Too often, believers, and even entire congregations, sit around scratching their heads wondering what exactly God is calling them to do. We look around, and the needs in our communities overwhelm us. People need food, people need money, people need healing, and most of all, people in our society need hope. Where are we to start?

Sometimes as we examine our neighborhoods, we feel like we don’t belong. Nobody wants what the church has to offer. We feel like we’re living in exile. In the midst of this, we read what Jeremiah told the people of Judah:

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jeremiah 29:4–7).

God Is Already Here In Our Neighborhood.

In that scripture we find the answer we are seeking. Whether we feel like we belong or not, God calls us to seek the welfare of our cities. God calls us to become part of our communities. But how? It’s too much for us. How can we effect any real change? The good news is that we are not expected to do it on our own. After all, it’s God’s mission, not ours, and God is already working in the world around us. We read in the beginning of John’s gospel that “the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). While I typically prefer the NASB and avoid paraphrase translations, I really like how the message translates this. “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.” Imagine that! God, the Almighty, all-powerful, all-knowing deity, moved into the house next door. He is happy to join us at our neighborhood picnics and block parties. He invites us over to borrow a cup of sugar. He offers to keep an eye on our children as they play.

What exactly do we mean by “neighborhood”? Are we referring to the area around our church building? The larger community? The people who come to visit us? When we refer to neighborhood, we don’t like to give limits and boundaries. Our neighborhood is the places around us where people in our church live, and work, and play. It is everywhere that we come into contact with other people.

What Does That Mean For Us?

If we understand God is already working among us, we no longer need to re-invent the wheel of mission. Instead, pay attention to the ways that we see God at work. Notice His presence among you daily. Feel the gifts of love and comfort that He offers. But don’t stop there. If God is working in and around our neighbors, shouldn’t we be too?

We should let God teach us what it means to be a good neighbor. How can we pray for the welfare of our cities? How can we become God’s answer to our own prayer? Some of us can remember a time when we all knew our neighbors. Maybe in some isolated communities that feeling still exists. If we want to carry the light of Christ into our world, we must start by embracing that idea again. We should know our neighbors and allow them to know us as well. In this way, we can bear witness to the love of God that is already here, too often unnoticed.

How Can We See What God Is Doing?

Every Sunday, I ask my congregation to report where they have seen God in the world around them. Where has God’s presence been seen in acts of kindness? Where have we witnessed minor miracles? This is a wonderful place to start!

In 1st Kings 19, Elijah learned that God’s voice is not always earth-shaking, thundering and fiery. God’s voice came to him in a still small voice. Likewise, we can discern God’s work in the simple, everyday events that surround us.

Every community faces times of crisis: storms, crime, disease, financial collapse. We rarely think of finding God in the midst of tragedy, but this is often the best place to start. Look for the ways people in your neighborhood come together to care for each other and recognize God’s presence there.

When looking for ways that God is already involved in our neighborhoods, we can start by paying attention to the stories of our neighbors. What do they feel is important? What are they scared of? Why do they choose to live there? What do they love? What do they hate?

Learning this requires finding practical ways to engage them in normal, everyday activities that they already do. Then listening to the Holy Spirit to see where God is working.

We can do this in many ways. Here is a list of ideas that I found on Verge Network. It is only a start; there are too many options to list here.

• Stay outside in the front yard longer while working on your yard; compliment neighbors who do this well.
• Walk your dog in your neighborhood regularly at the same time. (Don’t forget to pick up the mess! You don’t want to leave it for your neighbors.)
• Sit on the front porch and let the kids play in the front yard.
• Pass out baked goods (fresh bread, cookies, brownies, etc.).
• Invite neighbors over for dinner.
• Attend HOA, Chamber of Commerce, Civic Club, and other functions.
• Attend parties when neighbors invite you.
• Have a game night (yard games outside, or board games inside)
• Grow a garden and give out extra produce to neighbors.
• Have an Easter egg hunt on your block and invite neighbors.
• Do a summer BBQ every Friday night and invite others to contribute.
• Start a walking/running group in the neighborhood.
• Host a playdate weekly for other stay at home parents.
• Organize a carpool for your neighborhood to help save gas.
• Volunteer to coach a local Little League sports team.

· Have a front yard ice cream party in the summer.

Joining In God’s Mission

Once we begin to recognize how God is already at work in our neighborhood and the lives of the people who share it with us, we should seek to become part of that. After all, Jesus said to the disciples: “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2). Long before that, God called the prophet Isaiah by saying, “Who should I send? Who will go for Us?” and Isaiah answered as we should: “Here I am. Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8).

Our job is not to change the lives of the people around us; that’s God’s job. Our job is to reach out in love and shine the light of Christ that will draw people to God’s message. We should never, of course, deny the gospel, or hide our faith, but neither should we use it as a weapon to condemn others. When we consistently love our neighbors, they will want to know more about what makes us the way we are.

We should not think we need grand gestures and powerful movements. It’s the everyday interactions through which we can foster loving relationships with our neighbors. There is no one-size-fits-all way to do this, each community is different. Each community has unique challenges, worries, and needs. And we are called into our neighborhoods to discern what they are.

Are there too many latchkey kids in the afternoons after school? Can your church invite the children in for snacks and activities until their parents get home from work? Do you have retired teachers who can offer to help them with their homework?

Can you host a community picnic offering a chance for people to get to know you and their neighbors better?

Can volunteers from your church fire up lawn mowers and tend to the yards of the elderly or handicapped?

Reflecting On What We’ve Learned.

How often has your church been drawn into a ministry or program that ceases to benefit people, yet you refuse to let go of it? We live in a very dynamic society. What works today might not work tomorrow. What failed yesterday may achieve greatness today.

Everybody can associate with situations where people repeat the same patterns over and over again, not taking the time to learn from their successes or failures.

After we complete a ministry or event, before we turn it into an annual production, we should take time to reflect on our experience. This reflection is not always easy, and it’s not a natural way for a congregation to think. Yet, it is critical to listen for God’s response to our efforts if we want to ensure we are doing His work and not our own.

Take time as a congregation to evaluate what has happened. Ask yourself questions and prayerfully listen for God’s response. What did you do? What did you learn? Did you sense God working with you? What worked? What should be changed? Should we do this same thing again? Should we try something different? This process takes time, honest thought, and imagination, but it is well worth the effort!

Conclusion

The sad reality in our world is that most of the people in our communities don’t attend church; some never have. There is definitely a place for evangelism and teaching. We are called to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20). Yet rather than focusing on arguing for God’s existence, we may be better served by demonstrating God’s presence in us.

These activities themselves should not be seen as overt evangelistic efforts, but as an opportunity to foster relationships with our neighbors. We are called to share our faith with them, but only when they see how much we care about them will they be open to listening to what we have to say about God.

So go about your life. Go to work. Do your shopping. Get your hair cut or your nails done. But do all this carrying the light of Christ within you. “Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:17).