Refugee Forum

Last weekend the Oasis team attended a forum that was held in the city of Linz which is found in
Northern Austria. The forum was for Austrians in the local church who have a heart to reach the refugees and migrants in their community with the Good News about Jesus.
It was an encouragement to see the heart of these people, as Austrians normally have the reputation of being closed people, who has a fear of the stranger or those that are other.

It was a great chance for the attendees to network and gain resources as some of the people work alone in far flung parts of Austria. One resource that was shared was SD memory Cards that Refugee's can put into their phones, the card being full with an audible bible in their language.
Some of the Refugees come from people groups were it is not safe for them to be holding a Bible.
But a file on their mobile phone is a lot safer way, and also a way that they can always have God's word with them.

Another topic of the Forum was how to integrate non-Austrians into the German speaking Church.
Is it better that a church runs two services? A German one and then one in Swahili for example?
How to mix people with a foreign language into one Church service.
Again it was an encouragement to me to hear the Austrian church talk about how to embrace the migrants in their community and make one church that worships God together.