Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Romans 13:10
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.
Proverbs 3:27
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge...
2 Peter 1:5
SAFETY & DIGNITY
A COMMITMENT TO PROTECT
Safety
From the first day, our work in Tampa Bay has placed highest significance on protective measures to promote the safety of communities who we serve and have the privilege to call our friends. As FOR Alliance grew, it became evident that highest expertise was needed in order to maintain the integrity of this commitment as we expanded. Today, FOR Alliance looks to MinistrySafe to provide that leadership. Our guidelines, policies, and training are based on the criteria they provide - an ideology that places people above institutions at all times.
Dignity
In addition to guarding the physical safety of individuals we serve, we are also protective of the dignity and personhood of each person we engage with. That said, we do not believe that a commitment to no harm necessitates silence on subjects where individuals may have different beliefs, worldviews, or formative experiences. On the contrary, we believe that true respect for personhood includes the willingness to engage in the kinds of conversations that an individual desires to have. We believe that this is part of honoring the autonomy of those we engage with: it is not our place to determine on others' behalf what they can talk about, and with who. To that end, FOR Alliance does not request or require that believers be silent about their faith. Rather, we promote healthy, honest, relevant conversations. The commitment that we do require is that communication be respectful, appropriate, responsible, and in alignment with love as God defines it (1 Corinthians 13). We uphold this commitment by providing teaching seminars that prepare volunteers to walk out their faith in ways that are reflective of the God we serve: with love, wisdom, understanding, honesty, and integrity.
"To be an immigrant or first gen American is to be lonely. By definition, you are separated from your family and your community. To have an enforced metric that tells people to only talk about practical or material things with you, to be careful around you to the point that they can't communicate or can't respond to you about things you're trying to talk about... It doesn't feel like respect. It feels like isolation and rejection. It feels like not belonging."
-Name withheld
Testimonials
As Afghanistan collapsed, members of FOR began to host seminars focused on loving our Muslim neighbors. Today, FOR continues to offer seminars on a variety of subjects, including topics like cross-cultural friendship, trauma-informed care, awareness of power differentials, shame/honor cultures, a Biblical understanding of suffering, the nature of restoration, and more. Contact our team to host a seminar for your church or small group.
Tia
Learning about Islam was a spiritually defining moment for my Christian walk. Understanding how the Muslim thought process so closely mirrored that of someone from my own background was a poignant, teachable message for me. I learned about the love of Christ in a deeper way during the class!
I encourage anyone with a deeper yearning for knowledge to take it!
Steve
When I first started encountering refugees, I really knew nothing about [serving other communities] in general. By having such a deep and thorough knowledge of Biblical principles, and also the teachings and nuances of other world-views, [the teachers] were foundational in helping me develop a heart for those around me, and the practical skills to navigate new things - all done in a way to break down walls and barriers, and to build bridges.
Lora
My curiosity and desire to understand other cultures and beliefs is what inspired me to be a part of the class. What I didn’t know is how much my own faith would be revitalized! Taking time to understand other worldviews will help tremendously when relationships are being formed with our brothers and sisters in their communities. People of all backgrounds need to know we care about who they are in order to have meaningful conversations about subjects like hope.
