So…how do we actually get to know our neighbors?
Something I am realizing as I (very irregularly) update you on our journey as church planters is that I am talking a lot about reaching our neighbors and community, but not giving examples of WHAT that could actually look like. Honestly, I think that’s probably the biggest challenge in this whole journey! I was raised in a church where we did small groups that were closed and it was very tight circles, maybe doing a service project here and there, but it was very much about internal/personal growth versus discipleship and investing. (Wow…RUN ON SENTENCE much?! I am 9 months pregnant, I refuse to fix that)
So, even though this is something we are still very much trying to cast vision on and figure out for ourselves, I am going to try to document how we are actually going to be demonstrating this. Mind you, we couldn’t be launching these things at a worse time for our personal life, seeing as I am birthing a human in about 1.3 weeks, but…we have ideas for the fall and we’re really excited to start implementing them! So…ideas!
*Invite your friends (or maybe some of your current small group) to your house on a weekend night and have everyone invite their neighbors. Host a Wine + Appetizers gathering from 5-7 pm…this is a super low commitment gathering and still gives people the opportunity to make dinner plans, spend the evening with their family, etc. Have everyone bring a bottle of wine or an appetizer and just hang out and get to know each other. Here’s the catch…make this a weekly or twice monthly thing. Wait…what? Did I just say weekly or twice monthly? Yep…I did. Having a 1 time or quarterly gathering is cool, but where does that leave time to establish REAL relationships with your neighbors? Make it regular…open your doors, hang out, an get to know the people there…then head on our for your dinner plans after you make that investment in your neighbors.
*Weekly Hot Dog night – we actually heard about this at the Acts29 Boot Camp. One of the couples opens their backyard every Friday night to the entire neighborhoods and does a hot dog cookout. Easy enough…you don’t even have to clean the dang house for that! And did you see what I said they do? Weekly. Regular. Planned and expected. Break down the barriers and be a non-threatening place for your neighbors!
*Monthly neighborhood service projects – what better way to get to know your neighbors than to organize a monthly service project benefiting your own community? Yeah, it’s awesome to do a service project feeding the homeless or somewhere in the city (I am not discounting that AT ALL), but make a direct impact on YOUR neighborhood, and invite YOUR neighbors to be a part of it. It gives you a sense of ownership and community to to this together…and while you’re at it…invite them to your wine night!!
These are just a FEW ideas of creating a non-threatening environment to reach out to the people right around you. Does this require a time commitment on your part and giving up some of your free time to hang out with people you don’t really know (yet)? Yep – it ABSOLUTELY requires that…it’s actually quite a sacrifice of your time. But isn’t that what we are called to as believers?
I am SO excited for us to start these opportunities in our neighborhood and can’t wait to see what this is going to look like for others in the Resonate community!
oh, and if you have a minute, here is a really stunning video on community!
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