CCOW Guide to Online Study and Preaching Resources

Refugees & Forced Migration

 

Bible readings and Bible studies …

 

Baptist Union of Great Britain

http://www.baptist.org.uk/Articles/448817/Welcoming_the_Stranger.aspx

As noted above. Bible studies focus on Mary and Joseph, and ‘Strangers and Aliens’

 

Bible Society

https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/content/explore_the_bible/articles_about_the_bible/2016/refugees_and_the_bible/Refugees-and-the-Bible-Course.pdf

Series of 4 Bible studies (2016) ‘Refugees and the Bible – Welcoming the stranger’, with short (1-2 minute) video introductions

 

Commitment for Life

http://www.urc.org.uk/images/mission/at_home_strange/Journeying_-_Bible_Study_and_Worship.pdf

Journeying Bible Study, including one of Elizabeth’s reflections from the Pilgrimage to Paris.

 

Singing the Faith Plus (Methodist)

http://www.singingthefaithplus.org.uk/?p=14384

An annotated list, explaining why passages have been selected and giving links to the actual readings.

 

USPG

https://d3hgrlq6yacptf.cloudfront.net/uspg/content/pages/documents/1594212911.pdf

‘Migration and Movement’ a six-week study course with Bible studies, stories and prayers.

 

 

Poems and other readings …

 

Brian Bilston

https://brianbilston.com/2016/03/23/refugees/

‘Reversible’ poem “Refugees”, which offers two perspectives on refugees and our response – a bottom-to-top reading challenging the attitudes found in a top-to-bottom reading

 

Write to Life

https://www.freedomfromtorture.org/real-voices/six-refugee-poems-a-unique-insight-into-the-life-of-refugees-and-asylum-seekers

Freedom from Torture shares six poems reflecting a variety of person experiences depicting what it’s like to be a refugee. Four are by members of their Write to Life group for former and current clients, and two are by other authors – including Warsan Shire’s poem including the lines “no one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark” and “no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land.”

 

 

Videos …

 

CAFOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_P9huLYmS0

3 minute animation about forced migration, suitable for children, aimed at Catholics and encouraging supporting CAFOD to help refugees

 

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland

http://focusonrefugees.org/reflections-from-ctbi-group-who-visited-mediterranean-hope-refugee-projects-in-lampedusa-sicily/

2 minute video of three participants (a Catholic, a Quaker and a Presbyterian) on the CTBI visit to Mediterranean Hope refugee projects in Lampedusa and Sicily (2017).

 

Home for Good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MX9b1ldWpo

6 minute video (Jan 2018) by Dr. Krish Kandiah calling on Christians in the UK to welcome refugee children and young people in response to the war in Syria.

 

Inscape Animations

https://inscapeanimations.com/roots-inscape-animation.html

9 minute beautifully drawn, reflective and thought-provoking animation, on migration from the earliest times, refugees’ experience, what makes us secure and our common roots

 

Jesuit Refugee Service/Mercy in Motion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziz9a-2Zhvs

‘Open Minds, Unlock Potential’ 12 minute video in which refugees speak in their own words about their experiences, interspersed with words of theological reflection from Pope Francis.

 

Refugee Highway Partnership

https://rhpeurope.net/world-refugee-sunday

Nine diverse videos on the theme of refugees, between 1 and 45 minutes long, produced between 2016 and 2021 by different organisations – documentary, interview, Biblical teaching, introductory facts

 

Welcome Churches

https://welcomechurches.org/refugeesunday/resources

4 minute film produced for Refugee Sunday 2023 encouraging UK churches to welcome refugees. Hear from some refugees who have been welcomed by a local church, a pastor of such a church, and Welcome Churches Joint CEO.

 

UNHCR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvzZGplGbL8

Who is a Refugee? 3 minute animation video sutiable for age 12+

 

 

Theological resources to give background for preaching …

 

World Council of Churches

http://www.urc.org.uk/images/mission/at_home_strange/The_Other_Is_My_Neighbour_WCC.pdf

‘The Other Is My Neighbour: Developing an Ecumenical Response to Migration’ – theological reflection paper.

 

World Evangelical Alliance

http://www.europeanea.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Justice-and-Compassion-Responding-to-the-Refugee-Crisis-in-Europe.pdf

‘Justice and Compassion: Responding to the Refugee Crisis in Europe’ – sets out some basic context (as of 2015) and offers theological reflection.

