As you know, the Taliban takeover of the government in Afghanistan has led to a massive refugee crisis for displaced Afghans, with over 50,000 refugees in the US alone. Charlotte has already received 300 Afghan families, with hundreds more coming. These are highly vulnerable families with little to no resources that are in need of hope, help, and resources.
Jesus said, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me…Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brothers you did it to me.” The Church is being asked to step up in a time of great need to live out this teaching of Jesus and do as the Apostle Paul teaches in Romans 12, to extend hospitality to strangers.
To that end, we are asking you and your church to prayerfully consider joining the Hope for Afghans initiative, a collaborative effort to mobilize The Church around this time-sensitive need. FORCLT has once again been called on to help organize this effort, but we need your help.
There are many ways for your church to get involved, but the core of our approach is to connect churches with specific Afghan families as they arrive so that they have an immediate community of support. There are many wrap around services that we are connecting with, but we are asking churches to commit to serving families. As you may have heard, our local resettlement agencies are reaching the limits of their capacity. As more families arrive, we are asking the church to get in the game. By filling out this form, we will start a conversation with you to help orient you and your church on how you can care for families and we will connect you to all the resources you need to be successful.
For any questions on this initiative, please email Jessica Pierson at [email protected]
