Europe and North America.

TRAINING

Perhaps you want to serve refugees, but you're not sure where to begin. Or maybe you are already engaged in refugee ministry, but feel the need to be better equipped? We are here to help.

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