The 5th Annual CFNA, “Christmas Give Away” consisting of winter clothing, house-use items and more was held at the Peace Center during the 14th – 16th of December.  The beneficiaries were the numerous refugee and immigrant families living in St. Louis. This special event also included Christmas music, cookies and hot chocolate, and this year saw the highest number of New American participants ever. 

The Annual CFNA Christmas Party, which welcomed approximately 40 refugee children from Nepal, Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, and Sudan were joined by 25 volunteers from several host congregations. Between the preparations, the dinner, special desserts, fun times, and a sharing of the Christmas Story, this special event was a special time in the lives of the many participants!

CFNA volunteers truly work as hands and feet of the body of Christ. They sacrifice their time and energy and use their experience and talents to help make disciples of all nations. Jen Janssen is one shining example of such a volunteer. For the past eight years, she has served as a teacher in our After School Tutoring program, along with her two children Ben and Addie. She now serves as a role model for other volunteers.

The weekend before Thanksgiving, hundreds of men and boys from Concordia Lutheran Church put together and distribute these meals to families in need. Anyone is welcome to drive through to pick up a Thanksgiving dinner. The only question they are asked when they pick up the meal is "What can I pray for with you? Recipients have been people from the greater Kirkwood, community and beyond, including dozens of immigrant and refugee families!

Christian Friends of New Americans (CFNA) is adding to its already robust suite of services for its New American friends! The new Employment Support Program will work with participants seeking jobs in a number of ways, including assistance with resume writing, interview skills and identification of available jobs.

Did you know that Christian Friends of New Americans offers permit and driving classes? We currently have 50 students registered for these classes. They are not only from a variety of countries, including Afghanistan, Africa, India, and Nepal, but have various abilities. Many of our students are referred to our program by our partner agencies and their volunteers.

Bethlehem and Dawit Mulat started at Word of Life in Fall 2011 with support from CFNA’s scholarship program; Bethlehem was in 7th grade and Dawit was in 5th grade. After graduating from Word of Life, both went to Lutheran High South. During their high school years, they were active in Timothy’s youth group and both went to the National Youth Gathering.

Raising awareness and support for the ministries of CFNA, the 10th annual CFNA Golf Event was held on October 10 at the Greenbriar Hills Country Club. 112 participants enjoyed fantastic weather and 18 holes of golf. The entire effort met with success: “It was a beautiful day, the course was great, and we very much enjoyed the fun and fellowship.”

Welcome the new communications associate for Christian Friends of New Americans (CFNA)! Heather is here to help with social media, email marketing, web design, and “prettyfying” documents. Welcome, Heather!!

On Wednesday, October 26, 2022, our friend and colleague, Rev. Dr. John Loum, left us to be with his Heavenly Father. Born into a Muslim family in The Gambia, he became a believer in Christ after having come into contact with a missionary associated with the Islam in Africa Project, then based in Nigeria.

This year on November 19th from 4:00pm-7:00pm, IISTL, CFNA, and a number of other partner organizations in the area that work with the refugee community will be hosting a community Thanksgiving dinner event! This event will feature a number of guests from the community, a traditional thanksgiving meal, plenty of kids and family activities, and more!

Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison, President of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, visited the Peace Center to learn more about how this mission society impacts New Americans! “The destination for everyone they serve is the Church and by so doing, this dynamic mission society has facilitated the baptism and/or confirmation of more than 250 New Americans, primarily refugees.” President Harrison learned how CFNA manages to link with over 200 refugees every year and extend these links into relationships with several LCMS congregations in urban St. Louis.

Meramec Community College presented information about the more than 30 options in the five-week Accelerated Job Training program to refugees at the Peace Center. Free training, during the day or evening, often with travel expenses, stipends, and job placement in well-paying jobs, is offered. Job possibilities span culinary positions, computer coding, commercial trucking, medical training, welding, and much more! For these refugees, open doors like this are life changing!

Our group is working with a family from Afghanistan. They had been in the US on a military base and in a hotel for 6+ months. The kids were not yet in school, and the family was still lacking many basic needs including a working phone. Our group dug in to provide basic household goods, get the kids in school, and help get the family a phone.

Hi! My name is Heather McDermott and I’m the new Volunteer Ministry Coordinator for CFNA. Joining CFNA was a complete God thing. I wasn’t looking for a job and then Dr. Stanish Stanley was talking to my mom at church about the need for someone to coordinate volunteers for all the various avenues of ministry for CFNA. What I wasn’t looking for, became something I am incredibly passionate about!

“I was blessed to go to CCLS and learned the importance of community for sports and academics. Win as one, lose as one, together as one like a tribe and have each other’s back. I also learned the importance of growing in my Christian faith and live it out with confidence. My hope is that others will receive the blessings I received.”