Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Lakewood will host a presentation about how families can help minister to refugees in our midst, including the growing Burmese population. The hour-long presentation will take place from 10:15 to 11:15 am on Sunday, Nov. 2 in the Gethsemane downstairs fellowship hall, 14560 Madison Avenue. Brian Upton of Building Hope in the City, an organization committed to strengthening urban ministry, will present.

According to a recent Plain Dealer article, the current Lakewood Burmese community numbers about two dozen families. Several hundred more individuals are expected within the coming year. The Burmese refugees have been displaced as a result of a civil war that spans more than 60 years, affecting the mostly Christian Karen, an ethnic minority in Burma.

Local Lutheran churches are exploring how they can better serve their refugee neighbors. For example, Messiah Lutheran Church in Fairview Park is already seeking mentoring families. At Gethsemane—which recently adopted the mission statement of “ordinary people bringing the extraordinary love of Jesus Christ to the world,” this is just one possible way to tangibly demonstrate that love.