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St. Martin-in-the-Fields
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Refugee Resettlement Ministry

Who/how does the ministry serve?

Launched in 2016, the Refugee Resettlement Ministry (RRM) at St. Martin’s was created out of concern by several members of the parish about the global refugee crisis, particularly coming out of Syria. St. Martin’s Refugee Resettlement Ministry joins with leaders of faith communities, secular organizations, and citizens in the Philadelphia area to resettle refugees in a safe, secure, and welcoming environment.

We help resettle refugees as guided by the Bible in Leviticus 19:34: "The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the stranger as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God."

Who is involved?

RRM is led by a committee comprised of St. Martin's lay leaders, including: Andrew Christman, Ben Baehr, Hal Taussig, Lyn Buchheit, Marnie Kerr, Mims Zabriskie, Rich Himmer, Susan McBridge, Tanya Regli, Lanie Dilks, and Sandy Lentz. St. Martin's is a member of the New Sanctuary Movement, with whom we have taken action over the past several years. Other collaborators include other churches in the Wissahickon Deanery, the Church of the Crucifixion, HIAS PA, Nationalities Service Center, POWER's Live Free Strategy Team, the Driving PA Forward Coalition, JUNTOS, and the Shut Down Berks Coalition.

How do I get involved?

Anyone interest in working with and building up this ministry is welcome to join us for regular Zoom meetings. Contact Tanya Regli or Marnie Kerr for more details.

You can also donate diapers to RRM's weekly Diaper Drive. Read more here.

Identify successes.

The Refugee Resettlement Ministry (RRM) was founded in summer 2016 as a response to the world refugee crisis. The RRM began as part of a coalition of local churches helping to facilitate the resettlement of a young Syrian woman, Samra, who attends LaSalle University on a student visa, and Mohamad, and a young student at Friends Select School, now at Bard College. In October 2016, the RRM began fundraising efforts in preparation to host a refugee family. In December 2016, St. Martin’s welcomed the Dahans, a Syrian refugee family of four, to Philadelphia. Over the past two years, a core group of 20 parishioners and community members, supported by untold numbers in the St. Martin’s community, have ensured the Dahan family’s resettlement through generous donations of time, goods, and services. The RRM has hosted several public and private fundraisers raising over $30,000, and St. Martin’s Committee Engagement committee’s operating budget has contributed $20,000 to Samra’s LaSalle tuition. Together, our community coordinated the Dahan’s housing and transportation, and supported their access to healthcare, employment, and education. The RRM is currently developing goals for the future in light of the Dahan family’s increasing independence and the changed landscape of refugee resettlement in the US. This discernment process has included a steering committee retreat, participation in the Community Engagement Forum, two summer Book Club sessions (Toxic Charity by Richard Lupton), and most recently, discussions with parishioners at Homecoming Sunday.

During the pandemic RRM has been able to provide $6,000 in support of crucial work with immigrants and Afghan refugees.
We were able to provide housing and food for a displaced asylee from Venezuela and return him to a support system in New York.
We have provided hundreds of immigrant families in South Philadelphia with diapers and supplies through JUNTOS and the Church of the Crucifixion.
Congregation members became part of advocacy teams at NSM, including
  • The Free Carmela Campaign, which resulted in the freedom of Carmela Apolonio Hernandez and her children.
  • Driving PA Forward, which has put forward legislation at the state level. Team members have helped draft clergy letters, gotten signatures, made calls and engage others in making calls.
  • Shut Down Berks Coalition: team members have participated in regular planning meetings, legislative calls, and rallies.

What are some struggles?

As refugee programs began to diminish because of reduced Federal support, RRM began a discernment process to find other ways to support immigrants in our community. Through reflection and planning RRM began to look for healthy ways to support immigrant led organizations and be effective allies. The pandemic also created additional barriers to connecting with immigrants while also creating more imminent needs around food and shelter.

No results found.


News

Community Engagement Handbook

Community Engagement Handbook

The Community Engagement Committee at St. Martin's (CEC) provides support, oversight, and funding for the community engagement ministries of St. Martin’s as they work in direct service, granting, advocacy, and organizing to advance a transforma...
Read More
Help Refugee Resettlement Ministry Support an Afghan Refugee Family

Help Refugee Resettlement Ministry Support an Afghan Refugee Family

The St. Martin’s Refugee Resettlement Ministry is working with an Afghan family who came to the United States in October, escaping the Taliban takeover. Since then, they have been living in temporary housing in University City—close to the Ch...
Read More
Refugee Resettlement Ministry Supporting Special Immigrant Visas for Afghan Refugees

Refugee Resettlement Ministry Supporting Special Immigrant Visas for Afghan Refugees

Posted March 2, 2022 We are all concerned about the Afghans who fled from The Taliban in airlifts to the US in 2021. They were men and women who had jeopardized their lives and those of their families in search of a better life. However, unli...
Read More
Report from the September 2021 Community Engagement Committee Retreat

