Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” - Luke 10:25-29
First United Methodist Church, Middletown chooses to help others in need of basic decency and hope, regardless of where they start their journey towards the restoration of their lives. We do it for people in Middletown, CT, and we reach out to help others around the world as our neighbors. Now, we are joining a coalition of local churches who will be helping three refugee families coming from nations torn apart by war and terrorism to start new lives in our community, as neighbors and our friends.
Working with the IRIS refugee resettlement project based locally in New Haven, CT, we will be assigned specific tasks for supporting these families in their first weeks in the U.S. This is not a permanent aid program: families are given decent basic housing, food, supplies, transportation, education opportunities and employment introductions, and then it is up to them to acclimate to their new community, hopefully with continuing encouragement from the community as a whole.
We are, as Luke's parable of the Good Samaritan suggests (Luke 10:25-37), the "innkeepers" choosing to serve God through helping these people for a period of time, trusting that their hopes will become our hopes and God's hopes realized.
For more information about participating in this program, please contact John Blossom, Seminarian Associate, at 203.293.8511, outreach@fumcmiddletownct.org, or join us at the next coalition meeting, Thursday, 7 April, 5.30 PM, at 41 Wyllys Street (on Wesleyan campus).
Working with the IRIS refugee resettlement project based locally in New Haven, CT, we will be assigned specific tasks for supporting these families in their first weeks in the U.S. This is not a permanent aid program: families are given decent basic housing, food, supplies, transportation, education opportunities and employment introductions, and then it is up to them to acclimate to their new community, hopefully with continuing encouragement from the community as a whole.
We are, as Luke's parable of the Good Samaritan suggests (Luke 10:25-37), the "innkeepers" choosing to serve God through helping these people for a period of time, trusting that their hopes will become our hopes and God's hopes realized.
For more information about participating in this program, please contact John Blossom, Seminarian Associate, at 203.293.8511, outreach@fumcmiddletownct.org, or join us at the next coalition meeting, Thursday, 7 April, 5.30 PM, at 41 Wyllys Street (on Wesleyan campus).
