6 July 2025

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Bible readings for today

• 2 Kings 5:1-14 
• Psalm 30 
• Galatians 6: (1-6),7-16
• Luke 10:1-11,16-20 

Collect

Sovereign God, 
we have no good apart from you; 
gladden our hearts in following your radical call 
so that in your presence we may find the fullness of joy; 
through Jesus Christ our Liberator, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Refugee Sunday

As the number of refugees passes 37.6 million (2023), we are now more aware of displaced people more than ever. And with growing calls to increase the refugee quota here, the church has a great opportunity to extend grace, manaakitanga and love to refugees arriving in Aotearoa New Zealand.

‘When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt.’
​Matthew 2:13-14

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Why do people become refugees?

People are forced to flee—from war and violence; from natural disasters; from religious persecution, political oppression, and ethnic injustice; from food crisis, drought, and famine. They have no choice but to leave behind their land, their homes, their belongings, and their sense of identity. They run in fear for their lives, either within their own country (internally displaced people) or to another country entirely (refugees). And the heaviest toll is felt by the children. 
- World Vision

Refugee Numbers

Check out these most recent figures from the United Nations Refugee Agency (updated 1 July 2023)​

• 117.3 million forcibly displaced people worldwide at the end of 2023 as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order (NOTE: It was 82.4 million in 2020)
• 68.3 million are internally displaced people
• 37.6 million are refugees
• 6.9 million were asylum seekers
• 5.8 million are other people in need of international protection

• 73% originate from just five countries: Afghanisatan, Syrian Arab Republic, Venezuela, Ukraine, South Sudan.
• 39% hosted in five countries: Islamic Republic of Iran, Turkey, Colombia, Germany, Pakistan.
• 47 million refugees are children (NOTE: 35 million in 2020)
• 2 million children were born as refugees (NOTE: 1 million in 2020)
• 1.2million refugees returned or were resettled (NOTE: 285,400 refugees in 2020)
• 75% are hosted in low- and middle-income countries
• 4.4 million stateless persons
• 69% hosted by neighbouring countries. 

Operation Refugee

• Christian World Service remind us to remember refugees and displaced people in your prayers on Refugee Sunday. As a member of ACT Alliance (Action by Churches Together), CWS is in touch with many local organisations working with them.
• Find out more about Operation Refugee, a day of fundraising and profiling the needs of refugees here

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Jesus was a refugee

Jesus was a Refugee - get the book/graphics on the Lost Sheep website and you can watch the story being read here 

Worship Resources

Worship resources from CWS may help you profile Refugee Sunday in your worship services. Download here

Jesus sends out 72 disciples (Luke 10:1-11)

In today's gospel reading, Jesus sends out 72 disciples in. pairs, sending them ahead to the places he was to travel to. 

Gospel Conversations

A resource from the Dunedin Diocese. Jesus is disrupting the comfort of his followers and casting them out to bring peace to the nations in this week's gospel. It's unsettling and yet joyful! Our team come from the length of the country this week, with Jonathan Gale, Gillian Townsley and Richard Johnson joining Archdeacon Mike Godfrey.

Ideas

Object talk using a suitcase (Sermons4kids)

Visio Lectio

Another great illustration from Rev. Sarah West from the Auckland Diocese, shared here with permission for use in your churches. 
PNG Download
Terms of Use

Media

The healing of Naaman (2 Kings: 1-14)

Activities

There are four printable activities to go with the story: retelling part of the story, an acrostic poem, a reversible puppet, and a review game.
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Download the resources from this website

Media