Who Are Our Neighbors?

Click to read the responses from the third session of our small group discussions:

Editor's Note:

When I was in high school, I was sure I was going to go to the University of Virginia. I went ahead and bought the jacket and a book that told me all the ins and outs of campus life at UVA. And then I visited the College of William and Mary. All my plans fell apart in a moment as I was captivated by my future alma mater. While I attended the College, I set my sights on a career in business and government, only to quit my job within 6 months of graduation. As I considered which Lutheran seminary to attend, I thought for sure I would go for the historic setting of the Gettysburg seminary. But when I received a letter from the seminary in Philadelphia, I knew right away I was headed to the big city instead. If the pattern isn't clear enough yet, just about every major plan I've made in my life hasn't turned out like I expected, but what has happened has been better than what I could ever have imagined. That's where I see the hand of God in my life.

The saying goes, “we plan, God laughs.” I think we all know that can be true sometimes. And yet I have asked that we gather together to consider our future as a congregation. We've been talking about who God has made us and who God is calling us to be. We've wrestled with the challenging realities of our society today. As we begin to discern together some insights into our future ministry as Christ Lutheran, I'm not asking us to make definite plans. That is, I'm not asking us to say “In five years, we will have 200 people in worship.” We are not a company or a nonprofit organization. We are the Body of Christ in the world, and the future belongs to the Christ who has come and will come again. 

 

We believe that God the Holy Spirit is active in our own lives, and in the life of our congregation. Just a few years ago, could we have imagined how the intern program would bring new life? Could we have expected to be partners in ministry with ICAN and Kingdom Builders, partnerships that help us be good stewards of these buildings God has given us? What will God do next? We can't know for sure, but we can trust that it will be God's hand leading us and God's love supporting us. I'm asking that we listen for God's voice, and look for God's hand nudging us. What might God be trying to tell us? What future is God dreaming just for us? We need not paint the whole picture. A few brush strokes would be a great start. God is already streaking colors across the canvas in the ministry we are doing right now.

Our role, then, is to be faithful to our calling as sinners whom God has redeemed, as disciples of Jesus. We will seek not to constrain the Holy Spirit's work to continually surprise us with new life. But we will listen intentionally, and listen together. This calling to listen will not end with the end of these small group sessions. They are just a model for the prayerful, communal “listening ministry” which will always be a part of faithful discipleship. We are free, in Christ, of all the burdens we place on our own backs. We are free to walk forward in faith, to listen, and to be led. We are free to place the future in God's hands.

With that being said, here are the results from Session Three. All responses have been typed verbatim from the written responses on the group sheets. Duplicate responses from among the groups have been preserved.

1) Who lives around us? What are they like? What are their needs?

• Neighbors
• Mission (Water Street Mission, I think is what is meant here)
• Their needs are to get to know Christ
• Mixed community
• Not sure
• Concern about drugs and crime
• Originally Catholic, probably some still attend St. Joe's
• Low income, rental properties, frequent turnover of property – not stable, transient
• Needs – same as everyone – food, clothing, shelter, but with more struggles
• Need more consistency and stability
• Several people we know live around us (names not printed for their privacy)
• They are like us, they have needs, which are food, friends, safe worship
• People of mixed religions and races
• They are like people everywhere
• Some are good. Some are not.
• In this area, their needs are many – not only material needs, but also spiritual.
  

2) Describe the segment of our community that we are most likely to attract right now. Is it a big segment? Who lives around us that doesn't feel comfortable joining us?

• People who want to use our building and the mission (again, people from Water Street Mission, I think); not a big segment; Some of the neighbors (don't feel comfortable)
• People who like traditional Lutheran worship
• Middle class – not a big segment in this community
• Low income persons feel we are “above” them
• Some don't feel a need for church
• Likely to attract those who attend the community meal, from the movie nights, from the ICAN group
• Don't feel comfortable – those who don't speak English, who have trouble sitting still, the same race, those who don't have money to put in the collection plate, the disabled
• Mostly older people because there are not many young people in the congregation and we don't offer much for young people
  

3) Who in our community are so different that we are afraid of them?

• Different living standards
• Drug dealers and users
• Violent persons
• Fear of robbery
• Sometimes they are afraid of us
• Some of the mental health issues
• Those who speak another language, because we can't communicate well with them
• Child abusers
• They look different and we tend to be wary of them
  

4) Can you imagine what it would be like to not only invite those people to worship next to us in the pew, but to help plan our ministry and shape our future, that is, to see that “they” are really “us” ???

• Yes
• How do we welcome without being condescending to those who do not follow common procedures?
• Worship folders help visitors follow service better
• In reality, they are us
• At first it would be uncomfortable for older people, although not all
  

5) What do we have to do to be more welcoming to new people?

• Greet them and show interest in them
• Smile, acknowledge, share peace, interact
• Invite them back
• Help guide through service
• Notice they are sitting next to us
• Introduce ourselves
• Help them with the service
• Invite them to Sunday School, or another upcoming event
• Be more outgoing
• Be willing to welcome people in
• Make sure you talk to them
• Possibly have a coffee hour before services from 8 to 9
  

6) Are we uniquely positioned to reach out to certain segments of our community?

• Yes
• Yes – we do summer movies, VBS, go door to door with invitations periodically, community meals, sharing building with ICAN and NA
• Reach out to folks who are lower income with the community meal
• Folks who are used to “worldly” things, and we can show them Christ
• Ethnically diverse
• Do a study to find out the “segments” around our neighborhood
• We think we are – we are pretty much in a central location
  

7) List some opportunities for us to step out of our church building to do something that

a) matters to people in our community, and

b) proclaims God's love and grace for us and for them

• Flea market
• Chicken BBQ
• Movie nights
• Community meals
• Candy canes with flyers was done – do things like that again
• Wave to neighbors
• Outside services and events, like Rally Day
• Movie nights continue
• Festival
• Things that involve children
• Yard sale
• Hymn sing outside
• Help each other
• Free family entertainment
• Help raking leaves or shoveling snow for neighbors
• Potluck meal or clean-up day with neighbors
• Helping with physical needs
• Neighborhood flea market, in which neighbors are invited to set up stands at no charge
• Movie nights
• Rally Day – maybe there would be a better way to advertise
• Tutoring – which we used to do and no longer do

8) What future is God dreaming just for Christ Lutheran? (I know, it's a big question)

• To bring more people into the church
• Remain in this area to help the needy
• Social ministry – community meals, ICAN, NA
• Service – fulfill God's will that needy be ministered to, whether or not they become members.
• We are not called to be successful. We are called to be faithful.
• Plant seed – God makes things grow
• Started out as drawing us close as the family of the body of Christ Lutheran
• Making us financially set-up
• Using our church to help others, and learning to depend on each other
• We don't really know God's dream for us, but do things out of Christ's love to help one another to reach out to the neighborhood
• Ultimately we hope there will be a full-time pastor and wouldn't it be great to still continue the vicar program
• Have programs to welcome the young
• Stress how you can invite people
• We think our future will be to grow as a congregation

9) How can we focus everything we do on that future, that is, on that mission? Put differently, what do we have to let go of (and trust God) in order to focus on that mission/future?

• Pray for our fears of rejection to be removed
• Let go of our worries about membership
• Let go of fear
• Work with other Christians
• Witness to God's love, and we want to be loving, caring, and welcoming neighbors
• Let go of our worries and trust God, be willing to change and grow, and try new things
• Be more willing to invite people
• Young people ought to invite their friends
• We have to let go of fear of judgment from other people