CCOW Guide to Online Worship Resources

CCOW Guide to Online Worship Resources:

Refugees & Forced Migration

 

Materials for a full service …

 

Baptist Union of Great Britain

http://www.baptist.org.uk/Articles/448817/Welcoming_the_Stranger.aspx

Brochure (updated 2015) with material including sermon notes, suggestions for hymns, prayers and readings, and Bible studies. Also contains practical information on helping and case studies of what churches have done.

 

CAFOD

https://assets.ctfassets.net/vy3axnuecuwj/b727be46f9751686b1192c57842b2d1c1f515a677ceba64cb35c6bb5776ebd63/3eececa127eb162969ff55cd444e7666/Prayer_refugees_pilgrimage-on-the-refugee-crisis.pdf

Refugee solidarity liturgy based around the Lampedusa Cross. Also a powerful prayer pilgrimage for young people.

 

Christian World Service (NZ)

https://cws.org.nz/resources/for-churches/

Refugee Sunday Worship Resources from 2007 to 2023.

 

Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe

https://ccme.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2018-06-18_Commemoration_Day_June_2018__00000002_.pdf

Materials for a day of intercession in memory of those who lost their lives on the way to seek safety in Europe. Contains background information, prayers and worship idea.

 

Churches Refugee Network

http://www.urc.org.uk/images/mission/at_home_strange/Vigil_for_Refugees_-_outline.pdf

Service outline for a vigil

 

Church of Scotland

https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/the-god-who-sees-me-worship-resources-for-sanctuary-sunday Comprehensive material for a Sanctuary Sunday service on 25th June 2023, including sermon notes on the Revised Common Lectionary readings, prayers, litany, children’s resources, all age activity, videos and personal stories.

Further resources, including musical suggestions: https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/weekly-worship/monthly/june-2023/25-june-sanctuary-sunday

 

CTBI

https://ctbi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/3507-CS-SFAR-Migration-Worship-A5-BOOKLET.pdf

A booklet “God with us – worship resources on the theme of refugees, migration and sanctuary” by  Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. Includes Bible studies, prayers, liturgies, songs, stories, ideas for young people and more.

 

European Methodist Council

https://www.methodist.eu/resources

Liturgies for World Refugee Day 2022 and 2023

 

Methodist Church

https://www.methodist.org.uk/our-faith/worship/singing-the-faith-plus/categories/theme/refugees-and-migrants/

Worship resources on the theme of refugees and migrants, including Bible study on the “Stranger”, prayers, suggestions for hymns, Bible readings, and links to other materials.

 

Refugee Highway Partnership

https://rhpeurope.net/world-refugee-sunday

Children’s resources for World Refugee Sunday, 18th/25th June 2023, focusing on Matthew 25:35 under the theme ‘I was a stranger, and you welcomed me…’. Also a children’s lesson from the Lala’s Journey programme by https://www.firstaidforthesoul.org/ to teach children trauma stabilizing skills.

 

 

Prayers, prayer stations, hymns and reflections …

 

Baptist Union

https://www.baptist.org.uk/Articles/448640/Refugees.aspx

Refugees: a collection of prayers from different sources.

 

CAFOD

https://cafod.org.uk/pray/prayer-resources

A collection of CAFOD’s considerable prayer resources relating to refugees.

 

CCOW

https://www.ccow.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Refugee-Week-Prayer-1.pdf

Prayer poster/slide (made for Refugee Sunday 2023), praying for us to share with refugees the compassion we receive from God.

 

CTBI

http://focusonrefugees.org/

A variety of reflections and prayers are available on the dedicated refugee website for Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (not continued after 2019) – look especially at 28 April 2017, when a delegation went to Lampedusa and Sicily, and 25 December 2018 A Christmas Prayer for Refugees.

 

Resound Worship

https://www.resoundworship.org/song/our_god_was_a_refugee

A worship song (2017) by Joel Payne “Our God was a refugee”- audio recording, lyrics & chord chart available free; full score and MP3 to purchase.

 

Songs2Serve

https://songs2serve.eu/

Intercultural songs of worship in a multitude of languages, with lyrics, chords, videos and translations into English.

 

The Stations

http://thestations.org.uk/

A collaborative project by Marksteen Adamson and Justin Brierley, Krish Kandiah, Lou Dawson, Oy Ralfe and Julie Tomlin, using the traditional fourteen ‘Stations of the Cross’ as a framework for Christian reflection on the journeys refugees make.

 

United Reformed Church

http://www.urc.org.uk/images/mission/at_home_strange/God_travels_with_us.pdf

A hymn (2016) by Colin Ferguson ‘God travels with us’ that reflects on the experience of refugees moving in faith.

