Making time to minister to our neighbors may be the most impactful thing we can do. Together let’s take Christ’s words seriously and love our actual neighbors as an overflow of our love for God.
Wanting to be Good Neighbors
When my husband and I were looking for our first house a few years ago I began to pray for the neighbors God would surround us with. I prayed that the house we bought would meet our needs and that God would prepare the people around it to be ready to receive both us and the Gospel. I prayed that God would make us a faithful witness and that we would find ways to minister to the people He placed us near.
Fast forward two years and I am still very much trying to figure out what this looks like. I have prayed for my neighbors regularly, brought them gifts at Christmastime, invited them to church, visited when I knew of a tragedy or loss, and seen some great things coming from it. However, I long to be a better neighbor (see this post for some of the ideas I’m implementing). I know there is brokenness and hopelessness surrounding me and I often feel lost as to how to go outside my door and welcome those who live closest to me.
That is where The Art of Neighboring
I began this small book because it was recommended by Rosaria Butterfield in her book Openness Unhindered
Passionate to see what further ministry the Lord would have for me in neighboring I began this book with excitement. I was not disappointed.
The theme of the book comes from the gospel of Matthew.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 22: 37-39
The authors conclude that perhaps Jesus is talking here about our literal neighbors.
Though we know in a broad sense we are to love and consider everyone a neighbor Dave and Jay conclude that when we aim at everything we often hit nothing so perhaps it would be best if we made time to love the people closest to us.
This book sets up a quantifiable goal – What do you know about the people in the 8 houses closest to you? They have block maps on their website that are further explained in the book.
Dave and Jay then give concrete examples of how we can go about ministering to our neighborhoods. They focus on relationship building and opportunities to love the people we live near just as Jesus has commanded.
“We don’t love our neighbor to convert them, we love our neighbor because we are converted.” – The Art of Neighboring
The Art of Neighboring
The authors argue for genuinely loving people as created image bearers of our God, serving them, praying for them, and looking for opportunities to share about Christ.
Every context will look different but there is a simple beauty in just being available.
I was convicted and encouraged through this book. That is not to say that I agreed with every point but the overall theme of the book is one that I believe to be very necessary and oft forgotten.
I made it through this book anxious to see what the Lord has for me in my neighborhood. I have prayed for my neighbors and see every opportunity to speak with them as an answer to prayer. I sincerely think this ought to be our conclusion. God has placed us in our neighborhoods for a reason.
Making time to minister to our neighbors may be the most impactful thing we can do. Together let’s take Christ’s words seriously and love our actual neighbors as an overflow of our love for God.
Hi, I'm Katie!
I help Christians get past their social struggles and feelings of isolation and loneliness by exploring all the skills we need to build community. I'm so glad you are here! Read more
My daughter has been friends with our neighbor’s daughter, and we’ve had them over several times. It’s good to know our neighbors so we can minister to them.
Awesome!! It is a huge ministry because God places them around us and He decides who He wants us to minister to!
As I was reading your post, I couldn’t help but think of how I could reach out to one neighbor in particular.
I would like to check this book out.
That is awesome to hear! What a blessing! I would love to hear how you choose to reach out to them!
“I have prayed for my neighbors and see every opportunity to speak with them as an answer to prayer. I sincerely think this ought to be our conclusion. God has placed us in our neighborhoods for a reason.” “We don’t love our neighbor to convert them, we love our neighbor because we are converted.” – Love these two points! I think we too often look for the big movements of God when in reality he works small miracles and answers prayers in commonplace ways all the time. It is a challenge and encouragement to me to be looking out for those ways more in my every day!
Amen!! God uses many interactions to work in our hearts and the hearts of those we minister to. A consistent life of love toward our neighbors can have a tremendous impact!
What a great post for this season in our country. We are told so many times to love one another…because ultimately “God is love.”.. also “Love covers a multitude of sins.” Thank you for this important reminder.
Thank you for the encouragement!!! I think good neighboring really can make a huge difference in our entire nation if we take it seriously!
I dont even know my neighbours here… This post made me want to know them
How awesome!!! Thats what I was hoping for!
Moving to a new area with tons of diversity made me break out of my box. We began hosting the Neighborhood Dessert Night once a month. This has proven to be an incredible blessing as we have Asian, Hispanic, Indian and Peruvian neighbors. However, we all come together and we share food,life and our beliefs.God is so good we even have neighbors going to church with us. I don’t have to believe their beliefs in order to love my neighbor, I just have to love them and let God do the rest!
What a beautiful testimony!!! I LOVE that story and your idea!!!! I may have to copy it 😉
I am curious to read this book. I have been in a bit of a season of solitude. Maybe it is time to move out of that.
I hope this book is a blessing to you! It is a small book but offers a lot of encouragement 🙂