Churches Together For Immigrant Neighbors

Earlier this year we asked ourselves: What would we do if ICE showed up during Sunday worship? What is a safe and lawful response? How might the wrong response put us or our immigrant neighbors at even greater risk? Daunting questions!

Christ Church members joined with others in our community, including Trinity Presbyterian, for a Zoom presentation in in Wells Hall in March for “Rapid Response Training” by the Immigrant Solidarity Network, a statewide organization supporting immigrants from their first interaction with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) or CBP (Customs and Border Protection) and continuing to support them, as required, with legal representation and other resources.

The training culminated in a call to sign up for Rapid Response teams in our local areas. These teams provide immediate help to immigrant neighbors when confronted with government agents: from serving as witnesses to the action, videotaping the event, providing moral support to the persons and families involved, and following up with reports to the state network.

Christ Church and Trinity Presbyterian committed to follow up with further discussion and we are invited to a lunch at Trinity (6th and Division) on Sunday, July 12, 2026 at 12 noon.
Trinity is providing the food; we only need to RSVP and then show up. The tentative agenda includes:

-Gather and get food
-Sit at mixed tables (different churches) of about eight people. Use “starter questions” provided to get
discussion going
-Pesentations to guide further discussion
-Wrap Up and next steps
-Clean Up

This is a wonderful opportunity to join our siblings in Christ and begin the steps to help our immigrant neighbors.

RSVP is required so Trinity can plan the food. If you plan to attend please RSVP by July 1 to [email protected] and indicate if you need either vegetarian or gluten-free food.

Watch for posters around the campus and reminders in The Weekly. The Gospel calls us to welcome the strangers among us. Come and learn new ways to answer that Call!

In solidarity,
Van Hardison