Local children partake in “Backyard Kids Club” at a church member’s home in east Dearborn – Courtesy of Pastor Jonathan Swift.

DEARBORN — A local church has extended a hand to refugee families in need of assistance.

Christ Community Church in Dearborn, which has a congregation of about 50 members, has worked with ACCESS to identify and assist approximately 15 refugee families in the Dearborn area.

Their efforts have included giving families rides to doctors’ offices and airports, as well as hosting social gatherings at church members’ homes.

Pastor Jonathan Swift told The AANews that members of the local churches are growing concerned about the lack of assistance for incoming refugee families, so they decided to offer the resources they had available.

“There’s a growing committee of people who are concerned about refugees,” Swift said. “We try to help in any way we can. Everything from giving people rides to airports to doctor appointments. There’s a family who needs blood transfusions every week and we have a schedule of people giving them rides to the doctor’s.”

This week, the church hosted a “Backyard Kids Club” gathering at two church members’ homes in Dearborn. From Tuesday-Thursday between 2 and 4 p.m., children partook in events that included games, prizes, skits, craft activities and other social activities.

Swift said with kids out of school for the summer, church members figured it would be a good idea to get them involved socially.

“These kids are out of school and stuck at home, “Swift said. “They are our neighbors. So far, they seem to be really enjoying it. Even the mothers come and sit with us. They get to have social time that they don’t normally have. From the kids to the parents, it’s been a great gathering.”

Swift clarified that the purpose of the gatherings was not a missionary one.

He said that church members have told stories about Jesus during the events, but that the stories share commonalities with Islam.

“The goal is to give kids something to do in the neighborhood,” Swift said. “We know some of our neighbors are Muslims and might not want their kids to go to a Christian event, especially during Ramadan. So the stories we are telling are about the prophet Jesus.”

The church has also assisted ACCESS by fundraising for its Hope House Clubhouse program, an initiative that helps people suffering from mental illness reintegrate into society.

Swift said Christ Community Church doesn’t yet have a facility in Dearborn, but it hasn’t stopped members from spearheading charitable efforts for the local Muslim community.

“We want to get more organized so that we aren’t spinning our wheels in different directions,” he said. “But we are a newer church. We don’t have a facility, so we have to do it in the backyards of the people who are part of our church.”

Pastor Swift can be reached at 313-720-3031 or cccglocal@gmail.com.