Outreach Ministry

Community Refugee and Immigration Services Outreach Home

"For I was a stranger in a strange land and you took me in…." Matthew 25:35

Worthington UMC is partnering Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS) to bring a refugee family to Columbus and to help them get settled. CRIS is a Church World Services and United Methodist sponsoring organization, locaated in Columbus, which has resettled hundreds of people here.

Be part of this useful and exciting ministry. For further information, contact John Wolters, at 791-8723 or johncwolters@hotmail.com.

CRIS Refugee Family Has Arrived

Rana Ibrahim Badden and Walid Mohammed Ali, arriving at Port Columbus on May 5.

Our Co-Sponsorship Participation with CRIS (Community Refugee and Immigration Services) in Refugee Resettlement has become a reality. After much prayer and examination, the Outreach Committee of our congregation decided last fall to participate in a vital ministry to reach beyond the walls of our congregation and continent. We decided to participate with CRIS, a Church World Service affiliate in the sponsorship of a refugee family from Iraq. We announced their expected arrival at the church services on May 3rd and the family arrived at the Columbus Airport at 12:30 am on Wednesday May 6.

The UMW held a "housewarming party" on April 26 to collect household goods for the family when we thought we still had plenty of time.

Rana, Tasneem and Walid in their new home, tired after their long trip.

We were expecting "at least two weeks' notice". On Tuesday, April 28 we were told that "our family" would arrive the night of Tuesday, May 5 at 10:00 pm. With the help of CJ Shaw, Terrie Huston, Aura Lee Whittaker, Cindy Crane, Ed Shaffer, Paul George, Cathy Taylor, Lanie Cuthbert, John Wolters and others, we had a fully furnished apartment with a full refrigerator waiting when they arrived. Thanks to donations of goods and furniture by the congregation after the May 3 services, we did not even need the expected support of the local furniture resource center. The staff at CRIS have said that they have never seen such an organized and generous response in such a short time frame. We are off to a very good start.