Accompany
In social ministry, FLC has especially been focused on accompaniment of refugees, immigrants, global partners and local friends who struggle to get by. Read below to learn more.
To accompany is to attend to another as a companion.
The word accompaniment connects with our passion for music, but also with ministries of walking with one another in our joys and struggles. Jesus’ famous encouragement to this ministry is found in Matthew 25: “inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”
A Little History
Following WWII, as a congregation we welcomed numerous displaced persons (38 members) from Eastern Europe, taking on responsibility for their housing and employment (see newspaper article on this page). Later on, FLC helped to support Vietnamese, Chilean, and Central American refugees. Early on, FLC became a Sanctuary Congregation (you can read our sanctuary statement, below).
Recent Refugee Accompaniment
We’ve been involved in accompaniment with several families from Central America seeking asylum in the US court system. This accompaniment has involved being together at church, going through the court system, sharing life’s challenges and victories around housing, childcare, health, parties, legal issues, work, transportation and the pandemic shut downs. We raise money to help these families get through. You can donate by clicking here and filling out the form to contact the financial secretary.
Our Sister Congregation in El Salvador
Rios de Agua Viva is our Lutheran sister congregation in El Salvador. Over many years we’ve been involved through mutual visits, exchange of greetings and especially various ways we’ve given – including the support of students through scholarships all the way through school. Once a month we use a processional cross that was a gift from this congregation, include them in our prayers and exchange the peace in Spanish.
Sanctuary Declaration
“In declaring ourselves a sanctuary church FLC pledges itself to be a sanctuary, a safe haven, for any persons who are victims of oppression, displacement, injustice. This pledge grows out of our commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the good news to all people and to the biblical mandate to minister especially to the widows, orphans and the strangers in our land … as part of our commitment … we pledge that we will continue and deepen our involvement with refugee ministry through organizations such as South Bay Sanctuary Covenant, Lutheran Social Services, and LIRS … we pledge that, as a congregation, through study, prayer, action and advocacy, we will especially lift up issues involving oppression and injustice, and will be open and available to victims of oppression and injustice, including, but not limited to, racial, ethnic and religious discrimination, sexual abuse and child abuse.”