Our Purpose:

To financially and spiritually support the furthering of the message of the Gospel to diversified people in Central Ohio. COLIM (i.e Central Ohio Lutheran Immigrant Mission) has been formed to serve the overall needs of immigrants within 3 primary areas:

• Gospel sharing – we have some of the least evangelized people groups from around the world living among us. God has literally brought the unevangelized world to our doorstep. We aim to show the love of Christ as represented through God’s people to immigrants who come from countries where it would be absolutely impossible to share the gospel without much higher risks than are present in the United States.

• Holistic – we aim not only to feed them spiritually, but to meet their physical needs to the degree that our financial resources allow it. Many of these people, if they receive Christ, lose everything: physical needs, family, living quarters, etc. Meeting even some of these needs shows a faith that is real. (“If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” James 2:15-16)

• Church – it’s critical that those who are considering following Christ see that they will have a support system who cares about them even if their families ostracize them. In addition, we seek to nourish them with word and sacrament, catechism study, and leadership development so that they can participate in a meaningful way in the family of God.

What we need from you:

The need is great and the workers are few! Those who have not yet begun a relationship with Jesus are living in the darkness of hopelessness and legalism. The need to hear the hope of the gospel is vast.

Those who express interest in following Jesus face great potential for persecution from their immigrant communities, even in our own city. People are beaten, left out in the cold, family members are stolen, and no one from their ethnic group will hire them. They are called names, ostracized, and had their reputations ruined.

How Need is Met:

COLIM supports an LCMS pastor from Ethiopia in outreach to immigrants in Columbus. Pastor B leads Bible studies, provides catechism training, provides transportation, meets emergency physical needs, baptizes new believers, and shares God’s love in a variety of other ways. COLIM seeks to expand the workers to serve in this opportunity for harvest in central Ohio.

The needs of immigrants are met in God through normal, everyday people like you and me. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Eph 2:10 ESV Our resources are many. They include prayer, time, talents, and money. Even if you don’t feel like you have a lot, you have something you can give that can share God’s love to these people. Would you please consider how God may be calling you to help?

How You Can Get Involved:

Prayer

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Col. 1:9

Financially

“For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints – and this not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.” 2 Cor. 8:3-5

Spread the Word

Join a team dedicated to sharing true stories that represent the need and the opportunity that God has placed before us. You will be given presentation materials and trained personally on how to use it in your church or in other churches in the central Ohio area.

Volunteer:

Participate in Bible studies with the body of Christ from other parts of the world living in central Ohio. You may learn more from these immigrants than you give.

Share the message of Christ within the immigrant communities in central Ohio by creating connections through visitation evangelism.

Provide needed transportation for immigrants without cars and limited funds.

Host or provide refuge for fearful or persecuted immigrants (Meal or overnight accommodations).