Neighbour Evangelism – 2

We want to lead a regular life among our regular neighbours, in such a way that we can share the reason for our hope, the reason being God and his Son, our Saviour. 

Sharing your life, and being a good neighbour: what does that look like?

Let me make a handful of suggestions.

Call your neighbors by name. We should take the time to learn, to recall, and to use our neighbors’ names when talking to them. It’s a proven fact that nothing is quite as sweet to a person’s ears as his or her own name.

I’m not great with remembering names, so when we moved into our neighbourhood in Hamilton a few years ago, I was determined to write down the names of our neighbours as we met them. Few things are worse socially than having to ask the same person their name the second, third, and fourth time you meet them. Forgetting their name communicates something: it communicates that you might not really care. So you write down their name somewhere, and check your list once in a while—this will make it easier to engage with them on the sidewalk tomorrow. It will also make it easier to pray for them.

Another way to be a good neighbour is to spend time in the front yard. This is more relevant to a suburban or city setting. But it’s always easy with our fenced-in yards to hide away in the back. We’re safe there, secure and unbothered by other people. But it should be obvious that most meaningful interactions with our neighbors will happen in the front yard. Take the opportunity to be out front, whether to play catch with the kids, or to wash the car, or to have your garage door open while you tinker. Or get a dog and then take it for a walk twice a day.

I’m sure that if we’d didn’t have our dog, we would have met less than half of the neighbours that we know today! So spend time in the front yard, on the street, on the sidewalk, because being visible can open great opportunities to get to know your neighbors.

Get yourself into the community. As church people, it’s normal for us to see other church people, almost exclusively. Our social circles are pretty fixed: we’re part of the same congregation, our kids often attend the same schools, and all week long, we work at a business that’s owned by church people. Then on Friday night, who do we hang out with, or play hockey with? Church people!

I love church people, but to be a good neighbour, we should also participate in neighborhood social networks. Go to community soccer and meet people: talk to parents along the sidelines that you don’t recognize. Join a book club at the local library. And there are other ways to get into the community, like volunteering for different services or charities: at the food bank, the thrift store, the group that drives seniors around for their appointments.

We won’t meet our neighbours or bless our neighbours when we’re not really part of the neighbourhood.

Another way to be a loving neighbour is through hospitality. This is a hard one, because it takes a bit of courage. But try invite your neighbours over sometime. Have a barbecue in the summer. Or host a Christmas social in December.

Get your neighbours into your house and with your family, so that they can get a glimpse of how a Christian lives—so that they can get a glimpse of what a Christian home is like—and this will also give you time for some relaxed conversation. It can be uncomfortable at first, mixing like this in a more intimate setting, even “on your own turf,” if you will. But it’s an act of love. It’s personal. It’s vulnerable. You build connections in a different way when you’re sharing food together. Maybe next time you can invite them to church.

It is also good that we take notice of the regulars. Most likely, there are people that you see on a regular basis. We live in a church bubble, we said, but there are predictable times when we step out of that.

Think about the non-church people you see with some consistency. Your dental hygienist, once or twice a year. Your mechanic. The hardware guy. The girl behind the counter at the café where you stop for a drink.

They’re almost always there. Get to know them a little. Take the thirty seconds to show an interest in their life. That’s being a good neighbour.

Set an example of godliness. This is simple, really. Your neighbours should be blessed by being near you. They should experience from you a little taste of the sweet fruit of the Holy Spirit.

We live in a world where there’s a lot of angry people, bitter, and hostile. We live in a world where there’s also a lot of hurting people, struggling, confused, and hopeless. Think of what an impression it can make when they meet a person who is kind, when our disposition is one of love, joy, peace, and patience. So set an example of godliness. Bring them some Christmas baking. Ask about their family. Shovel their sidewalk in the winter.

In the previous article, I said that we don’t always need our evangelism to be organized. It can help though, and one of the ways it can is through organizing events that get you meeting your neighbours.

For instance, for several weeks during the summer, we hold pizza nights at our church building. We put a sign at the road, and we get some kids to put on pizza costumes: “Come here for free pizza.” And that’s what we hand out. There’s no sermon, no official prayer at the start, just free food and friendship. It’s always amazing how many people pull in from the busy road in front of the church. They grab a paper plate and some pizza, and sit down for a half hour chat.

I think it’s a good event because some of the mystery or stigma of church people gets taken away: Christians are actually relatively normal folks! More importantly, personal connections get made. One conversation leads to another. One experience of fellowship leads to another. And it has led to several of our neighbours becoming members or regular visitors of our congregation.

Someone once asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbour?” Jesus answered the question with the parable of the Good Samaritan, making clear how we should treat our neighbour: with compassionate love.

And what is more loving than to share Christ?