Southern Baptist Resolutions on Refugees, Seattle’s Need for Evangelism & Child Safety for Church Events

Immigration is largely affected, of course, by the flow of refugees. The need for refugee ministry has grown significantly, said Josh Benton, vice president of North American Ministry for Send Relief. It’s a mix of community ministry such as mass feedings in addition to supporting and equipping local churches involved in those efforts. Send Relief has 20 ministry centers, six of them focused on refugees. “In all of those areas we meet people’s basic needs and welcome them with the Gospel, which is most important,” Benton said.

For many refugees, meeting their immediate needs open the door for conversations about their
eternal needs, Benton said. This summer at their annual meeting, Southern Baptists called for the federal government to
address immigration in a way that both extends human dignity and allows the country to remain healthy.
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Seattle, Washington is a city of around five million people. Did you know that a study reveals that nearly 85% of the population there says they do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ? That means that only around 750-thousand of the city’s five million people have a relationship with Jesus. Imagine the need for evangelism and for Gospel-preaching churches. It’s staggering. Currently, there is only about one evangelical church for every 24,000 people. The need for church planters is also great.

The North American Mission Board is asking you to pray that God would put Seattle on the hearts of believers and He would send them to reach people there. Rich Hutchins is a church planter in Stanwood, Washington. He’s asking to pray that he would have the Holy Spirit’s discernment as he works to reach this city. He also asks believers to pray that God would soften people’s hearts in Seattle toward the good news of Jesus Christ.
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In a piece in the Baptist Press Toolbox, Ron Aguiar writes, “Barna research indicates that more than 60% of Christians became believers before the age of 14, indicating how vitally important a youth a children’s ministry can be in young people’s lives. The influence of your children’s ministry is far-reaching and eternal.” But, he reminds leaders that security is very important for children’s events.

He encourages churches to consider:

1. Include security in initial planning

2. Consult with your insurance company

3. Provide medical and law enforcement coverage

4. Staff the event with cleared and trained volunteers

5. If the program is off-site do an advance trip.