Love Without Limits (Gathering and Ceilidh)

Date: Saturday, 18 June 2022

Time: 12:00 pm-5pm and 5:30pm-7:15 pm

Location: Partick South Parish Church, 259 Dumbarton Road, Glasgow G11 6AB

Organisers: Faith in Community Scotland & Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees

You are warmly invited to a gathering to explore and develop the faithful welcome offered to asylum seekers and refugees by faith communities.

(Note – there are two linked events.  Participants may choose to attend one or both events and must register for each separately.)

To register for the gathering: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/love-without-limits-tickets-309857009657

To register for the ceilidh: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/love-without-limits-ceilidh-tickets-309897350317

The Gathering (12 noon – 5pm)

Our title was given by a woman seeking asylum who described the support of her faith community as ‘love without limits’.  Faith communities in Scotland are places of hope, compassion and skill and play a central role in the lives of many refugees and asylum seekers.  How can we be inspired to build on our resources and equip ourselves to support those seeking sanctuary in Scotland to flourish in their new community?

 The purpose of our gathering is to:

• Hear and better understand the diverse needs of those who have been displaced from their own communities and families.
• Amplify the voices of refugees and asylum seekers in an unjust world and respond to actual rather than perceived need.
• Connect deeply and respectfully with one another to learn from and be inspired by the range of outstanding work which faith communities undertake:  small or large; simple or complex.
• Decide future actions recalling the love that drives us and our mutual call to welcome the stranger
• Respect the faith that brings us to this gathering and find prayerful response to all that we hear and learn

In a safe and open space we will engage in discussion and hear the stories of refugees and those seeking asylum.   As well as hearing about innovative and effective projects, we will learn of smaller practical activities that can be life changing.  Taking account of our different situations, we will decide how to move forward in our work so that refugees and asylum seekers may be supported to thrive in our communities.  

 To this gathering we invite:

• Refugees and those with lived experience of seeking asylum and connecting with faith groups
• Members of all faith groups who already engage in work to support asylum seekers
• Members of all faith groups who wish to develop a ministry with asylum seekers and refugees or who simply wish to deepen their understanding of the lived experience of refugees and asylum seekers

 Linked Event  following the above Gathering: Ceilidh (5:30pm – 7.45pm)

The Ceilidh, inspired by the original Gaelic sense of the word, which is around visiting and connecting with others, will bring together New Scots and people from local faith communities across Scotland for sharing food, culture , storytelling – and maybe even dancing.  All ages welcome.