Do you remember when Covid-19 forced us to stay at home and observe physical distancing protocols if we dared venture out into public spaces? For some introverts this was an answer to prayer, but for most people it was torture. All the physical distancing and time away from friends and loved ones wreaked havoc upon our mental and emotional well-being.
We longed for the pandemic to be over, so we could go back to some sense of normalcy and not live in fear of contracting or spreading a deadly virus. Now with those fears dissipating we must relearn the art of gathering and living in community. Some of us have gotten used to living in isolation. We’ve grown accustomed to keeping our neighbors at a safe distance. Yet, these are the people Jesus has called us to reach with the gospel and most are hungry for human connection.
Have you noticed how hungry people are for community these days? All around us are people who are starved for human interaction. They long for a safe place to be themselves and belong. While churches used to be the places where people found that community, more and more in the United States people are finding it in gyms (i.e. CrossFit boxes), yoga studios, book clubs, and Meetup.com groups. People seek out these groups because they long for a community and are looking for help connecting with others.
People in your neighborhood long for opportunities to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Most want to know the people who live around them, but most aren’t willing to take the risk of organizing an event to bring neighbors together for that purpose. They’re hoping someone else will step up to lead it. Will you step up and be that leader? Here’s a list of outreach ideas we created to help you not only bring neighbors together, but serve them at the same time.
Then jot down all those key decisions and more in our FREE Outreach Strategy Template!