New name.
Same mission.
LIRS is now Global Refuge.
Welcoming newcomers since 1939.
See Our EvolutionLIRS is now Global Refuge.
Welcoming newcomers since 1939.
See Our EvolutionThe browser you are using is not supported. Please consider using a modern browser.
Sanctuary Bible Study
A new study, titled “Transformed Community: Freed and Empowered for Radical Welcome,” will be released as a collaborative effort of Global Refuge, Lutheran Outdoor Ministries, and the ELCA/AMMPARO.
In six sessions, participants will explore their relationship with immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in relation to biblical stories of generosity, inclusion, compassion, justice, and forgiveness. Centered on Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds,” the Bible study will assist groups to:
The study is designed to prepare congregations to discern how being part of a sanctuary denomination can shape their life in community.
The Global Refuge Ambassador Network is open to anyone, regardless of age, profession, or geographic location. We’re looking for leaders who are committed to serving immigrants and refugees and representing the work of Global Refuge in their local communities and beyond.
Attend Ambassador Orientation Series and complete the Intentions Survey Take Action – plan to dedicate time and energy to integrating it into your life. While the Global Refuge Mobilization team will be there to provide resources, trainings, and support, it is the responsibility of the Ambassador to ensure they are working with their community and leveraging their strengths to support Global Refuge in welcoming immigrants and refugees. While this will look different depending on the person and their interests, you should plan to dedicate time each week to the Network, whether posting on social media, staying abreast of immigration news and issues, attending a training, or meeting with your local community. You get out what you put in. This Network is for leaders and self-starters. Submit Quarterly Impact Reports and collaborate with other Ambassadors and Global Refuge staff to brainstorm best practices
Global Refuge volunteers show up and offer time to respond to an immediate local need. Ambassadors, on the other hand, do the pre-work to communicate that need and organize the response. For example, if there were a local need to provide food or perishable goods like sandwiches, the volunteers would show up to assemble and package the sandwiches. The Ambassadors would have bought the sandwich ingredients and reserved the space.
Both roles are essential to orchestrating local action, and both have their place regardless of the specific need. Even when the need is not as tangible as physical items like food or water, the two roles work in tandem in the same way. Ambassadors represent Global Refuge by communicating local needs and helping organize the public into action. The Volunteers sign up and show up, and act as the hands, feet, and voices that carry out the work of welcome.
In the past, Global Refuge supported volunteer engagement exclusively by referring interested people to local affiliate offices. Moving forward, Global Refuge is expanding our opportunities for volunteers across the country to include such programs as writing letters to immigrants in detention, partnering with English language learners for conversation practice, and more.
Ambassadors are welcome to participate in any or all of our volunteer opportunities. However, they are first and foremost invited and encouraged to develop fluency in Global Refuge’s outreach efforts in order to become spokespeople and mobilizers within their communities. Ambassadors make a greater degree of commitment to use their gifts and passions to uniquely transform their respective spaces into havens of welcome and hubs of action as representatives, advocates, philanthropists, creators, or conveners.
Ambassadors are invited to use their unique interests and skills to make an impact through 5 core roles: Representative, Advocate, Creator, Convener, and Philanthropist.
Representative: Represent Global Refuge at meetings and events in your local community, including brief presentations about ways individuals and communities can get involved
Advocate: Focus efforts on learning about and advancing for policies around welcoming refugees and protecting asylum seekers
Creator: Use your talents to lift up the experiences of immigrants and refugees and amplify the work of Global Refuge through your medium of choice: blogs, poetry, sermons, social media, and more
Convener: Host events to engage new communities and individuals in Global Refuge annual programs and campaigns.
Philanthropist: Inspire transformative generosity in support of immigrants and refugees through the Global Refuge mission
We’ll provide resources, tools, and ideas for potential actions associated with each role, but the sky is the limit! Ambassadors are encouraged to think creatively, mix and match, and discern how they can best use their gifts and show up in the world as an Global Refuge Ambassador.