Immigration

 Mennonite Church USA Statement on Immigration (58k PDF)  

Also available in Spanish (60k PDF) and Indonesian

  Strangers No More (175k PDF) also available in Spanish (185k PDF)

Resources to help congregations act on the Statement on Immigration

  Button "God's Love has no borders" Button in English or Spanish Wear a button to:

-raise awareness of immigration issues
-take a public stand
-be a welcoming presence in our communities

English Button:
Spanish Button:

  Aliens and Exiles Seeking A Homeland, by Kurt Horst
  Hospitality: Welcoming the Strangers Among Us A study guide by Rebeca Jiménez Yoder
  Strangers in a Strange Land: Exile, Immigration, Survival, and Identity by Leo Hartshorn
  In my backyard, Youth peace postings by Bryce Miller

  Great interactive websites

Highlander Research and Education Center
Downloadable fact/myth sheets, quizzes: extraordinary educational resources

Shop 'til you drop on a Mexican wage
If you worked in Mexico, what could you afford to buy?

Third Way Café: Beyond the News

Articles and links include:
  Mennonites & Immigration
  Hispanic Mennonites
  Resources for Worship
  Scriptural Reflections
  and a vast number of educational materials.
http://www.thirdway.com/btn/?Topic=Immigration

Beyond the News: Immigration video
Interviews with immigrants and those who work with them in Texas, Florida, New York, and Mexico. This VHS video asks questions such as: What is the Christian response to immigration and undocumented worker issues? What are the racial and economic implications in the immigration debate? Great discussion starter

Articles and links include:
  Immigration Education
  Educational Resources
  MCC Resources
  Other Mennonite Resources
  Church Statements on Immigration
  Worship Resources
http://www.mcc.org/us/immigration/resources.html

MCC U.S. Executive Board Immigration Statement (PDF)

Print and video resources from MCC catalog
  Over 30 resources (some in Spanish) include information on congregations being a blessing to immigrants, for immigrants on what to do during a raid, advocacy, education resources for all ages, videos and a poster.

"Vecina, Vecino = Neighbor"
This study series is designed for a group of 4-15 Anglo members of a congregation whose Christian faith motivates them to become better neighbors to Latino/Hispanic persons in their community, and to promote the church's welcome to the immigrant community.

"Loving Strangers as Ourselves: Biblical Reflections"
  Seven lessons written by seven different Anabaptist authors addressing biblical texts in which God reminds his people about how to treat the stranger who live among us. Each lesson has an introduction to the topic, exploration of the biblical text, exploration of the topic, a life application and discussion questions. These biblical reflection lessons could be used in Sunday School or for small group discussion.

  Order from mccstore.org

"Pathway C; The Road the Emmaus"
"Communities of Refuge" includes these lessons: Jesus was a refugee, Our God loves the stranger, Entertaining Angels, Blessed are you Among Women and A Migrant God for Migrant Workers. Copies may be ordered from Faith & Life Resources at 1-800-245-7894 or www.mph.org. Free copies of the leaders’ guidebook can be found at www.gosecondmile.org. The ISBN is 661740-09279-6.

"Christians and Immigration"
A four-session study for groups
Using biblical and personal reflections, this 48-page study guide encourages readers to think about immigration in the context of Christian faith. How does scripture affect our perspectives on immigration, migrants, strangers, and hospitality? How do our local churches welcome “the stranger”? What would a compassionate immigration policy look like?
http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=resources.discussion_guides&ItemBlockID=DG006

Borderlinks delegations, Miriam Miller, Delegation Leader
Borderlinks
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Tucson, AZ 85701
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