This is a "triple impact" giving opportunity for friends, churches, foundations and donors who see welcoming refugees as a priority and want to help build the refugee church in Canada! Every donation up to $200,000 will be tripled!
A long-term safe house and first (Canadian) home for refugees
When the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the Jesus Network and the Afghan Church, with the support of many generous donors, began the process of sponsoring many Christian Afghan refugee families to Canada. Before the crisis, the Afghan Church was on track to sponsor 3 families; after the crisis, they are now on track to sponsor 75 families.
Update: September 2024
We
praise God that as of September 1, over 130 Afghan refugees co-sponsored by the Afghan Church and partnering churches have arrived in
Canada! Many have joined one of three Afghan churches in North York, Scarborough, and Kitchener-Waterloo. Many refugees that are settled are now sponsoring family members, including Obed and Tarana. Obed's parents arrived in spring as refugees, too. His father, even though he remains a faithful Muslim, had been targeted by the Taliban because of Obed's Christian faith and had to flee for their safety. Obed and Tarana are navigating this new dynamic in their family with caution, but are taking advantage of the opportunity to share the gospel with them with their lives.
The Jesus Network recently put an offer on a house for $1.1 million, but we were, unfortunately, outbid. However, house prices are starting to fall in Toronto, so continue praying as we look for a special home at a special price.
Some refugees that have settled are looking to move east, where housing costs are lower. Do you know a church in Oshawa we could connect with to start a Bible Study? Message us at prayer@jesusnetwork.ca
Housing is a major challenge when refugee families arrive
When a refugee family arrives, we have to secure safe and stable housing for them. The main challenges are:
- We often only have days' notice that a family will be getting arriving, so we have to scramble to find an appropriate home.
- Sometimes a family is delayed at the last moment and we end up paying rent for an empty apartment.
- Every family has different housing needs.
- As much as possible, we want to place families near necessary social and support services, and near each other.
- Cost of rent has been skyrocketing.
Pray with us as we consider the possibilities
Thorncliffe House makes a lot of sense as an idea, but would be a very big change in the Jesus Network's ministry, and there are a lot of responsibilities and risks involved with home ownership. So please pray with us as we consider and explore this option:
- Pray as we investigate financing for this project. Consider how the Lord would have you help!
- Pray that if this is the way for us, the Lord to guide us to the right house in the right location
- Pray for a team who would be able to help us clean, renovate, and maintain the home