Welcome House Raleigh January 2023 Newsletter

Happy New Year to You!

The New Year brings new opportunities to continue the celebration of Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. These gifts do not end at Christmas but are treasures we carry into the coming days, weeks and months. Here at Welcome House Raleigh, we share these gifts by offering welcome and hospitality to refugee and asylum seekers in our community. As you continue reading, you can learn why this ministry matters. You will catch a glimpse of the joy that surrounds our work. AND you will find ways to join us in setting a table for our newest neighbors.

The founders of Welcome House Raleigh are Marc and Kim Wyatt. They hold many titles including - CBF Field Personnel. Their work and ministry is supported by churches and individuals through the Offering for Global Missions. Recently, they were able to travel to Richmond, VA and thank the gathered saints of Monument Heights Baptist Church. This congregation was the first to support Marc and Kim in their ministry decades ago. We are so grateful for Monument Heights and all the other churches, a few of which are pictured below, who have joined with Baptists around the world to ensure that everyone has "A Place at the Table."

If you would like to give to the Offering for Global Missions click the image above.

Michelle Hays is a WHR Community Liaison and has been instrumental in launching a new Welcome House in South Raleigh. The very first family to stay in the house were refugees from Ecuador.

This family of four started the difficult work of building a new life in a strange land with a bit of help, support and friendship. Their extended family was also granted refugee status but were resettled in a different state. The families had incredibly different experiences. We were able to clearly see the impact that Welcome House creates for our guests and their beginnings. Click here to read Michelle's reflections.

As you read, please pray with us that this ministry of welcome would capture the attention, hearts and imagination of more people. Please pray for all those who seek shelter and safety and are forced to leave their homes. And finally, know of our gratitude. We cannot say it enough. This work is accomplished because many people have caught a holy vision of how life in community could be and how table fellowship can bring us all ever closer to the Kingdom of God here and now. Thank you for pulling up a chair of welcome and friendship for our guests. It is not an insignificant gift.

What a privilege to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas with our Welcome House families! There were feasts and gingerbread houses and carols. We reveled in sharing meals and the traditions of the season. Thank you to all of the folks who provided Christmas bags of gifts for our families. In each bag we were able to share a card with a link to the Christmas story in each family's heart language. Check out a few of the pictures below.

Thanksgiving at Ridge Road Baptist. . .

Making Gingerbread Houses. . .

Carols and Cheer. . .

We were so grateful to these musicians and their creative fundraiser. They braved the cold temperatures and warmed all our hearts. Read the article below and hear from two recent WHR guests.

Please consider if you or a group of your friends or your Sunday School class or your Mission Circle or your web coding class or your extended family would like to sign up to provide groceries for a week at Welcome House. This is a critical way to support families in their first days in America. Use the button below to see the list of groceries needed each week and sign up for the week you would like to set the table!

Welcome House works because people come together. By sharing what we have and offering ourselves to God's faithful work in this world, we are able to build a bigger table and welcome our neighbors with joy and confidence. Thank you for your support and partnership.

We want to celebrate this ministry with you IN PERSON!!! We hope you will mark SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 2023 on your calendars for our 1st Annual Welcome House Summit. We will gather at Trinity Baptist Church in Raleigh. Details will be forthcoming but SAVE THE DATE for this important gathering.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Click Here to give now to Welcome House Raleigh through the CBF of NC website. Under Additional Information - in the drop down menu:"Where would you like to direct your gift?"

PLEASE CHOOSE "WELCOME HOUSE (WYATT MINISTRY)"

If you would like to mail your gift, kindly use this address:

CBFNC 2640 Reynolda Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27106

Please indicate on your check: Welcome House Raleigh

If you would like to volunteer or learn more about Welcome House,

click here to access our website and reach out to us.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Welcome House Raleigh is part of CBF North Carolina's Welcome House Community Network, a collaborative missions program of CBFNC, CBF field personnel, partner churches and individuals that provides hospitality ministry to vulnerable neighbors across the state.