Equipped to Welcome & Belong 2026
Hosted jointly by Welcome Churches and Mission Action Partnership (MAP)
Equipped to Welcome & Belong is an in-person morning conference in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland for churches and refugees following Jesus to learn more about welcome and belonging in the local church.
Welcome Churches’ vision is for every refugee and migrant to be welcomed by their local church. Bringing together Christians arriving and settling in Northern Ireland and the churches that are welcoming them, this event is a unique opportunity to celebrate the incredible contributions that refugees, people seeking asylum and migrants make to their local communities.
Equipped to Welcome & Belong is also a place for people of all cultural backgrounds and experiences to discuss the role of the Church as part of the integration of new arrivals in the NI. Come ready to be inspired, informed and connected.
Who is this event for?
Church leaders and volunteers who are committed to helping refugees and people seeking asylum, Welcome Network churches, Welcome Plus churches, churches and individuals who are at the beginning of learning how to support refugees as well as those who have many years of experience.
Refugees and people seeking asylum who are followers of Jesus
Equipped to Welcome & Belong is a unique opportunity to come together as Christians, encourage one another and build connections and community.
Why should I attend?
Celebrate and learn from the array of knowledge, gifts and experiences of refugees
Hear stories of God’s faithfulness to refugees and people seeking asylum.
Experience multilingual worship in a larger setting
Be inspired to learn and grow together in our intercultural church communities
Be equipped to provide practical and emotional support and welcome.
Learn new ways to reach refugees and people seeking asylum in your local community.
Support the Christian refugee community by gathering together.
The role of churches in refugee achievement
The journey of refugees, people seeking asylum and migrants continues once they arrive in Northern Ireland. Migrants face many challenges on arrival, including social isolation, language barriers, mental wellbeing problems and financial pressures. Yet with the support and encouragement of communities of Christians across NI, migrants can re-establish their lives and contribute richly to our churches and communities.
Food
There will be refreshments in the form of tea/coffee on arrival, and a refreshment break mid- morning with pastries/scones.
Program
09.00 am Registration Opens – Tea/Coffee on arrival
09.30 am Main Session 1 : The Kin-dom of God: A Biblical Vision for an Intercultural Church: Paul Lutton
10.15 am Seminars A
Intro to Welcome Churches: Samuel Luak
Cross-Cultural Awareness: ANON
Teaching English – Sharing Jesus: Colin Dickson and Stuart Burnham
11.00 am Coffee Break
11.30 am Seminars B
Moving Beyond the Welcome – Hospitality and Building Friendship: Samuel Luak
Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR): An intervention that helps give skills to survivors of traumatic events and to those that work with them: Kristin Toso
Intercultural Church and Worship: Noah Bartlett & friends
12.15 pm Panel
12.50 pm Wrap-up & Close
Main Session 1: The Kin-dom of God: A Biblical Vision for an Intercultural Church
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible tells the story of God making a home among his people. This opening plenary explores how the gospel creates not a single culture but a reconciled family, one people drawn from many peoples, so that the church itself becomes a living sign of God’s welcome, leaving no room for racism and every reason for shared life and worship across cultures.
Plenary Speaker – Paul Lutton
Bio: Paul Lutton is Minister of Newtownbreda Presbyterian Church in Belfast, where he is learning—alongside the congregation—what it means to become a more genuinely intercultural church rooted in Scripture and shaped by God’s welcome. With his wife he writes occasionally at www.attentionseekers.org, reflecting on faith, culture, and the everyday practice of attentive, hospitable discipleship.
Seminars A
'Teaching English - Sharing Jesus'
Welcoming newcomers to this island involves integral mission, that is, presenting the gospel as well as helping in practical ways. We have a desire to help people, not only learn English but also to learn about the love of God in Jesus Christ.
Brief Bios:
Colin Dickson, previously Presbyterian Church in Ireland Missionary to Israel/Palestine and Jordan for 10 years. Currently Presbyterian Minister and Project Leader of International Meeting Point where we seek to engage in integral mission through ‘loving God and loving the stranger in the city’. Deut. 10:19
Stuart Burnham, previously a Baptist Pastor and missionary with SIM, Stuart is now serving as the UK and Ireland Mobiliser for ReachAcross, a mission agency for the Muslim world, as well as UK and Ireland Training Coordinator for Al Massira, a discipleship course for Muslim seekers.
Further information on more of our speakers is coming soon.
Refunds Policy
In the unlikely event that you need to cancel your ticket for this event, please note that Eventbrite will retain 6.95% of the ticket cost, plus £0.59, plus VAT at 20%. Unfortunately, we are unable to process any refunds after Wednesday, 15 April.
Event queries: map@globalconnections.org.uk
Refunding/ticketing queries: info@welcomechurches.org