Jeff Finley
By Jeff Finley
“Lead with courage.” – Free Methodist Vision Frame
“Our heart for justice continues and expands today, fueled by God’s holy love for the unborn, the vulnerable, oppressed, marginalized, and people of all races and ethnicities.” – The Free Methodist Way
Several members of Mattis Avenue Free Methodist Church have formed the group C-U Welcome to welcome a refugee family to the community of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. The group recently received word that they are one of the first 10 host groups in the United States to be approved by the federal government’s new Welcome Corps initiative.
Genevieve Kirk said her husband, Hector Hernandez, “saw a news piece on this new national initiative back in January, and he filed it away. Then there’s a member of our group who goes to our church, Helen Kaufmann, who sent an email to me with the subject line ‘wild idea’ … and just ‘Do you think this is something we could do?’ And I looked at the link, which is to the Welcome Corps website, and it really piqued my interest — partly because a few years ago, Hector and I were living in the San Francisco Bay area, and we volunteered with International Rescue Committee to assist a Liberian woman and her son as they were resettling in the U.S. That was a really positive experience.”
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“I knew that was God’s leading when Genevieve responded positively.” – Helen Kaufmann
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Kaufmann told Light + Life that she “noticed an article in our local newspaper about this, and I thought, ‘We could do that,’ so I sent an email around to half a dozen friends at church. … Genevieve was the first one to respond, and others responded as well. Genevieve was a wonderful choice [to lead C-U Welcome]. I think God led me to her because she has a lot of experience with nonprofits, and she’s a great organizer, and so I knew that was God’s leading when Genevieve responded positively.”
Kirk said that when she and her husband read about the program, “it just immediately pulled at me and Hector, and, along with Helen, we got together with people we thought might be interested. We needed to get five people at least who’d be willing to be part of the private sponsorship group and sign on the dotted line that we’d be willing to raise funds and then be pretty hands-on with a family of refugees for their first 90 days in country. That’s the minimum commitment, but we expect that we’ll maintain a relationship and support to the family beyond that time, but the goal is to help them become self-sufficient as quickly as possible once they get here.”
C-U Welcome has raised more than $9,000 of its $10,000 goal, which will be used to fulfill the group’s commitment. The team will assist the refugee family members with benefits, health care, education, housing, finances and basic necessities while helping them adjust to life in the United States and this central Illinois community that’s home to the University of Illinois’ main campus.
“We have people with such hearts to give,” said C-U Welcome’s Becky Ford, a longtime Mattis Avenue member who also serves on the Wabash Conference Board. “Within two or three days, it seemed like we had half of the amount that we needed. … We have such a giving church.”
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“What’s nice about this kind of project is it really does have interest from all different walks of life, different political parties, different persuasions.” – Genevieve Kirk
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Along with appreciating fellow members of the C-U Welcome team, Kirk expressed gratitude for “a lot of support and interest from the church in general. We made the announcement one Sunday, just explained the program. I got a lot of questions afterward, but mostly people who wanted to either contribute financially or sign up to volunteer with us once the family gets here. We’ll need to procure household items and help set up their apartments, so that’s an easy way for people to pitch in, buy a few things or donate a few things that they have on hand. It’s mostly been our church that’s been our primary support system, but we’ve all shared it on our Facebook pages and elsewhere in the community. What’s nice about this kind of project is it really does have interest from all different walks of life, different political parties, different persuasions.”
The group submitted its application at the end of April.
“It was reviewed, and they needed a couple of additional pieces of info, but it was a pretty simple process,” said Kirk, whose professional experience has included working as a grant writer.
In May, C-U Welcome received word that it is officially certified. The government connected it with Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS), a Connecticut-based nonprofit agency.
“They’re going to be assisting us and guiding us as we provide these services to the refugee family in terms of making sure we have everything lined up before they arrive and then upon arrival for those first 90 days,” Kirk said. “We’re told the family is likely to come from Sub-Saharan Africa and most likely from the Congo.”
Mattis Avenue FMC already has Congolese members who could be an additional source of connection for the family.
