A podcast delving into the practical implications of Christ’s command of philoxenia (love of the stranger) for today’s Church. Love the stranger is brought to you by Welcome Churches, a UK-wide network of refugee-welcoming churches.
From Convoys to Community: James Lynch of Welcome Churches
You may already know that James is our new CEO - but do you know what led him here? In this episode, Samuel interviews James Lynch, Welcome Churches’ new CEO. They explore the lessons James has learnt - from his involvement in sending aid convoys during the Balkans War, to short-term mission trips, and his work in church outreach and engagement. Listen now to be inspired by the power of unity, the sharing of stories, and the unique blessing that comes through welcome. Visit www.welcomechu...
23 Jun 2025
By Faith - Stories of Welcome from Thatcham Baptist Church
How do you hold onto hope when everything has changed? In this episode, Samuel sits down with Maria and Sarah from Thatcham Baptist Church for a deep conversation about resilience, faith, and the quiet power of welcome. Maria shares powerful moments from her journey of seeking refuge in the UK - what she left behind, what she’s found, and the people who made her feel at home. Sarah, a long-time refugee support worker, reflects on what it means to stay hopeful while walking alongside others th...
25 Apr 2025
Reflections from a departing CEO - interview with Emily Shepherd
Back in late March before her departure from Welcome Churches, Samuel spoke with Emily. In their conversation, they discuss the lessons she learnt whilst at the helm of Welcome Churches, including adapting in response to need, leading sustainably, and her aspirations for the now-national movement of welcome catalysed by the charity. Visit www.welcomechurches.org to find out more about us. You can find us @welcomechurches on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
14 Feb 2025
Discovering Nowruz: A Guide to Celebrating & Welcoming in a Church Context
In this Persian New Year special conversation, Samuel hosts Fatemeh (from Iran, who serves as one of Welcome Churches’ Regional Coordinators), and Jonathan (our Finance and Operations Manager, who lived for an extended period of time in Afghanistan), as well as Daniel, a curate whose work focuses on developing an intercultural Church, and who has doctoral research in Iranian converts’ understandings and experiences of the Eucharist. Together, they chat about Nowruz’s significance across...
22 Jan 2025
Celebrating Lunar New Year With Friends from Hong Kong
In this Lunar New Year special, Emily talks with Mina, Welcome Churches' Communications Officer who came to the UK from Hong Kong herself. They discuss the modern significance of Lunar New Year - including how the festival is typically celebrated in Hong Kong and how different churches interact with the festival today. They also talk about how you can join in the fun here in the UK too, no matter what your cultural background. Visit www.welcomechurches.org to find out more about us. You can ...
6 Sept 2024
Mutual understanding - ways to promote cultural reconciliation in the UK Church
God has reconciled us to Himself, starting with Jesus’ incarnation. Samuel talks about the Church as a new community that represents Christ’s presence and testifies to our forgiveness. Celebrating our differences and making space for cultural dialogue encourages us to be reconciled to one another in all of our ethnic, cultural, linguistic diversity. Samuel originally gave this talk at Welcome Churches’ 2024 Welcome Conference: The Road to Restoration. Visit www.welcomec...
20 Aug 2024
Heirs of God’s promise: God’s heart for refugees
A prophetic message of hope by Ukrainian church planter and leader, Andrey Bondarenko, specifically for those who have been forcibly displaced, taken from Welcome Churches’ 2024 Welcome Conference: The Road to Restoration, where he was keynote speaker. Andrey encourages sanctuary-seekers to see their circumstances from the perspective of the Author of Salvation, and reveals their role blessing the nations, echoing Abraham, through whom all nations are blessed. He encourages us to cooperat...
6 Aug 2024
The challenges of displacement: supporting Spanish-speaking refugees in Nottingham
Back in January, Emily chatted with Lucia Boyd, who worked as Welcome Churches’ Refugee Training Officer. Lucia has amassed a wealth of cross-cultural experience, having lived in Uruguay, Venezuela, North America, Hong Kong, and the UK! They delve into the experiences of Central American refugees in the UK - covering the asylum system, cultural etiquette differences and misunderstandings, and Lucia’s own church, where there are many different activities and fellowships on offer for people o...