 

USPG

https://d3hgrlq6yacptf.cloudfront.net/uspg/content/pages/documents/1594212911.pdf

There are prayers at the end of each session of the ‘Migration and Movement’ study course (see below)

 

 

Bible readings and Bible studies …

 

Baptist Union of Great Britain

http://www.baptist.org.uk/Articles/448817/Welcoming_the_Stranger.aspx

As noted above. Bible studies focus on Mary and Joseph, and ‘Strangers and Aliens’

 

Bible Society

https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/content/explore_the_bible/articles_about_the_bible/2016/refugees_and_the_bible/Refugees-and-the-Bible-Course.pdf

Series of 4 Bible studies (2016) ‘Refugees and the Bible – Welcoming the stranger’, with short (1-2 minute) video introductions

 

Commitment for Life

http://www.urc.org.uk/images/mission/at_home_strange/Journeying_-_Bible_Study_and_Worship.pdf

Journeying Bible Study, including one of Elizabeth’s reflections from the Pilgrimage to Paris.

 

Singing the Faith Plus (Methodist)

http://www.singingthefaithplus.org.uk/?p=14384

An annotated list, explaining why passages have been selected and giving links to the actual readings.

 

USPG

https://d3hgrlq6yacptf.cloudfront.net/uspg/content/pages/documents/1594212911.pdf

‘Migration and Movement’ a six-week study course with Bible studies, stories and prayers.

 

 

Poems and other readings …

 

Brian Bilston

https://brianbilston.com/2016/03/23/refugees/

‘Reversible’ poem “Refugees”, which offers two perspectives on refugees and our response – a bottom-to-top reading challenging the attitudes found in a top-to-bottom reading

 

Write to Life

https://www.freedomfromtorture.org/real-voices/six-refugee-poems-a-unique-insight-into-the-life-of-refugees-and-asylum-seekers

Freedom from Torture shares six poems reflecting a variety of person experiences depicting what it’s like to be a refugee. Four are by members of their Write to Life group for former and current clients, and two are by other authors – including Warsan Shire’s poem including the lines “no one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark” and “no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land.”

 

 

Videos …

 

CAFOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_P9huLYmS0

3 minute animation about forced migration, suitable for children, aimed at Catholics and encouraging supporting CAFOD to help refugees

 

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland

http://focusonrefugees.org/reflections-from-ctbi-group-who-visited-mediterranean-hope-refugee-projects-in-lampedusa-sicily/

2 minute video of three participants (a Catholic, a Quaker and a Presbyterian) on the CTBI visit to Mediterranean Hope refugee projects in Lampedusa and Sicily (2017).

 

Home for Good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MX9b1ldWpo

6 minute video (Jan 2018) by Dr. Krish Kandiah calling on Christians in the UK to welcome refugee children and young people in response to the war in Syria.

 

Inscape Animations

https://inscapeanimations.com/roots-inscape-animation.html

9 minute beautifully drawn, reflective and thought-provoking animation, on migration from the earliest times, refugees’ experience, what makes us secure and our common roots

 

Jesuit Refugee Service/Mercy in Motion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziz9a-2Zhvs

‘Open Minds, Unlock Potential’ 12 minute video in which refugees speak in their own words about their experiences, interspersed with words of theological reflection from Pope Francis.

 

Refugee Highway Partnership

https://rhpeurope.net/world-refugee-sunday

Nine diverse videos on the theme of refugees, between 1 and 45 minutes long, produced between 2016 and 2021 by different organisations – documentary, interview, Biblical teaching, introductory facts

 

Welcome Churches

https://welcomechurches.org/refugeesunday/resources

4 minute film produced for Refugee Sunday 2023 encouraging UK churches to welcome refugees. Hear from some refugees who have been welcomed by a local church, a pastor of such a church, and Welcome Churches Joint CEO.

 

UNHCR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvzZGplGbL8

Who is a Refugee? 3 minute animation video sutiable for age 12+

 

 

Theological resources to give background for preaching …

 

World Council of Churches

http://www.urc.org.uk/images/mission/at_home_strange/The_Other_Is_My_Neighbour_WCC.pdf

‘The Other Is My Neighbour: Developing an Ecumenical Response to Migration’ – theological reflection paper.

 

World Evangelical Alliance

http://www.europeanea.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Justice-and-Compassion-Responding-to-the-Refugee-Crisis-in-Europe.pdf

‘Justice and Compassion: Responding to the Refugee Crisis in Europe’ – sets out some basic context (as of 2015) and offers theological reflection.