The Welcome Network
Your Church’s Journey of Welcome
Welcome Churches brings together more than 1,400 churches across the UK, all sharing a commitment to welcoming refugees, people seeking asylum and people from different cultural backgrounds.
Every church is at a different stage. Some are just beginning to explore how they can offer welcome, while others have established teams, active welcome ministries or are developing as intercultural churches. Some also want to support the wider mission of Welcome Churches.
To recognise these different stages and commitments, the Welcome Network has four categories:
Essential, Equip and Elevate describe three stages in the development of your church’s welcome ministry. Mission Partner is a separate commitment that can sit alongside any of these stages, or be joined independently.
You do not need to have everything in place before getting started. Wherever your church is on its journey, there is a place for you in the Welcome Network.
1. Essential: Explore and Begin
The starting point for joining the Welcome Network.
An Essential Church wants to explore how it can welcome refugees, people seeking asylum and people from different cultural backgrounds.
You do not need an established welcome ministry, a trained team or previous experience. This is an opportunity to learn about the vision of Welcome Churches, understand the needs of newcomers and explore how your church can get involved.
As an Essential Church, you can:
Learn about the experiences and needs of refugees and people seeking asylum.
Explore practical ways to welcome people from different cultural backgrounds.
Identify opportunities to serve people in your local community.
Discuss possible areas of involvement with your church leaders.
Access free training and resources to help you get started.
Your next step: Take time to learn, pray and explore how your church can begin offering welcome.
Get started: Complete our online application to join the Welcome Network.
2. Equip: Train and Put Welcome into Practice
Developing a team and building a practical welcome ministry.
An Equip Church (previously known as a Welcome Plus Church) has moved beyond initial interest and is developing an active welcome ministry.
Your church has people who are trained and ready to welcome and support refugees and people from different cultural backgrounds. This may include a welcome coordinator, team leaders and volunteer befrienders.
Your welcome ministry may involve building relationships, helping newcomers access local services, connecting them with community activities and creating opportunities for them to participate in church life.
As an Equip Church, you will seek to:
Train and support your welcome coordinators and volunteers.
Develop the skills and confidence needed for their roles.
Build meaningful relationships with newcomers.
Understand different cultures, experiences and needs.
Help newcomers participate in church and community life.
Put appropriate safeguarding procedures and clear responsibilities in place.
Continue learning through training, resources and shared experiences.
Your next step: Strengthen your welcome team, develop your ministry and explore further training opportunities.
Welcome Churches is developing new training to support coordinators, team leaders and volunteers. Look out for announcements about upcoming opportunities.
3. Elevate: Grow as an Intercultural Church
Empowering people from different backgrounds to participate, contribute and lead.
An Elevate Church wants to go further than welcoming people into existing church activities. It seeks to become an intercultural community where people from different cultural and language backgrounds can belong, share their gifts and take an active part in church life and mission.
This means learning from one another and allowing different cultural perspectives to shape the life of the church.
As an Elevate Church, you will seek to:
Understand what it means to become an intercultural church.
Build meaningful relationships across cultural and language differences.
Identify and address barriers that may prevent people from participating fully.
Encourage people from different backgrounds to use their gifts and talents.
Develop opportunities for shared learning and leadership.
Consider how worship, discipleship and mission can reflect the diversity of your church community.
Equip and empower leaders from different cultural backgrounds.
Becoming an intercultural church takes time, commitment and a willingness to learn and change. It is about building a community where everyone can participate, contribute and belong together.
Your next step: Reflect on your church life, encourage mutual learning and create opportunities for people from different backgrounds to shape your shared life and mission.
4. Mission Partner: Support the Wider Mission
Working together to grow a wider culture of welcome.
A Mission Partner Church wants to support the wider vision and work of Welcome Churches as part of its own mission.
You do not need to run a local welcome ministry or have refugees and people seeking asylum living in your immediate community to become a Mission Partner.
Your church can become a Mission Partner whether it is already an Essential, Equip or Elevate Church, or whether it wants to support our work independently.
As a Mission Partner, your church can support our mission through:
Prayer: Praying for refugees, people seeking asylum, churches and the wider work of Welcome Churches.
Advocacy: Encouraging other churches to get involved in welcoming newcomers.
People: Offering volunteers and sharing professional skills and experience.
Resources: Providing facilities or other practical support.
Giving: Supporting our work through regular donations or a one-off gift.
Mission Partner Churches may also have the opportunity to welcome a member of the Welcome Churches team to speak at their church about refugee ministry and the wider mission of welcome.
Your next step: Speak with your church leadership or mission team and contact us to explore how your church could become a Mission Partner.
Our Commitment to Every Network Church
Whatever category your church belongs to, we want to help you grow in your understanding and practice of welcome.
All Welcome Network churches can access free training and resources to help them welcome and support refugees, people seeking asylum and people from different cultural backgrounds.
We are also developing new training opportunities to help churches build practical skills, grow in cultural understanding and develop their welcome ministries.
Whether your church is just getting started, already has an established team or is working towards becoming an intercultural church, we are here to support you.
