Meet Matt Reynolds.

Matt is the Executive Director of Refuge International, an organization based in Louisville, KY, that serves refugees. In this episode, he talked about the importance of partnering with churches to meet the needs of refugees and the challenges, opportunities, and blessings he experiences in this ministry.

Matt shared his learnings from living abroad in a foreign culture and how his overseas ministry experience has shaped his faith and helped him better relate to refugees and immigrants. He also spoke about his personal life, especially the adoption of his girls from another country. Toward the end, Matt and I discuss the changing face of missions today.

I hope that our conversation will motivate you to seek out a local organization that helps refugees and look for ways to volunteer with them.

Takeaways from this episode:

1. God is bringing the nations to our doorstep, giving us opportunities to share His love with them. Instead of being afraid of refugees, we can welcome them and find ways to care for them.
   
2. Ministering to immigrants and refugees does not require great skill or special abilities. All that is needed is a desire to love them and a willingness to serve them.
   
3. We need the help of local churches to mobilize resources that can benefit immigrant communities.
   
4. Communicating with people from other cultures can be frustrating or overwhelming, but we must remember that it takes time to build relationships and learn about new cultures. We can take small, consistent steps with patience and humility and our efforts will be rewarded in the long run.
   

Matt Reynolds is the Executive Director of Refuge International, an organization in Louisville, Kentucky, that exists to glorify God by partnering with local churches to love immigrants and refugees. Before serving at Refuge, Matt served overseas for thirteen and a half years with two different organizations, most recently as an area leader for teams serving in various countries in South Asia. Over this time period, he also served bi-vocationally as pastor for six years. Matt has an M.Div. and a Ph.D. in Biblical Spirituality from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Matt is married to Shannon and they have two daughters. He and his family are members of South East Christian Church. In his spare time, Matt enjoys music, reading, and tennis. Learn more about Refuge here.

An immigrant from India who has lived in seven cities across the U.S. in fourteen years, Mabel navigates between cultures, feeling at home everywhere and nowhere. In her first book, Far from Home: Discovering Your Identity as Foreigners on Earth, Mabel draws from her personal experience as an immigrant and examines the lives of biblical heroes to shed light on how we can find purpose and joy as sojourners on earth. Get her FREE digital resource, 7 Reasons Why Heaven Matters.

Download the tip sheet, Love Your Immigrant Neighbor : 5 Action Steps, here.