EmergingPhoenix


Immigration and missional church

We meet every month on the last Tuesday of the month from 8-10pm. So put it on your calendar as a repeating event, if you can:)

This Tuesday, May 30th is our next cohort meeting and we will be discussing Immigration and the Mission of the Church. For some of us this will be a next step following the Hermeneutics conversation in February. We are meeting from 8-10pm at La Kermex Restaurante Mexicano in Chamblee, directions here

In preparation for our conversation together next Tuesday evening we have compiled this reading list of thoughts around immigration, how our faith tradition encourages us to relate to the "sojourners in our midst." As you read we would like you to consider the following questions:

1. Why would one risk (death, jail, deportation) and sacrifice (family, language, community, culture, etc.) so much to come to the US without documentation? Are Americans just so much more clever, strong, industrious and fortunate to have built a country so virtuous that people of Latin descent are willing to sever all ties to come to?

2. In light of the protracted exploitive history between the West and Latin America, what responsibility (if any) do Westerners have in the socioeconomic redemption of the Latin world?

3. What part might people of faith (particularly Christians) play in creating space in which Latin Americans might re-imagine new possibilities for their countries of origin?

4. What are healthy ways from your own experiences (any of us in the Atlanta cohort) to build conversations, renew imaginations, and put out hands to work around this with our congregations or missional communities?


Here's the recommended reading/listening:

1. “WHAT’S AT STAKE?: Compassion, nocriminalization, in Immigration Reform” by Laurna Strikwerda (email troybronsink@msn.com for a copy until I can figure out where to upload this) presents an interesting survey of statistics and Biblical passages regarding US immigration policy
2. "A House for All Peoples?" by Ched Myers.
3. "Jesus' Proclamation of God's Reign as Jubilee" by Ross & Gloria Kinsler. (email troybronsink@msn.com until I can figure out where to host the upload)
4. "Is This the Way to Go?" by Saskia Sassen, provides an interesting transnational critique of the increased illegal human smuggling (sexual and labor slaves) that is set off by increased border security.
5. "The Christian Face of Immigration" by David Batstone.

Special thanks to Melvin for compiling much of this...


Troy


About Us

You're a part of a bigger conversation, a bigger story of God's creation unfolding and realizing it's Creator's dreams in the clue of Jesus. Gather monthly to re-imagine how we can best participate locally in this conversation, story, dreams. This is an Emergent Cohort meeting to flesh out four commitments: to God in the way of Jesus, to the Church in all its Forms, to God's World, and to One Another. This is a theological conversation for any practitioners in the way of Jesus.

What is Emergent?

If you are interested in learning more about the larger movement we are a local expression of, visit Emergent Village.

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