By Phil Haslanger
Collaboration Project Story Team

As the national debate around issues of immigration continues to swirl and divide people across the nation, people in Madison area churches are looking at hands-on ways to live out the Biblical injunction to “welcome the stranger.” 

For the Collaboration Project, that has involved bringing people together to share ideas, offer support and ponder new approaches.

Last April, at the first gathering of the Immigration Affinity group, Pastor. Marcio Sierra from Lighthouse Church set the tone when he said, “The churches in Madison needs to open their eyes to the reality of what we have in Madison. A lot of believers here are immigrants.” (You can read more about that gathering here.)

Since then, there have a variety of efforts ranging from one church providing sanctuary to an immigrant family seeking asylum here to another congregation hosting the Community Immigration Law Center. There are other churches, of course, that have done work with individual immigrants and provided friendly worshipping spaces for a variety of groups. 

The Collaboration Project  joined with other groups in October for a two-day conference to help faith communities help Hispanics and Latinos overcome adverse experiences that have consequences for their mental health.

During this year’s Kingdom Justice Summit, one of the Saturday, March 7 intensives, will focus on immigration. Pastor Marcio Sierra will be joined by Pastor Adam Clausen in facilitating the session. Among those helping to provide the content will be staff from Lighthouse Church, Community Immigration Law Center and others.

The goal for the day is leave participants more informed about the current realities around immigration in Dane County and how individuals and churches  can better support the immigrant community in our area.

The Immigration Intensive will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 7 at Christ Presbyterian Church at 944 E. Gorham St. in Madison.

Registration for either the entire Kingdom Justice Summit or just the Immigration Intensive is available here. Lunch is included for the Saturday intensive.