Report from the September 2021 Community Engagement Committee Retreat

On Saturday, September 25, representatives of St. Martin’s ministries engaged in outreach activities met to share information about their work, clarify the common values across all community engagement efforts, and plan for the future. We are ...
Read More
Migrants

Migrants

Posted September 21, 2021 The scenes in Del Rio, Texas, of Haitian migrants huddled under a bridge upset me in many ways. I have a long history with Haiti and my heart went out to these desperate and vulnerable people seeking safety and we...
Read More

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Tanya Regli

Leader of Refugee Resettlement Ministry

267-847-1167

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Calendar

Saturday, 6/25 at 11:00 AM
Saturday Bible Study
Sunday, 6/26 at 8:00 AM
Spoken Holy Eucharist with sermon
Sunday, 6/26 at 9:00 AM
LIFT Intergenerational Worship
Sunday, 6/26 at 10:30 AM
Choral Eucharist with sermon
Sunday, 6/26 at 12:00 PM
Worship Reflections In Person
Sunday, 6/26 at 6:00 PM
Online: Al-Anon Sunday-Nighters
Sunday, 6/26 at 8:00 PM
A.A. (in person)
Monday, 6/27 at 7:30 AM
Morning Prayer via Zoom (SM)

Saturday Bible Study

Saturday, June 25, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

St. Martin's Staff Person is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Bible Study Time: Apr 30, 2022 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Every week on Sat, 20 occurrence(s) Apr 30, 2022 11:00 AM May 7, 2022 11:00 AM May 14, 2022 11:00 AM May 21, 2022 11:00 AM May 28, 2022 11:00 AM Jun 4, 2022 11:00 AM Jun 11, 2022 11:00 AM Jun 18, 2022 11:00 AM Jun 25, 2022 11:00 AM Jul 2, 2022 11:00 AM Jul 9, 2022 11:00 AM Jul 16, 2022 11:00 AM Jul 23, 2022 11:00 AM Jul 30, 2022 11:00 AM Aug 6, 2022 11:00 AM Aug 13, 2022 11:00 AM Aug 20, 2022 11:00 AM Aug 27, 2022 11:00 AM Sep 3, 2022 11:00 AM Sep 10, 2022 11:00 AM Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system. Weekly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZUqcO2urDkiEtG0nVu446eUnvON7mB33m5G/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGpqTwuHNaXuBGCRpwcB4_CLO7zpnpHj7d6zBHTFnQHNAbDOPRtHOVyMouD Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81774622885 Meeting ID: 817 7462 2885 One tap mobile +16465588656,,81774622885# US (New York) +13017158592,,81774622885# US (Washington DC) Dial by your location +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 817 7462 2885 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kd4ikOkS2Z

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-0400 America/New_York 1 -464

Spoken Holy Eucharist with sermon

Sunday, June 26, 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Live-streamed to YouTube.com/StMartinECPhilly and StMartinEC.org/live.

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-0400 America/New_York 1 -464

LIFT Intergenerational Worship

Sunday, June 26, 9:00 AM - 9:40 AM

Click here to view on Google Calendar.

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-0400 America/New_York 1 -464

Choral Eucharist with sermon

Sunday, June 26, 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Live-streamed to YouTube.com/StMartinECPhilly and StMartinEC.org/live.

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-0400 America/New_York 1 -464

Worship Reflections In Person

Sunday, June 26, 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM

In person only.

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Online: Al-Anon Sunday-Nighters

Sunday, June 26, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Click here to view on Google Calendar.

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-0400 America/New_York 1 -464

A.A. (in person)

Sunday, June 26, 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Click here to view on Google Calendar.

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-0400 America/New_York 1 -464

Morning Prayer via Zoom (SM)

Monday, June 27, 7:30 AM - 8:00 AM

Join Zoom Meeting See your Field Notes email for the Zoom link. Call in only: +16465588656,,856472224# US (New York) Meeting ID: 856 472 224 One tap mobile

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Sermons

  • Jun 5 | The Rev. Dr. Nora Johnson
    Beatitudes for Pride
  • Jun 5 | The Rev. James H. Littrell
    Ticks in the Boxwoods
  • May 29 | The Rev. David F. Potter
    Where Do We Go From Here?
  • May 28 | The Rev. James H. Littrell
    New Every Morning
  • May 22 | The Rev. James H. Littrell
    River

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8000 St. Martin's Lane · Philadelphia, PA 19118
215.247.7466
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Service Times

Join us online for Sunday morning worship!

  • 8:00 a.m. Traditional spoken Holy Eucharist with sermon - live streamed.
  • 9:00 a.m. Living in Faith Together: Outdoor, intergenerational worship with eucharist, immediately followed by formation at 9:40
  • 10:30 a.m. Traditional Holy Eucharist with music and sermon - live streamed.

StMartinEC.org/live

Location

St. Martin-in-the-Fields
8000 St. Martin's Lane
Philadelphia, PA 19118

Contact Us
215.247.7466

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