December 1, 2025

No one is calling me now. What is going on? For many years, we have received regular calls from newly arrived refugees needing help. We received calls from people we already knew and from people we had never heard of before. Somehow, word got out that we loved immigrants, and people passed our phone numbers around!

But we are not getting those phone calls now, or at least not many. We have now entered a new phase, where the refugees are more settled and have developed their own local networks. Some of these families have both parents working full-time. Some have found jobs working the night shift; others are working the day or afternoon shift. It is getting harder to sort out times to drop in and see them.

I recently had a chat with a former refugee, who now embraces Christ wholeheartedly. He said that when the needy stage for refugees ends—and it will end—you need to be proactive in seeking them out. It’s easy to assume that since they no longer call, they no longer need you, so you stop visiting them. But this is not the case. They still need you to shine the light of Christ into their lives. They need to hear Jesus stories, and they need you to pray over them. But there needs to be a subtle change on our side.

From Receiving to Belonging

There has been a shift, and to continue ministering to them, we need to adapt. Now, instead of us showing up with things they need, we need to invite them to come over and bring food. We need to invite them to help us plan outings. We need them to find a place to host a party. To save face, they must be given ways to cook and contribute and not always be on the receiving side. Otherwise, it is embarrassing for them to always be on the receiving end, and to avoid that, they will avoid us.

It is a little like teenagers growing up and becoming young adults. As children get older, you can’t keep treating them like little kids. They are different now, and conversations and interactions need to reflect those changes.

So, in your plans for Christmas or a New Year’s gathering, is there a way for you to include a local refugee family? Can you invite them to help you plan the party? Can you find a way to include some of their ideas and give them credit in front of others to encourage them? Make it a potluck dinner where everyone brings enough for themselves and a little extra to share. Invite them to make their special dish at your house, and you can make it side by side as they teach you!

It is important for us as Christians to have interactions with new immigrants and be available to explain the true meaning of Christmas. Otherwise, they will just absorb the commercialization around them, and the gift and beauty of Christmas will be lost.

Start thinking now: Who can we invite to our Christmas gathering? And what are some ways we can ask them to contribute to the gathering?