Loving the Foreigner


Deuteronomy 10:16-19

The 20th June was World Refugee Day – a day set aside to highlight and raise awareness of the issues of concern for refugees and displaced people. The shocking statistics announced were that 51.2 million people are currently displaced – the highest number since WWII! The immense pain, suffering and loss that has impacted these people’s lives is substantial.

The scaremongering and false reporting of our media compounds the problem as they seem to be determined to sow seeds of resentment and fear into host nations. This exacerbates prejudices and fuels ethnic divides. This anti-foreigner message seeps into issues of migration and asylum seeking contaminating reality with lies and false perceptions.

We need to counter this with speaking out the heart of God for the foreigner, the oppressed, the marginalised and to act with His spirit of hospitality and support. (See Leviticus 19:33; Matthew 25:38; Hebrews 13:2 for example)

We are aware that many of our members are engaged in working with refugees and displaced people. May we invite you to share what you are doing, send good practice approaches and suggest further reading and activities we could explore doing in our own nations and communities. We will designate a section of the resources pages of the Micah Network web site to this topic, making your contributions available to all.

Raise Awareness
Can we invite you to dig deeper into this issue of concern and find out what is happening in your own local context as well as regionally and globally. Prayerfully consider how you can be involved in helping.

Here are some stories UNHCR have collected from refugees.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Grace and peace.

Sheryl Haw
International Director

Micah Transition Process


In April we shared the exciting news that Micah Network and Micah Challenge were to come together to form a new entity called Micah. Each month we will share the progress of this transition.

Time Frame:
May 2014: establish a transition task force to guide process. This has been done drawing 12 people together from around the world.

June 2014: the first drafting of the framework, structure and focus of Micah is to be written and worked on by the transitional task force. This is being worked on now by the task force leading up to a meeting set for the 16th July.

July - September 2014: the revised draft will then be sent to the International Board(s) for review and feedback. Once this is done and their feedback embedded into the document, we will be in a position to share this with you all, giving an opportunity for your response. Our plan is to share a Q&A (question and answer) support resource to address the responses we receive.

December 2014: Micah Challenge MDG campaign plans to have their Celebration / Sorrow event on the 9th December in New York. This will look at all that has been achieved since the start of the campaign back in 2004 and reflect on what has not been achieved. At the end of this event the new Micah will be launched!!!

So – watch this space as each month we will continue to share more. If you have any questions about this please send to Sheryl and we will include them in our Q&A paper.

WEA Mission Commission Global Consultation

The World Evangelical Alliance Mission Commission (WEA MC) concluded its 13th Global Consultation in Izmir, Turkey. The triennial gathering held from May 12-16 brought together 210 missional leaders from 50 nations to focus on the theme ‘Gospel – Church – Witness’. One of the resulting documents is a ‘Letter from Smyrna’ to the Global Church that highlights relevant issues for the Church today.

You can read the whole letter here

An Integrated Response


Jim Oehrig from American Leprosy Mission (ALM) raised an important topic with Micah Network regarding Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention (MMDP). MMDP is a cross cutting approach that connects various Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) with approaches such as Mass Drug Administration (MDA) and Innovative and Intensified Disease Management (IDM). Working and applying principles from MMDP impacts health programmes and risk reduction approaches in important ways such as seeing coverage rates increase without the massive jump in costs – so well worth getting informed about.

Jim encourages NGOs and mission organisations to recognise that the individuals, communities and populations they work with will be affected with one or more NTD’s. The number of NTD’s is quite staggeringsee here for the current list.

The complementarity of aid and mission organisations linking up with organisations such as ALM, CBM, TLM who have experience in working with IDM will greatly enrich their impact. It will also help them see the types of disabilities associated with NTDs. Addressing the stigma and prejudice experienced by people with NTDs requires that a holistic approach is given; drawing on the expertise and gifts of these various initiatives as well as local churches is crucial.

Micah Network is working with members such as ALM to explore facilitation of a consultation on this topic in the near future. We need an intergrated reponse to tackle this fully.

Micah Network Events


Integral Mission, the Church and Community Transformation

The local churches that are the body of Christ have a significant role to participate in God's Mission. What steps can our churches take so as to be more involved in Integral Mission? What can we do to cooperate with other churches and those involved in integral mission? How can we act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God?

July 11-12, 2014
Yaoundé, Cameroon

Speakers:

 - Sheryl Haw: International Director, Micah Network

- Roland Lubbett: Integral Mission and Development lecturer at All Nations Christian College, UK

Language: French and English

Registration and full details: see here

 

Other Upcoming Events (Click title for more info)

Integral Mission and the Church

August 7th-9th: Dhaka, Bangladesh

Integral Mission and Freedom

September 9th-11th: Livingstone, Zambia

God of Justice

September 15th-16th: Kampala, Uganda

Global Consultation Update


A reminder that the dates for our next Global Consultation have been set:

September 14th-18th , 2015
Lima, Peru

Please start to think about how you and your organisation can be involved.

Call for Logo Design

This month, we are calling for any interested designers who would be able to help us to design a logo for the event. If you, or someone in your organisation, is a skilled graphic designer and would be willing to help, please contact info@micahnetwork.org.  

Events around the Network


AIDSLink International - Channel of Hope Facilitators' Training

Are you working with the vulnerable, marginalised or people affected by HIV or AIDS? Do you want to be equipped to make a difference?

Tha Channel of Hope Facilitators' Training is taking place in 2014 on the following dates:

- August 6-12, Costa Rica (Spanish)

- August 18-24, Moldova (Russian)

For more information, please email training@aidslink.org

 

Alliance for Vulnerable Mission (AVM)

Upcoming AVM events, 2015:

- UK, York, 11th April: day-conference.
- UK, Coventry, 18th April: day-conference.
- UK, Oxford, 22-23rd April, Mission Leaders Conference (by invitation only).
- Germany, Marburg, 8th to 9th May, Conference.
- Germany, Korntal, 13th May 2015, Mission Leaders Conference (by invitation only).

Call for Papers:

AVM will be hosting a conference on the topic of:

" Avoiding DEPENDENCY in global Christian mission:
VULNERABLE MISSION a potential answer" 

The conference will be held at Redcliffe Missionary Training College, Gloucester, UK - from April 14th-16th, 2015.

For more information or to register your interest, please email jim@vulnerablemission.org or visit the website.

 

Stop Pauvrété Environment Conference

Saturday October 18, 2014

Christuskirche (Jahu), Portstrasse 28, Bienne, Switzerland

This conference will aim to explore the relationship between the environemnt and the ongoing fight against poverty gloablly. 

Features sessions and Workshops in French, English and German. 

More details are available here.

Resources and Training


Recommended Resources

How Christian Volunteers Can Respond to Disasters: Lessons from the 2011 Japan Tsunami by Jonothan Edward Wilson (Executive Director, CRASH Japan)

The First 48 Hours: Spiritual Caregivers as First Responders by Jennifer Cisney and Kevin Ellers

Hope Rising: How Christians Can End Poverty in this Generation by Scott Todd (Senior Vice President, Global Advocacy - Compassion International)


Further Study Opportunity

Redcliffe College, UK - MA in Contemporary Missiology

The MA in Contemporary Missiology will help you become better equipped to participate in God’s mission in your particular role and context.  You will:

- grow in your understanding of key approaches and issues in mission
- develop the ability to reflect on your context and practice in the light of wider mission issues

Full details are available here

Keep in Touch

Don't forget to keep in touch with us by sending your stories, testimonies and prayer requests to coordinator@micahnetwork.org.

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