By: Hannah Sasscer
Servant Group International is a non-profit Christian organization focused on serving Muslim and refugee communities in need, both in the U.S. and around the world. We were founded in 1992 in response to the arrival of hundreds of Kurdish refugees to Nashville after the first Gulf War. Since that time our work has expanded to include teams and projects in Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia as well as continuing our work in Nashville’s expanding refugee community.
SGI is a non-denominational Christian agency with team members from a variety of backgrounds. Our ministry is funded entirely by donations from friends and churches who share our heart to reach Muslim and refugee communities. We invite you to pray about helping to support our work!
Currently we have teams serving internationally in Iraq, Kazakhstan, and Jordan. Our team in Iraq work in education for adults and children. They live alongside the Kurdish people and share the hope and love of Christ with the people they befriend. Our staff in Kazakhstan and Jordan work primarily with Third Culture kids – children growing up outside of the culture they and their parents come from. There are many opportunities to share Christ for the first time and be an encouragement to students who are growing in their faith.
In Nashville we work not only to support our international staff but also reach the international community that surrounds us. We continue to work with the Kurdish community through Kani Book club – a Bible study, community group, and cultural experience all rolled into one! Recently, Kani hosted one of the first gatherings of Kurdish believers in North America for a weekend long conference. Kurds from across the U.S. and Canada came together to be encouraged, worship and fellowship together in their own language and amongst their own people. A rare gift!
We also have a vibrant sewing program that trains women in the skills needed to find sewing jobs. The classes range from beginner to advanced and include alterations, quilting and embroidery. We welcome any women born outside of the U.S. to come and be taught by skilled volunteers, including training in things like creating a resume, going to a job interview, and communicating with your work supervisors. Many of the women who graduate from our programs go on to not only work but become leaders in their workplaces.
Another long-term program we have built from the ground up is our ESL program. In our primary program we welcome women to learn English two days a week. We have everything from women who have zero English and have never even held a pencil to those who are preparing to enter college or the work force and just need some further refining in English. Our program is one of the few that offers childcare, and we are ALWAYS in need of volunteers to come hang out with the preschool aged kiddos.
Finally, we have one on one English tutoring for men. Refugee men often have complex work schedules that make it difficult to have regular class times. We find it much simpler to pair men up with native English-speaking men and for them to work together as their schedules allow.
With nearly 35 years working with Muslim and refugee communities we are still excited about the work that God is doing in the hearts of those He calls. The work can often seem slow, but we are grateful to see fruit in those we work for and those we work with. We would love you to join us!
