Christian World Service is encouraging Anglican churches to remember refugees in their prayers and giving on Refugee Sunday this 2 July.

CWS has asked churches and whānau to use Refugee Sunday this week as a launchpad to raise funds for refugees seeking safety over their immediate borders.

Anglicans who want to lend a hand to people fleeing present-day violence or persecution, can donate to CWS' humanitarian aid for refugees delivered by Middle Eastern, European or Asian church aid agencies, or by taking up a fundraising challenge with Operation Refugee. 

Operation Refugee raises money to fund refugee aid and development through sponsored activities that invite people taking part to share in an aspect of the refugee experience.

The three Operation Refugee challenges are the ‘Winter Walk’, ‘Food for Life’ or ‘Shelter Challenge’ where New Zealanders can ask friends and whānau to sponsor them to walk a long distance, sleep in a temporary shelter, or eat UNHCR camp rations for a day. 

Funds raised for Christian World Service through Operation Refugee go to their Council of Churches partners’ projects helping refugees in Pakistan (where there are 1.5 million refugees from Afghanistan), Poland (1.2 million from Ukraine), Jordan (2.65 million from Syria and Palestine) and Lebanon (1.5 million from Syria). 

Christian World Service has prepared a PDF of resources for churches to use this 2 July for Refugee Sunday 2023 called ‘Hope away from Home’. The resource includes Bible readings, prayers, children’s activities, and the story of a Ukrainian refugee family’s lives as refugees in Poland. 

Download the Refugee Sunday PDF here.