Neighborhood Ministry Ideas
It's summer in Buffalo, one of the most idyllic combinations in the world! And that means everyone will be looking for things to do outside so they can enjoy it for the short time it's here. For Every Person Week is from May 31 to June 5, leading up to our June 6th Serve Day. As an aid to helping you brainstorm on how to serve your neighbors during For Every Person week (and hopefully well beyond!!!), the Spiritual Formation team has put together a list of a few ideas to get your gears turning. Reaching out to your neighborhood can look like whatever the Holy Spirit lays on your heart to do, to serve, to pray, to be available. It doesn't have to look like the list below, but in case you are in need of some intentional and creative ideas, here are a few ways you serve your neighbors this summer:
Meet The Neighbors. This is a rudimentary first step. If you don't already know your neighbors, go knock on their doors! Bring cookies, wear a smile, let them know you would love to get to know them and that they can reach out if they need anything.
Offer to mow their lawn (for free, because Jesus loves them). Grass can be out of control in the early summer and many people don't have time or don't have the physical ability to take care of their properties the way they wish they could. This is a way we can love others as we love ourselves.
Offer to Mulch their Gardens. It's May / June, when everyone is getting their yards looking nice for the summer. Mulch is cheap, but it can make a HUGE difference in how someone feels about their home. It's hard work to shovel it into the garden bed, etc., that not everyone can do. If you are able, this can be a huge blessing to some.
Neighbor Prayer Notices. Put a note in the mailboxes of everyone on your street that says that your home (give your name and address) is a praying home and that you'd love to pray for them. Give them the option to drop prayer requests in your mailbox anytime they choose and know that they will get prayed for when they do.
Serve the Elderly / Sick / Homebound. Are there elderly, sick, disabled or homebound folks in your neighborhood? Visit them a time or two. Write a card of encouragement (don't forget to add some encouraging scriptures!), maybe prepare a meal for them to let them know you care.
Single Mom Free Babysitting. Do you know of any single moms in your neighborhood, family or friend group? Offer to watch her kids for an evening so she can have a break, or go shopping, or whatever it is she needs to do. Help her to feel like a loved human being, and not just the constant demands of motherhood.
Bless App. The Bless App is a great way to intentionally engage your neighbors. Through it, you adopt 50 families who actually live in your neighborhood that you will be a Light to. Using the acronym BLESS for (Begin with prayer, Listen to them, Eat with them, Serve them, Story (share your story with them)), the app takes you through a process with each family of intentionally living Christ in your community.
Prayer Walk. Take a prayer walk around your neighborhood. Pray for each house you see and the people who live in it. Say hi to anyone who happens to be outside. If you're feeling brave, let them know you are a Christian and you'd love to pray with them about anything that's on their heart right now. You can do this with your family.
Community Picnic / BBQ. Invite all of your neighbors to a picnic at your house or a nearby park. Provide grilled hot dogs or something easy, maybe some chips and some water / soda, and invite them to bring dishes or desserts to share if they wish. Make it a time of getting to know the people who come, and before you pack up, schedule the next one! A Community Picnic Planning template is available here (for your convenience).
Walk with Neighbors. Send an open invite to your neighbors to join you for a walk around the neighborhood. If you do this on a regular day you may start to get to know some of them. Physical activity is a great way to get people talking so you can hear their stories and even share yours.
Just Show Up Activities. Invite your neighbors to activities you are doing anyway. If your family is having a picnic, invite the neighbors. If you're going fishing at the creek, invite the neighbors. If you're going to a Bisons game, invite the neighbors. Any activity can turn into an opportunity to be a Light to those around you.
Prayer Walk through house. Did you know that your closest neighbors are the ones who live in the bedrooms next to yours? Take a prayer walk through your house. Invite your family or those you live with to join you if they want. Bless every room. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you, for peace with family members, for protection from the enemy, and for wisdom on how to use the house He's given you for His mission and His glory.
Home Blessing Hour. Set aside a few hours one day to do some long-lingering things on your to-do list that would really bless your family or your spouse or your parents or your neighbors. Things people have been wanting you to do for a long time and you just haven't done it. You know the things we mean. Be a blessing to your nearest neighbors by blessing the home they live in.
Free Lemonade Stand. Go set up a table in front of your house or at a nearby park and give away free lemonade and water and maybe some cookies or other yummy things to those passing by. Maybe you'll even pick up some of their names when they stop by. Extra points - ask them if you can pray for them in any way. After the living water Jesus gives us, we'll never thirst again!
Make Your Own. The suggestions above are just to get your gears turning. Pray and ask God to show you what your neighbors need, what would be good for your neighborhood, and that He would give you a heart of generosity and love to just bless others for no other reason than to just spread the love of Jesus.