World Refugee Sunday calls the church to see and respond to those who are displaced, echoing the Good Samaritan’s mercy toward the vulnerable. As millions face danger and abandonment, we are invited to recognise them as neighbours and act with compassion.
“Who is my neighbour?”
Jesus was once asked this question (Luke 10:29). He answered with the parable of the Good Samaritan – a story of a man who showed mercy to a vulnerable stranger when others chose to walk past.
On that road, it was clear to many that the man was suffering, yet only one drew near to help. Today, the same question confronts us:
Will we pass by, or will we treat others as our neighbours?
Today
Across the world, millions of people are walking difficult roads of suffering and abandonment. Their journeys of displacement are marked by loss, danger, and deep vulnerability – often leaving them dependent on the compassion of strangers to survive.
The Good Samaritan saw what others chose to ignore, and responded with compassion. In the same way, we are invited to turn our attention to action and become neighbours in word and deed.
This year’s World Refugee Sunday, we encourage the global church to consider how to welcome those who are vulnerable, how to be a neighbour to them, and how to show mercy and compassion in meaningful ways.
What is World Refugee Sunday?
World Refugee Sunday began 25 years ago through the Refugee Highway Partnership and the World Evangelical Alliance.
It is observed on the Sunday before or after World Refugee Day (June 20th), a day set by the United Nations to honour refugees around the world.
In June 2026, we invite churches in Australia to observe World Refugee Sunday on June 21st by:
- Praying for our neighbourhoods and for the forcibly displaced who are arriving among us
- Raising awareness by sharing the stories and experiences of refugees, and the challenges they continue to face
- Engaging children and youth in prayer, worship, and learning about those who have been forced to flee their homes
Engaging the Church
Inspired by this story, we invite churches to reflect again: Who is our neighbour today? And how are we called to respond?
Your church may choose to pray together on June 21st, preach a sermon on God’s heart for refugees and the vulnerable, or invite a Philoi speaker to share about how churches can pray and partner with some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.
Read here for more information, resources, and other partnership opportunities.
Stand with the forcibly displaced this June, 2026.
Help us to sustain families at risk.
*Names have been changed for security reasons.
