Groups of four to six people from local churches, many of which are Southern Baptist, volunteer to assist a particular refugee family in their transition process. These specially trained teams help the refugees in both practical and spiritual ways over a one-year period.
The teams form slowly, but more than 20 have formed so far.
Casebolt said the goal of the groups is help refugees move from “surviving to thriving.” And ultimately, they hope to make disciples.
“We always keep the Great Commission as our marching order,” Casebolt said.
“Our greater mission is partnering with local churches to make disciples of these different nations represented by these refugees. We are really wanting the church to be awakened and renewed in this commitment. The nations have come to us here, so let’s welcome them with the Gospel.”
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In addition to the Ambassador Teams, the day-to-day ministry of the organization typically looks like going door to door in neighborhoods, teaching English language classes and recently, preparing Christmas packages for refugee families.
Last year, RefugeKC hosted a pastors’ conference to inform churches about the needs in the area.
Although there are many things churches must learn about ministering to refugees, Casebolt said the heart of the ministry is simply joyfully obeying God.
“This often comes down to part of the Great Commandment to love your neighbor as yourself,” Casebolt said.
“It really comes down to fleshing out the Gospel and ultimately recognizing that all people matter to God. We need to go after people with the Word of God, which are the only two truly eternal things. When we work unto the harvest, we are really just continuing the work God gave for us to do from the very beginning.”
This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.
