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THOSE WHO LOVE PEACE

MUST LEARN
TO ORGANIZE
AS EFFECTIVELY
AS

THOSE WHO LOVE WAR.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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History

Friends of Refugees (FOR) Alliance began four years ago when a group of believers from churches across the Tampa Bay area gathered to pray. The burden on our hearts was clear: How can we, as the Church, serve refugees more effectively—together?

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While many services existed to support refugees in our region, many newly arriving families didn’t know how to access them. Even more troubling, entire communities were isolated—unable to benefit from support that was technically “available” but practically out of reach.

 

What was missing wasn’t just access—it was connection. Not just services, but presence. Not just good intentions, but coordinated action.

 

It became clear that to truly love and serve our refugee neighbors, the Body of Christ needed to break down silos and come together in unity. That’s when the idea of an alliance began to take shape: a network of believers and organizations committed to collaborating across barriers, coordinating our efforts, and creating a community where refugees could encounter the love and presence of Christ through His people.

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Then came wave after wave of crisis:

  • Afghanistan fell to the Taliban.

  • Ukraine was invaded.

  • Violence escalated in Haiti and Central America.

  • War persisted in Syria, Congo, and Sudan.

  • Tens of thousands were arrested in Iran.
     

Through countless conversations with refugee friends, and with those still enduring conflict abroad, the vision of FOR Alliance grew sharper: we aren’t just called to provide resources—we are called to offer relationship, community, and hope. A place where families who have endured trauma can rebuild. A place where they don’t just receive help, but are seen, known, and welcomed by Christ-followers walking with them. A place of restoration.

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Today, FOR Alliance works with churches and partner organizations to  love our refugee neighbors with compassion and intentionality through unified, coordinated, and Spirit-led action.

Values

We affirm the inerrancy, authority, power, wisdom, and beauty of Scripture. As we seek to bless our city, we do this by living according to the teachings of Jesus. In light of this, we are committed to:

Respect

Relating to others without pretension or discrimination; honoring the dignity of each human; expressing this respect in cultural forms that are understood and valued; honoring others' personhood, volition, and autonomy
James 2:2-4, 2 Corinthians 5:16

Integrity

Transparency and authenticity: no deception, no manipulation, no exploitation
2 Corinthians 4:2, 2 Corinthians 8:21
 

Humility

Rejection of pride and arrogance; engaging with a posture of servanthood that mirrors the example of Christ
Philippians 2:3-8, Matthew 20:25-27
 

Patience

Not insisting on our own way; handling time generously
1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Honesty

Speaking truthfully, loving genuinely
Colossians 3:9-10, Romans 12:9
 

Privacy

Honoring boundaries; being trustworthy; treating individuals with full personhood and the dignity that this calls for, not as projects
Luke 6:31, Romans 12:15

Protection

Fulfilling policies that uphold the safety of communities that we serve; being proactive rather than reactive; moving beyond good intent to good practice 

Proverbs 3:27-28, Jeremiah 22:3, Isaiah 1:17

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Understanding

Replacing assumptions with awareness; taking the time to understand communities that we serve; listening more than we speak

Philippians 1:9-11, James 3:13, Proverbs 4:7, Proverbs 11:2

 

Unity

Maintaining unity in the Spirit and in how we serve together; collaborating in a way that invites different parts of the body to be involved in a a dynamic that is orderly, mutually encouraging, and glorifying to God
John 17:20-23, Philippians 2:1-4, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, John 13:35


Love

Practicing love according to its biblical definition, as innately tied to the Gospel of Jesus Christ; as imitators of Jesus; in a posture that seeks to serve rather than control; in alignment to God’s mandates; maintaining all other ideologies in submission to his Lordship, as the highest commands that rises above and encapsulates all others

John 3:16, Mark 12:30-31, Matthew 5:45

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