CHARIS settles refugee families in the Southwest of England through the UK Home Office Community Resettlement programme.
CHARIS Mission.
To see individual refugees and families happily settled in the UK and contributing to the wellbeing of their communities.
CHARIS Vision.
To be friends to refugees, and to provide the practical, emotional and spiritual support they need to settle and live happy and healthy lives.
Our Values.
We value people
We respect difference
We are compassionate
We care about high quality resettlement
We are a faith-based charity and seek to be inclusive
We are pioneering and responsive
Our Beliefs.
As a Christian charity we believe wholeheartedly in loving our neighbour, whether they live next door, across the street or across the other side of the world. There are many examples in the bible of individuals, whole people groups who were displaced from their homes including Jesus himself. He fled to Egypt with his mother and father to escape the persecution of Herod. There are also many examples of people who welcomed the stranger or the foreigner into their home, their town or their country.
Today we face a major refugee crisis in our world and we believe that the church has a voice in such times. We have an opportunity to display our love for our world and its people in the action we take today. Our faith in Christ underpins everything we do and as such we recognise the following:
1. Christ died for all, no matter who they are and Christ gives eternal life to those that ask.
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”.
Galations 2 v 20
2. Through Christ we unashamedly serve others.
Jesus washed the disciples feet and told them and us to do the same by serving others. “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet”.
John 14 v 14
3. We stand together in Christ as a community of Christians united by our common purpose and beliefs.
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace”. Ephesians 4 v 2-3
4. Through Christ we find forgiveness and strength to forgive.
“Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us,
and lead us not into temptation”.
Luke 1 v 4
5. In Christ we build His Kingdom, fostering greater community cohesion in God’s world.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”.
Matthew 6 v 33
6. Though Christ we find compassion and the strength to always help our brothers and sisters in need, whatever it takes.
“And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister”.
1 John 4 v 21