Community Sponsorship
After the trauma of displacement, refugees and asylum seekers arrive in the United States with the hope of finding a safe place for themselves and their children to call home. Local communities have the opportunity to offer these families a soft place to land through community sponsorship.
Community sponsorship is when a church or group of churches come together to help an asylum seeker or refugee family adjust to life in the United States. This group of welcomers provides help with housing, transportation, connections to community services and most importantly, friendship, understanding and quality time.
Through welcoming, congregations can gain a greater sense of community, extend and receive hospitality and develop a deeper understanding of God's love for all people. MCC will provide resources, education and support as congregations welcome a family together.
To learn more, contact MCC’s Newcomer Connections Coordinator at welcome@mcc.org!
Please fill out this form to indicate your interest in learning about and welcoming refugees and asylum seekers in your community!
Steps for getting involved
"In the refugee family seeking safety from violence, let us see your Spirit. In the migrant worker bringing food to our tables, let us see your Spirit. In the asylum seeker seeking justice for himself and his family, let us see your Spirit… Teach us to welcome not only the strangers in our midst but the gifts they bring as well: the invitation to conversation, communion, and solidarity." -Collected Prayers for Immigrants.
The worship service guide linked below includes the full prayer and additional resources for churches. Encourage your congregation to set aside a special Sunday to pray for newcomers.
Connect with MCC's Newcomer Connections Coordinator at welcome@mcc.org to explore how your church can welcome a family. We will answer your questions and help you make a plan to make sponsorship a possibility in your community. We can also provide resources to help your congregation learn about refugees, asylum seekers, sponsorship and best practices when welcoming newcomers.
Sponsorship does not and should not be done alone! Reach out to others in your community to form partnerships—faith groups, non-profits and local advocacy groups are a great place to start. These partnerships can fill in gaps and ensure that you are not re-inventing the wheel. Identify who can provide leadership to organize and direct volunteers, resources and donations. It is helpful to have at least 4-6 people in these leadership roles to prevent burnout and provide mutual encouragement. From there, recruit volunteers to help with pre-arrival and post-arrival tasks. MCC can provide direction for you as you form your teams and connect you with other congregations who have gone through this process.
MCC will help connect you with an agency that serves refugees or asylum seekers. Every organization will have their own set of requirements for community sponsorship. This usually involves mandatory clearances and training for anyone who will be significantly involved with the family. This can often be when people lose momentum so host an Onboarding Party where volunteers can connect with one another while completing their clearances and training.
Connect with a family! The family will arrive and your group will be there to help the family adjust to life in the United States. Your partnering organization and MCC will be there to offer support, especially in the first days and weeks of the family's arrival.
Foster community building and integration. Your group will walk with the family as they experience the realities of life in America. At times, it will not be easy as the resettlement process can be very stressful and traumatic for families but your group will be able to offer community connections and friendship to help make the road a little smoother. Throughout this time, MCC offers opportunities to continue learning and connect with groups that are also sponsoring families.