Equipped to Welcome and Belong

Welcome Churches' vision is for every refugee to be welcomed by the local church.We believe that, no matter where your church is based, there is something you can do to welcome refugees.Through our Welcome Learning, Welcome Training and Welcome Network, local churches are practically equipped to play their part in helping refugees find a place to call home. Get in touch if you would like to partner with us!

Welcome Churches

For churches, Christian individuals and refugees following Jesus to learn more about welcome and belonging in the local church.

Newtownabbey

Sales have now ended. If you still wish to attend, please email patrick.purdy@welcomechurches.org to discuss ticket options.

Equipped to Welcome &amp; Belong 2026 Hosted jointly by Welcome Churches and Mission Action Partnership (MAP)Equipped to Welcome &amp; Belong is an in-person morning conference in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland for churches and refugees following Jesus to learn more about welcome and belonging in the local church.Welcome Churches’ vision is for every refugee and migrant to be welcomed by their local church. Bringing together Christians arriving and settling in Northern Ireland and the churches that are welcoming them, this event is a unique opportunity to celebrate the incredible contributions that refugees, people seeking asylum and migrants make to their local communities.Equipped to Welcome &amp; Belong is also a place for people of all cultural backgrounds and experiences to discuss the role of the Church as part of the integration of new arrivals in the NI. Come ready to be inspired, informed and connected. Who is this event for?Church leaders and volunteers who are committed to helping refugees and people seeking asylum, Welcome Network churches, Welcome Plus churches, churches and individuals who are at the beginning of learning how to support refugees as well as those who have many years of experience.Refugees and people seeking asylum who are followers of Jesus Equipped to Welcome &amp; Belong is a unique opportunity to come together as Christians, encourage one another and build connections and community. Why should I attend?<ul><li>Celebrate and learn from the array of knowledge, gifts and experiences of refugees</li><li>Hear stories of God’s faithfulness to refugees and people seeking asylum.</li><li>Experience multilingual worship in a larger setting</li><li>Be inspired to learn and grow together in our intercultural church communities</li><li>Be equipped to provide practical and emotional support and welcome.</li><li>Learn new ways to reach refugees and people seeking asylum in your local community.</li><li>Support the Christian refugee community by gathering together.</li></ul> The role of churches in refugee achievement The journey of refugees, people seeking asylum and migrants continues once they arrive in Northern Ireland. Migrants face many challenges on arrival, including social isolation, language barriers, mental wellbeing problems and financial pressures. Yet with the support and encouragement of communities of Christians across NI, migrants can re-establish their lives and contribute richly to our churches and communities. Food There will be refreshments in the form of tea/coffee on arrival, and a refreshment break mid- morning with pastries/scones. Program 09.00 am Registration Opens – Tea/Coffee on arrivalIntroduction to Welcome Churches – James Lynch and Joanna CaskeyWorship – Intercultural Worship Collective 09.30 am Main Session 1 : The Kin-dom of God: A Biblical Vision for an Intercultural Church: Paul Lutton 10.15 am Seminars A<ul><li>Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR) – An intervention that helps give skills to survivors of traumatic events and to those that work with them: Kristin Toso</li><li>Teaching English – Sharing Jesus: Colin Dickson and Stuart Burnham</li></ul>11.00 am Coffee Break 11.30 am Seminars B<ul><li>Moving Beyond the Welcome – Hospitality and Building Friendship: Samuel Luak and Fatemeh Taheri, Welcome Churches</li><li>Cross-Cultural Awareness: ANON</li><li>Intercultural Church and Worship: Noah Bartlett &amp; friends</li></ul>12.15 pm Panel 12.50 pm Wrap-up &amp; Close Main Session 1: The Kin-dom of God: A Biblical Vision for an Intercultural Church From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible tells the story of God making a home among his people. This opening plenary explores how the gospel creates not a single culture but a reconciled family, one people drawn from many peoples, so that the church itself becomes a living sign of God’s welcome, leaving no room for racism and every reason for shared life and worship across cultures.Plenary Speaker – Paul LuttonPaul Lutton is Minister of Newtownbreda Presbyterian Church in Belfast, where he is learning—alongside the congregation—what it means to become a more genuinely intercultural church rooted in Scripture and shaped by God’s welcome. With his wife he writes occasionally at www.attentionseekers.org, reflecting on faith, culture, and the everyday practice of attentive, hospitable discipleship. Seminars ASkills for Psychological Recovery (SPR) – An intervention that helps give skills to survivors of traumatic events and to those that work with themHow can we help ourselves and/or others who have been affected by significant crises in their lives? We will look at a skills building approach to addressing a variety of trauma-related challenges. It is a practical, confidence building, biblical tool box for individuals and churches. It is especially helpful to support those coming into our communities as asylum seekers or others that have been displaced by significant upheavals.Kristin Toso is a missionary kid and love anything cross-cultural. She has studied trauma over many years. Her experience is with those affected by war and severe deprivation in Africa and then in the American and British foster care systems as a foster/adoptive parent. 'Teaching English - Sharing Jesus'Welcoming newcomers to this island involves integral mission, that is, presenting the gospel as well as helping in practical ways. We have a desire to help people, not only learn English but also to learn about the love of God in Jesus Christ.Colin Dickson, previously Presbyterian Church in Ireland Missionary to Israel/Palestine and Jordan for 10 years. Currently Presbyterian Minister and Project Leader of International Meeting Point where we seek to engage in integral mission through ‘loving God and loving the stranger in the city’. Deut. 10:19Stuart Burnham, previously a Baptist Pastor and missionary with SIM, Stuart is now serving as the UK and Ireland Mobiliser for ReachAcross, a mission agency for the Muslim world, as well as UK and Ireland Training Coordinator for Al Massira, a discipleship course for Muslim seekers. Seminars BMoving Beyond the Welcome: Hospitality and Building FriendshipPresented by Samuel Luak and Fatemeh Taheri, Welcome ChurchesThis seminar explores the journey from an initial greeting to true belonging. A warm welcome helps people take the first step. Real, lasting relationships and friendship encourage them to stay.Drawing on their personal experience of migration, Samuel and Fatemeh will guide you through the stages of the “welcome journey” towards true hospitality and building friendship. Join this session to learn practical ways to move beyond hospitality and build a community where people feel known, needed, and truly at home. Intercultural Church and Worship“After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. Revelation 7:9We love this vision of the future Kingdom of God and yet so often inadvertently work against it in our communities of faith. But as Jesus prayed that Kingdom would be established on earth as it is in heaven, so our churches should be places of heaven on earth.Come along and let’s search the scriptures together and pray for the Spirit of God to fall in our churches to form us into counterculture beautiful families centred around Jesus and yet worshiping in all our different languages, cultures, backgrounds, ages and abilities. Further information on more of our speakers is coming soon. Refunds Policy In the unlikely event that you need to cancel your ticket for this event, please note that Eventbrite will retain 6.95% of the ticket cost, plus £0.59, plus VAT at 20%. Unfortunately, we are unable to process any refunds after Wednesday, 15 April. Event queries: map@globalconnections.org.uk Refunding/ticketing queries: info@welcomechurches.org

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Equipped to Welcome and Belong

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