Bringing refugees from crisis to flourishing: The role of resettlement agencies and the church in facilitating integration and stability

Refugee resettlement in recent months has become an issue of intense debate in the United States. An issue that was once viewed as a humanitarian one has now taken on political significance. It has become a commonly discussed subject in public circles and one that requires an opinion regarding its good or evil. Despite these overarching debates, resettlement agencies continue to do the work of refugee resettlement that they are contracted by the U.S. Government to do. However, within World Relief, one of these resettlement agencies, a different debate is taking place. There is a continual evaluation of the scope and impact of the agency’s work, and whether or not best practices are being used to serve refugee clients. This paper will explore the concept of human flourishing within the context of refugee populations and identify suggestions for successful practices to better guide clients into transformation. My current role within World Relief as a Resettlement Specialist has been to work directly with refugee clients to provide services and case management during their first few months in the United States. This experience has helped to inform the topic of this article and issues related to refugees and refugee resettlement. It has also given me opportunities to contemplate the concept of flourishing as it relates to the integration of refugee clients into society.