This is the third in final entry in our neighborhood evangelism series. I thank God for Tim and Danielle and their example of what it looks like to pursue your neighbors for Christ. I have learned so much and I look forward to putting these principles into practice. Thank you for your encouragement along the way.Tell us where you are going from here. What kinds of events are you planning for the future?
Over the course of last couple years, we have been prayerfully considering hosting an evangelistic Bible study in our neighborhood. We spent some time casually inquiring about our neighbors’ interest. About a month ago, we sensed God leading us to take the next step and actually begin this new venture. As usual, we prayerfully hand-delivered invitations to our neighbors introducing this eight week course on Wednesdays at our home. We included dinner for the first meeting to facilitate a relaxed environment in which people could get to know one another. Everyone enjoyed sharing a meal together so much that it has become a regular part of our weekly time together as we all take turns in bringing the meal.
Our vision for this Bible study was to provide a place where people could be introduced to the life of Christ within a loving and supportive community. Together, we are reading the book of Mark and discussing the life of Christ and implications for our lives. We are using a study guide called
Christianity Explored that contains useful discussion questions and homework. We desire for this study to provide a bridge into the life of the church and not to just co-exist as a separate entity.To help accomplish this, we asked another couple at Crossway, Lu and Bev Keelin, to participate and help us form relationships. Our faith has been built so much by seeing the active work of God in our neighbors’ lives on a daily basis. We have already built much deeper relationships with our neighbors and spiritual topics have become a regular part of our daily interactions.
Our Care Group has decided to host an evangelistic summer picnic in August. This will provide another opportunity to connect our neighbors to other believers. We hope to invite not only those attending our Bible study, but others from our neighborhood. Our Care Group will provide all the food and have 2-3 people share their testimonies. We will likely end our summer with our annual ice cream social.
As you reflect on evangelism in your neighborhood, if you were to do it all over again, what kinds of things would you do differently?
If we were to do it all over again, we would spend more regular and consistent time early on investing in other people’s lives. We recognized how easy it was to become absorbed in living for our own concerns and daily routine. We would try to make more intentional efforts to sacrifice our own time to be more involved in those things which are important to our neighbors (i.e. fixing cars, gardening, spending time with children, going out to dinner together, etc.).
Another thing we would do differently is to be more proactive in looking for ways to expose our neighbors to other members of the body of Christ. For example, in hosting our parties, I think it would have been a good idea to invite a few people from church to be present to help form relationships and to serve at the event. This would also serve to envision other people from Crossway with ways they could reach out in their own neighborhood. We would also look for ways that our Care Group could serve and have a positive presence in our neighborhood.
What are the most significant lessons you learned about reaching out to your neighbors with the gospel? How has your understanding of people, culture, and neighborhood evangelism matured over time?
God has been at work in our lives graciously building our faith as we step out in boldness. We have learned that people are lonely, anxious and longing for more out of life. We continue to learn how to love those who are difficult to love. We have been convicted about the regular and consistent time investment that these relationships require and which we are resistant to give. However, God has been at work shaping our hearts. God has used our interactions with our neighbors to deepen our love for them. We can honestly say that we genuinely love our neighbors more now than we ever have before.
How would you encourage CrossWay to step out in faith and reach their neighbors for Christ? What would you say to encourage us in this direction?
Stepping out in faith needs to begin with a joyful, willing obedience and a confidence in God that it is His desire to save your neighbors. Prayer is a significant way to align your heart with God’s. When you pass by homes in your neighborhood, pray by name for those in the homes you pass, and for faith and boldness to pursue them. Also, trusting in God’s sovereignty that He has placed you in a particular neighborhood with particular neighbors produces a sense of personal calling, which is both motivating and liberating. Once those key elements are in place, seek to develop relationship with your neighbors. This may look like an ice cream social or going out for coffee together. It may mean going to a baseball game together or sitting outside talking while they smoke. Sharing meals together are always wonderful opportunities for great conversation. After praying for wisdom and looking for opportunities to discuss spiritual matters, begin to do it. Finally, it is so important to remember with confidence that God is eager to do a work in your neighbors’ lives and that He is the only one who can save your neighbors. He just wants to use you in the process!
