By Josh Speight

As the Syrian refugee crisis continues to grow, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship wants to resource you as you and your congregations and communities discern how best to respond to the more than 4 million Syrian refugees seeking safety in Europe, the United States and other countries around the world. As our government leaders debate how they will respond, the welcome of the stranger is being challenged because of fear and a poor understanding of the difficult journey Syrian families face when fleeing their homes.

As followers of Christ, the command of Jesus is quite clear to feed the hungry, give drink to those who thirst and to welcome those who are strangers among us (Matthew 25:35-38). May these resources help you as you seek the brave path of love instead of fear and the hopeful choice of human kindness.

• CBF Syrian Refugee Response and CBF Prayers for Syrian Refugees
• Why Caring for Refugees Isn’t Optional for Christians by Ferrell Foster – from Ethics Daily, November 2015
• Gospel Without Borders – from Ethics Daily, January 2012
  • Gospel Without Borders brings more light and less heat to the issue of immigration. It separates myth from fact, examines what the Bible says about treatment of the “stranger,” shows the experiences of documented and undocumented immigrants, and provides handles for Christians to advance the common good.
  • Links to more info about the DVD as well as multiple articles and other resources related to immigration
• Welcome resource – created by Mid-Atlantic CBF  in partnership with the John Leland Center for Theological Studies
  •  The Welcome Handbook, which consists of Bible Studies, congregational activities and practical resources is designed to be a resource of action to help churches investigate what God is already doing through your community and to assist you as you offer the welcoming presence of Christ to those knocking on your door.
• Immigration resources – curated by CBF of North Carolina
• Information about the Syrian refugee crisis – and ways your congregation can get involved provided by Church World Service
• Paris Attack Leads to Calls for Religious Discrimination in Law Enforcement, Immigration – from the Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty, November 2015
• Syria, Faith, and The Constitution – Rev. Ryan M. Eller, Executive Director of Define American, November 2015
• CBF and these tragic headlines — A letter from Suzii Paynter – November 2015
• Syrian Refugee Crisis: CBF field personnel celebrate Jesus, feed the hungry in Lebanon – January 2015
• CBF sends aid to help Syrian refugees in Macedonia and Lebanon – September 2015
• We Welcome Refugees – send letters to advocate on behalf of refugees
• Security Screening of Refugees Admitted to the United States: A Detailed, Rigorous Process – via the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
• The Neighbor In Me – By CBF field personnel Nell Green, November 2015
• Love The Refugee With the Compassion Christ Has Shown You – Richard Stearns, Christianity Today, November 2015
• Refugees and Immigrants: Examining Anxiety – Samira Izadi, Executive Director of Gateway of Grace Refugee Ministries
• 4 Things To Know About The Vetting Process For Syrian Refugees – from National Public Radio, November 2015
• Citizenship works – tools to prepare refugees for the citizenship exam
• Instructors’ toolkit for building bridges across communities – From Welcoming America
• Starting Again: Stories of Refugee Youth
• Response guidelines for Helping Refugees in your community – From UNHCR
• Days – Exile 2.0  – Video interview with CBF field personnel Jeff Lee serving in the Tabanovsce Camp in Macedonia

Josh Speight serves as the CBF Missional Congregations Resources Manager. For more information on the above resources, contact him at jspeight@cbf.net. To learn more about how you can give to provide resources for CBF field personnel serving among Syrian refugee populations, visit www.cbf.net/syria.