When Kirk was told that C-U Welcome was the 10th host group to be approved for the Welcome Corp program, “that was both exciting and terrifying at the same time, because it’s such a new initiative, and I’m sure they’re going to be learning a lot, and we will as well being one of the first ones to do it,” she said. “Hector and I are former Peace Corps volunteers, and so the idea of being a part of a national effort —and even something new or that has risks — is more exciting to us than terrifying, so that’s why we’re willing to sign up for it.”
Kirk said C-U Welcome has been told it’s in the “soon-to-be-matched timeframe.” A family match is expected right away, “and then after that time, the family would arrive anytime between then and up to three months from now, but they’re indicating it could be sooner than later. We’ll need to get our ducks in a row to make sure we have at least ready an apartment for them and household items. Depending on the age of the kids once they get here, there will be a number of things for school enrollment and health examinations.”
People to People
C-U Welcome group members noted that although they are Free Methodists, the C-U Welcome effort is not an official church ministry. Kaufmann explained that Associate Pastor Chadwick Anderson advised them, “This is people to people. This is not an institutional effort.”
Anderson told Light + Life that when he “first heard about the opportunity, I was immediately interested. Having lived overseas with our children while serving in Hungary, I know only a small amount of the challenges faced by anyone living in a culture and language not their own. The amount of times God’s Word calls us to welcome/show hospitality to the stranger/foreigner in our midst makes it undeniably part of the heart God wants to shine through His children.”
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“I think God’s love shines brighter when it shines directly through His children who have received and joined His heart.” – Chadwick Anderson
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He added, “That’s why I also thought it was so important to not make this an official ‘church project’ that we adopt as an organization, but rather a natural and relational response from the people of Mattis who are growing in the heart of Jesus. Certainly, I hope all the people from our church would be open to supporting and getting involved however they can, but I didn’t want the face of this response to be a building, a logo, and a website. … I think God’s love shines brighter when it shines directly through His children who have received and joined His heart.”
Local and International
Mattis Avenue already has an impressive record of reaching out to the diverse residents of this university community. Senior Pastor Herb Coates will retire this summer with a legacy of multicultural ministry.
“It is amazing how God speaks through His people. About 15 years ago, Helen Kaufmann approached me and asked, ‘Pastor, did you know that about 90% of the people living in the apartments across the street from our church building are internationals? Do you think there is any chance we could start offering English conversation classes to help those who don’t speak English well?’” Coates said. “Members of our church began volunteering to lead these classes, and, over the years, we have had the privilege of serving around a thousand internationals from over 40 different countries.”
He recalled that not long after starting the conversation classes, Kaufmann approached him again and asked, “Pastor, do you think there is any way that we could add a part-time staff person to focus on reaching the Chinese in our area?”
“We soon brought Holly Yan on staff, and, over the years, we have had the privilege of having scores of Chinese in Bible studies, leading them through the Alpha Course in Mandarin, baptizing many and bringing quite a few into membership in the church,” Coates said. “Our sermons have been translated into Mandarin for the past 10 years and have been disseminated to various parts of the world. God has done immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine.”
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“I am so blessed to be a part of a church that regularly chooses to step forward and embrace opportunities recognizing that God has brought the nations to our doorstep.” – Pastor Herb Coates _m_m
As a result, “when Helen approached me and said, ‘Several of us have been prayerfully exploring the idea of getting some of our church families together to sponsor a refugee family under the Welcome Corps. Would you be in favor of us pursuing this?’ what do you think I would say?” Coates said. “Of course, I fully support this effort. I am so blessed to be a part of a church that regularly chooses to step forward and embrace opportunities recognizing that God has brought the nations to our doorstep.”
Anderson, who will be installed next month as Coates’ successor, will continue to bless the Mattis Avenue members’ CU-Welcome work.
“It’s been great to see their enthusiasm also, as they’ve met to organize and raised funds online. They still don’t have all the answers, but they’re preparing. I remember the first meeting, where all kinds of thoughts came up,” Anderson said. “They were honest about how difficult things might get for this incoming family. They were honest about the unknowns, but they were also feeling compelled and stirred by the love of God that goes out on behalf of those who feel isolated, foreign, and alone. They wanted to join His heart and knew this was something He would desire.”
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