Gateway of Grace staff member Kathy spent Christmas Eve with two Muslim families at Church of the Ascension Christmas Eve service. Both families are from Iraq and have been a part of the Gateway of Grace school. One family has been in Dallas for about two years and now attends Grace Community every Wednesday night for worship, fellowship and Bible study. The other family has been here for only a short time; both families were invited to the Gateway of Grace Thanksgiving Dinner at St. John’s and the Christmas party at Church of the Incarnation. Both events had an attendance of about 400 volunteers and refugees. During those events, volunteers from across the diocese, including St. Andrew’s, Church of the Apostles, Good Shepherd, Cedar Hill, and churches in-between, reached out to the refugees in love and shared the Gospel with them in action. At the Christmas party, the Gospel was shared in three stages by Samira Izadi Page, Fr. Andy Johnson, and the band from Living Word Arabic church.

St. Luke’s, St. Nicholas, and Incarnation’s members as well as others from across the diocese provided nearly 500 Christmas gift bags that were distributed to refugee children in the community. The new family from Iraq saw Christ’s love and heard the Gospel multiple times. Even though they seem to be observant Muslims, they inquired about Christianity from the other Iraqi family and subsequently, were invited to the Christmas Eve service by this same Iraqi family. Since then, they have been invited to Grace Community for Wednesday night service and have eagerly attended.

How does a new Muslim refugee family who has been here for only two months end up at church and Bible study? Through the faithfulness of your witness in love and your support, friendship, and partnership with Gateway of Grace.

Thank you for being instruments of Christ’s transformation in the lives of those who don’t know him.  May we continue to partner together on this mission to make him known.