We have sponsored two families in the last three years and we are in the process of sponsoring a third family who are arriving once the COVID-19 pandemic is over - that is our hope and prayer. It is a family of three with the youngest under a year old. They are Iranian, having escaped persecution, and now living in Turkey. They were being fast tracked to get to Canada after being approved by Canadian officials, but the COVID-19 put the whole process on hold. We rejoice in the fact that they have been given approval from the Canadian Embassy - this will ensure that they can stay in Turkey until they get to Canada - and not be returned to Iran where their lives are at risk.
A team has been established and any questions can be directed to the Team Lead, Joan Kroeger. We invite you to participate by praying for this family - that they will be given their travel visas to come to Canada soon.
We have now raised the funds required for the year of sponsorship. Thank you for giving to help this family!
We have established a Sponsorship Team that will dedicated to fulfill the responsibilities of a sponsor group. To cover the key tasks described belown sub teams are being formed to help share the weight of the task.
If you are interested in being a part of this team, contact Joan Kroeger!
There is an incredibly rigorous, time consuming and thorough process that all immigrants to Canada must go through. To begin with, this process includes checking against immigration, law enforcement and security databases as well as personal interviews with immigration officers. Screening for communicable diseases and developing medical files also happens before an application is moved forward. The Canadian government is very transparent about this process and several excellent articles have been written, including the following by the Toronto Star:
Simply put, no. We are looking at the size of family we can support, seeking to understand their special and specific struggles, needs and culture, and preparing to provide the material and social support that will be needed throughout this process. Religion is not a consideration in our selection process.
We are actively looking for housing in the immediate Cloverdale (Surrey) area. If you have temporary (2 to 6 weeks) housing available, or if you know of a long term housing solution we want to connect with you. Please contact us via email at Refugee Team.
Please contact Joan in the church office to let PCC know what you want to donate. Email Joan
In partnership with the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination in Canada, we are able to sponsor a refugee family to become permanent residents in Canada. It is through the team of the Alliance Justice and Compassion that we are able to move forward with strength and confidence.
Visit the C&MA's website for all the information below and more. They have been a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) with Citizenship and Immigration Canada since February 2012, encouraging Alliance churches to engage in refugee sponsorship. They have supported Syrian refugee relief in Lebanon, Jordan, and with the Alliance church in Damascus over the last 2 ½ years. Joanne Beach, the director of Alliance Justice and Compassion, traveled to Lebanon and Jordan in December 2013 to visit refugees both in and outside the camps that local Alliance churches have been ministering to.
As a SAH, they are part of the Canadian SAH Association and have been working through this network to advocate on behalf of refugees. Dave Hearn, C&MA President, traveled to Iraq in October 2014 and encouraged churches to respond with radical hospitality to the displaced impacted by the crises in the Middle East.
In May 2015, Dave Hearn participated with other denominational presidents, who are part of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC), in a meeting with Citizenship and Immigration in Ottawa to encourage the Government of Canada to accept more Syrian refugees. They also committed to assist their local churches with sponsorship. As a result of the EFC initiative, the CMA will be serving as the umbrella SAH for three other denominations in order that their local churches can engage in sponsorship immediately while they go through the application process of becoming a SAH. They have added the Refugee Sponsorship section on the new C&MA website. They have established a Refugee Fund so people can donate to a sponsorship resettlement. This fund is a safety reserve for sponsoring groups to apply for unexpected financial emergencies outside of the resettlement budget. They have promoted refugee sponsorship through a variety of the Alliance Justice and Compassion social media sites.
A STORY OF SPONSORSHIP IMPACT WATCH VIDEO HERE