How do we have a healthy dialogue about immigration?
This small group program facilitates holy and healthy dialogue around immigration, a highly contentious topic that is nevertheless intricately linked with our Christian faith.
Program Overview
Faith and Immigration Justice participants walk away from this program better equipped to advocate for immigration policies that are just, effective, and compassionate, and to lead their communities in extending hospitality toward their immigrant neighbors.
According to the UNHCR (The UN’s refugee agency), there are 82.4 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. Needless to say, the scale of this issue is huge. This program focuses primarily on immigrants crossing our southern border, though the program certainly touches upon global migration and immigrants coming to the U.S. from non-Latin American countries. Ultimately, a deeper understanding of this particular slice of the issue will help your group to better understand migration in general, as well as motivate you to learn about — and learn from — immigrants from all countries and cultures.
Some of the questions explored in this program include “Why don’t people ‘get in line’ to become citizens the legal way?,” “Why do people migrate?”, “What does the Bible say about immigration?”, and “What’s going on with DACA?”.
In writing this program, we intentionally sought out resources from a variety of faith and political perspectives. Regardless of whether you consider yourself “conservative” or “progressive,” Catholic or Protestant, or if you don’t fit neatly into any of these categories, we hope that all group members will feel welcome in this program.
Goals for Faith and Immigration Justice include:
Discern how our faith calls us to respond to the immigration debate happening in our nation and explore the reasons why people choose to come to the United States
Learn about basic immigration policy: participants learn how to answer the question “why don’t undocumented immigrants ‘just get in line’ for citizenship?”
Equip participants and groups to advocate for just, compassionate, and effective immigration policy and to welcome their immigrant neighbors within their own local communities
Faith and Immigration Justice consists of 8 2-hour sessions and an immersion experience.
Recommended group size is 8-14.Program Framework & Session Topics
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Session 1: Introduction to each other and to the theology of migration
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Session 2: History of Immigration to the U.S.
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Session 3: Simulation on current immigration policies and processes
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Session 4: “Why do people migrate?” (part one)
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Session 5: Guest speaker and “Why do people migrate?” (part two)
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Session 6: Current issues in migration
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Immersion Experience (to be determined by the group)
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Session 7: Advocating for change
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Session 8: Discerning individual and small group action steps
Sessions include:
Prayer and reflection
Discussion of reading
Videos & group activities
Spiritual practices
Integration of faith
Want to know more?
An overview, sample session, and program booklet are available for free download.
What you'll need for this program
There are two books used in Faith and Immigration Justice, available through the JustFaith Ministries bookstore.
Need help inviting people to your small group?
This program promotion kit contains sample social media posts, bulletin announcements, email invitations, and more.
We believe strongly in making our programs inclusive and available to everyone
Cost should never be a barrier to participation, and we are committed to working with individuals and organizations to ensure meaningful access through flexible pricing options. Why do we use a sliding fee scale?
There are Two Registration Options:
Option 1: Individual Participant Registration
Participants register and pay individually using a sliding-scale fee of $45, $60, or $75 per person, based on ability to pay. If $45 is still inaccessible, participants can choose the Pay-What-You-Can option to choose a price that is right for them.
- There is no charge for up to two facilitators.
- A minimum of 8 participants is strongly recommended.
Option 2: Organization-Sponsored Registration
A church or organization may choose to cover registration for all participants using a sliding fee scale of $45, $60, or $75 per person, based on ability to pay.
- The organization will be billed a flat rate of the amount chosen below, which covers up to 8 participants.
- For groups larger than 8, the organization will be invoiced an additional $45, $60, or $75 per participant when the group begins, price depending on the chosen amount below.
- If the lowest fee is inaccessible to your organization or ministry, choose the Pay-What-You-Can Rate to learn about shared-cost or reduced-fee options.
What the Registration Fee Includes
- Comprehensive materials for each session (instant download upon purchase)
- Facilitation scripts, guidance, and training resources
- Retreat and immersion planning assistance
- Adaptations for virtual groups
- Direct access to program staff for ongoing support
- Books are an additional cost and may be purchased separately through the bookstore.
To ensure our programs remain accessible while remaining sustainable, we utilize a sliding fee scale of $45 to $75 for our registrations. We invite you to choose the registration tier that best reflects you or your faith community's current financial reality. Paying on the higher end allows us to keep the program affordable for all.
We also offer a Pay-What-You-Can Rate. If the lowest rate does not seem accessible to you or your church at this time, don’t let this be a barrier to participation. Contact our staff here to learn about shared-cost or reduced fee options.
What our program participants are saying
We as a group were called to act on our faith as a result of taking JustFaith Ministries’ program on migration. A couple nurses are learning the Spanish language. Others are greeting incoming refugees to Louisville at the airport. One volunteers at a tutoring center that we visited on our immersion experience (Doors to Hope). One continues to volunteer at La Casita. All in our group feel empowered and competent to speak the truths and facts of our immigrant neighbors to others in our community. All have an appreciation of the tireless efforts of an immigration lawyer from Louisville that was our guest speaker at session 5. As for me I will continue to facilitate JustFaith programs at my church.
Faith and Immigration Justice Overview, Sample Session, and Program Booklet
To get access to this program's overview, sample session and program booklet, complete the form below and you will receive an email with the downloadable materials.
Faith and Immigration Justice Promotion Kit
To get access to this program's promotional materials, complete the form below and you will receive an email with the downloads.