Use your home

It was Sam’s 40th birthday. His family get-together happened a few days later - but on the day itself, he invited his neighbours to celebrate with him. He delivered an invitation to every person in his street, regardless of how well he knew them.

On the day around 50 of his neighbours came. Sam and Jane held the event in their garden and everyone had a great time. At the end of the evening Sam cut a cake and gave a short speech.

He thanked them all for coming - some old friends, some new. Then he mentioned that he and Jane had three daughters at varying stages of their teenage years and that, to be honest, they were struggling as parents. He said that they had recently come by a video-based training course for parents and were intending to work through it.

Very simply, he invited anyone in a similar situation to join them. Six couples took up the offer, and in the non-threatening environment of a neighbour’s home they went deeper in relationship and began to learn together.

People usually feel far more open and relaxed in our homes than in a church building. Maybe we ought to take the opportunity that life’s high moments and low moments bring, and use them to engage.

Living next door to someone can often mean that we’re standing on common ground. It might mean that some of our neighbours are at the same life stage as us, or from the same socio-economic grouping. They might have many of the same hobbies and interests, and the same concerns that we struggle with.

By opening our homes and our hearts, and being honest, like Sam, we can build bridges of friendship with those nearby.

What if church leaders, rather than being concerned to get people into a building, encouraged, equipped and trained the congregation to welcome people into their homes? What difference would that make to our effectiveness in engagement?

It may also free up the congregation to be more engaged - because they may not be unwilling to engage, but feel they have no time. By opening their homes - by turning outward what they do within them – they could include others in what they would do normally. Celebrate a birthday; eat; watch sport; talk about relationships, or work, or parenting. There are so many possibilities!

Last Updated 30 November 2010