24 Jul 2024
Reinterpreting hospitality with Dr. Harvey Kwiyani
“A guest always comes with a very sharp pocket knife”. Dr. Harvey Kwiyani - Director of the Acts 11 Project: Centre for Global Witness and Human Migration at Church Mission Society, Oxford - draws on this ancient southern Malawian proverb to argue that our posture dictates whether we interpret our guests as bringing fresh understanding, which can be put to good use - or as having harmful intentions. He says that there are certain conversations, which, if we get them right here, in the UK, i...
9 Jul 2024
Stories from a Ukrainian church-planting pioneer
Samuel and Tim Leese, our COO, speak with Bedford-based church planter and leader, Andrey Bondarenko, from Ukraine. Andrey invites us into his reflections on his unexpected journey to the UK; the process of brokenness and deep repentance for disciples; partnerships in ministry; the rich resources carried by the UK Church; testimonies from Ukraine; and the spontaneity of surrendering to God’s plans, rather than pursuing our own. Visit www.welcomechurches.org to find out more about us. You c...
26 Jun 2024
From Sudan to the UK: training and equipping refugee leaders
Here, we take a deep dive into the life story of Samuel Luak - Welcome Churches’ Leader for Refugee Integration and Discipleship, whom we first met in series one, sharing about the blessings of refugee ministry. He tells Emily about developing a personal relationship with God whilst living in a collectivist society, as well as the impact of his faith during his decades of displacement, and his perspective on the UK Church as it serves other refugees. Samuel will be the new co-host of Lo...
27 Nov 2023
Philoxenia: The God of the refugee - an overview of migration in the Bible
What does God have to say about the stranger? This episode unpacks how our LORD is the God of the migrant. His Word is brimming with people of faith, who have sought refuge and sanctuary, and have been exiled and persecuted. Emily and Sue look at how the Bible demands us to stand in the gap and to cry out for justice; to show hospitality like Jesus. We see how His heart is gladdened when all nations are gathered together. Visit www.welcomechurches.org to find out more ...
20 Nov 2023
Building intercultural Church with Adam Martin
Without really knowing where it would eventually lead, Adam Martin and his wife, Karina, started out overseas for a couple of years at a church plant in what was first Soviet Estonia, where they were met by an incredible openness to the gospel and many coming to faith. Adam has since gone on to acquire over 25 years’ cross-cultural experience, is a church leader, and runs Intercultural Churches UK. He and Sue talk about sitting with those who are at the point of being the outsider; bu...
13 Nov 2023
The blessing of refugee ministry with Samuel Luak
In this episode, Emily is speaking with Samuel Luak, one of the staff team at Welcome Churches. Born and raised in Sudan, Samuel has lived in seven different countries over the past 30 years. Refugee ministry connects God’s church across the world, and he relates some of his lived experience, when it comes to the witness that local church congregations can be to people from a refugee background. Samuel and Emily explore the resource that Welcome Churches is for local churches in their...
6 Nov 2023
Worldwide migration and the future of the Church with Patrick Johnstone
In this episode, Sue is joined by Patrick Johnstone, missionary, international speaker, researcher, author - most notably of Operation World and The Future of the Global Church - and trustee at Welcome Churches. They chat about how he was first led to Jesus, his years in the slums of southern Africa, reverse culture shock, and the perils of being multilingual. Patrick reveals some of his predictions on global trends in mass migration and the factors which will play into these - as well as his...
30 Oct 2023
The journey and growth of Welcome Churches
Get to know your co-hosts, Sue and Emily, as they share their own very different stories of first getting involved with welcoming and journeying with refugees and people seeking asylum. They also trace the charity’s beginnings. Visit www.welcomechurches.org to find out more about us. You can find us @welcomechurches on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
8 Aug 2023
Love the stranger: an introduction
Hello, we’re thrilled to welcome you to Love the stranger, a new podcast hosted by Sue Butler and Emily Shepherd, Joint CEOs of Welcome Churches. Here we outline what you can expect to hear from us in each episode. Visit www.welcomechurches.org to find out more about us. You can find us @welcomechurches on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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