Definitely! I feel like someone could write a dissertation on how we "practice" church can be sometimes very far away from the actual theological underpinnings of what Christ has always intended the body of Christ to be.
This is such a cool story! Thank you so much for sharing. As someone whose family actually has a dairy goat farm here in the United States, it's so cool to see how God is at work not only through people, but also through goats.
Thank you for sharing this, Ron! I really appreciate your distinction between approaching differing opinions as dilemmas that draw us closer together and offenses that pull us apart. We all have different ideas and perspectives that reflect our diverse experiences in our world, and it's so important for all of us to have the humility to let ourselves learn and change positively from disagreement, instead of letting difference of opinion entrench us in our past ways of being and relating to others.
Thank you for sharing this with us, Susan! It's helpful to have a look into how the decisions about candidacy are made at Synod, as well as to see how commissioned pastors, Ministers of the Word, and candidates are supported.
Thank you for sharing this, Ryan! I think it's so important to help young people and older people understand the narratives we get from the world around us, and know that the narrative that we get from the gospel is something wholly different.
You're correct that this is the UNHCR definition of the internationally recognized legal status of refugee. However, the UNHCR also recognized that refugee status can change. One can be a refugee for a certain period of time, during which it's not safe to return to one's country of origin. Circumstances can then change which may allow for someone to be able to safely return to their homeland. And more broadly, international law actually recognized 3 categories of people that we would in our common language call refugees: Displaced persons (either nationally or internationally), refugees, and asylum seekers. A really good summary of these different legal categories is available from the UNESCO website here.
I'd also like to suggest that the legal concept "refugee" isn't clearly translatable between the later 20th/21st century and the Roman Empire. There was no way for people to apply for and be granted asylum to permanently resettle to different countries. In fact, these legal categories didn't even exist for my own family when they immigrated from Poland in the early 20th century. Today, it would be much more challenging for them to have come to the US because there are so many more barriers to being officially granted refugee status, being granted asylum in the US, and eventually becoming a full participatory member of US society (they didn't have to take language exams, for example).
Most importantly, when I talk about the concept of a refugee, I'm not aiming for a legal definition. I'd take a look at the Merriam-Webster dictionary, for example, which defines a refugee as "a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution," or simply as "someone who flees." I think we can both agree that Jesus' childhood experience fit into this definition, and that we can find the life of Jesus reflected in the millions of people in our own nations and around the world who have experienced traumatic displacement.
The CRCNA also takes a broad view of refugees. You can take a look at the CRCNA position statements and synodical mandates concerning immigrants and refugees, as well as explore all of the resources available from Thrive.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. I hear that you’re approaching this from a particular theological, political, and historical perspective, and I appreciate your clarity on how you understand these issues.
If you would like to learn more about the CRCNA's official statements on immigrants and refugees, I encourage you to read the position statement, which was written and adopted by Synod. In addition, you may find Thrive's resources on refugees and immigration helpful. These resources were developed to fulfill the mandate of Synod, which you can explore in History section of the position statement, as well as in the the Agenda and Acts of Synod resources referenced on the position statement page.
Posted in: Because Jesus Didn't Die to Start a Country Club
Thank you so much for sharing this, Ron! It's a great reminder about what the ultimate purpose of our faith and life is.
Posted in: Because Jesus Didn't Die to Start a Country Club
Definitely! I feel like someone could write a dissertation on how we "practice" church can be sometimes very far away from the actual theological underpinnings of what Christ has always intended the body of Christ to be.
Posted in: Fundraising for Ministry: Five Reasons You Need To Tell People about Your Work
Thank you for sharing this! It's a great recommendation for supporting churches in their development work.
Posted in: Team Preaching: A Suggestion for Vacant Churches Planning Pulpit Supply
Thank you for sharing this resource! This is a great tool to help support local congregations.
Posted in: The Power of an Engaged Church
This is such a cool story! Thank you so much for sharing. As someone whose family actually has a dairy goat farm here in the United States, it's so cool to see how God is at work not only through people, but also through goats.
Posted in: New Faces in Chaplaincy: July 2025
Thank you for sharing! And welcome, Kevin and Jeremiah!
Posted in: The Problem with Problems
Thank you for sharing this, Ron! I really appreciate your distinction between approaching differing opinions as dilemmas that draw us closer together and offenses that pull us apart. We all have different ideas and perspectives that reflect our diverse experiences in our world, and it's so important for all of us to have the humility to let ourselves learn and change positively from disagreement, instead of letting difference of opinion entrench us in our past ways of being and relating to others.
Posted in: Why Aren't We Using Article 7?
Thank you for sharing this with us, Susan! It's helpful to have a look into how the decisions about candidacy are made at Synod, as well as to see how commissioned pastors, Ministers of the Word, and candidates are supported.
Posted in: The Good News of Mr. Beast
Thank you for sharing this, Ryan! I think it's so important to help young people and older people understand the narratives we get from the world around us, and know that the narrative that we get from the gospel is something wholly different.
Posted in: We All Carry the Story of Displacement, Part II
Brian,
You're correct that this is the UNHCR definition of the internationally recognized legal status of refugee. However, the UNHCR also recognized that refugee status can change. One can be a refugee for a certain period of time, during which it's not safe to return to one's country of origin. Circumstances can then change which may allow for someone to be able to safely return to their homeland. And more broadly, international law actually recognized 3 categories of people that we would in our common language call refugees: Displaced persons (either nationally or internationally), refugees, and asylum seekers. A really good summary of these different legal categories is available from the UNESCO website here.
I'd also like to suggest that the legal concept "refugee" isn't clearly translatable between the later 20th/21st century and the Roman Empire. There was no way for people to apply for and be granted asylum to permanently resettle to different countries. In fact, these legal categories didn't even exist for my own family when they immigrated from Poland in the early 20th century. Today, it would be much more challenging for them to have come to the US because there are so many more barriers to being officially granted refugee status, being granted asylum in the US, and eventually becoming a full participatory member of US society (they didn't have to take language exams, for example).
Most importantly, when I talk about the concept of a refugee, I'm not aiming for a legal definition. I'd take a look at the Merriam-Webster dictionary, for example, which defines a refugee as "a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution," or simply as "someone who flees." I think we can both agree that Jesus' childhood experience fit into this definition, and that we can find the life of Jesus reflected in the millions of people in our own nations and around the world who have experienced traumatic displacement.
The CRCNA also takes a broad view of refugees. You can take a look at the CRCNA position statements and synodical mandates concerning immigrants and refugees, as well as explore all of the resources available from Thrive.
Posted in: We All Carry the Story of Displacement, Part II
Brian,
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. I hear that you’re approaching this from a particular theological, political, and historical perspective, and I appreciate your clarity on how you understand these issues.
If you would like to learn more about the CRCNA's official statements on immigrants and refugees, I encourage you to read the position statement, which was written and adopted by Synod. In addition, you may find Thrive's resources on refugees and immigration helpful. These resources were developed to fulfill the mandate of Synod, which you can explore in History section of the position statement, as well as in the the Agenda and Acts of Synod resources referenced on the position statement page.
Posted in: How Can You Encourage Your Church Members To Serve?
Eric, thank you for these great suggestions!