A recent visitor to our church challenged us to consider the idea of a small group on every street. Connected with this, some young adults discussed the old concept of a "block parent" house, a safe home a child knew they could go to if they were ever fearful/in danger. Interesting, this organization recently ceased operations in Canada. Thus, when the title The Art of Neighboring was offered for blog review purposes, I thought this book might be a good opportunity to read and think more in this area.
As he describes in chapter 1, Dave Runyon and about 20 other pastors in the Denver area, were challenged by the mayor who shared, "the majority of the issues that our community is facing would be eliminated or drastically reduced if we could just figure out a way to become a community of great neighbors" (p. 19). Though Dave and the other pastors quickly realized the graciously stated yet embarassingly ironic commentary this gave on their churches and the Christian faith, they embraced the challenge and agreed together to do a series on Jesus' Great Commandment in their congregations. The result was the beginning of the Art of Neighboring project.
Throughout the remaining chapters, the authors explain how this project began to unfold and describe how an individual reader can begin to put a plan into action to love their neighborhood. As they freely admit, the plan is quite simple and much of the advice they offer is basic interpersonal communication material: start with a general event (eg. neighborhood bbq or potluck), don't expect to go deep with everyone; be available to serve various needs; set clear boundaries with those who may take advantage of your neighborliness. The reader can easily connect with the stories they share. They include biblical principles, yet this book does not require extensive biblical knowledge or insight.
I would highly recommend this book to any Christian or group of believers wanting to impact their community. A "Study Guide" at the end makes a group study/discussion for a group in the congregation an alternate approach. I believe the website provides additional resources and connecting opportunities also.
Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Books and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. The Art of Neighboring is available at your favourite bookseller or from Baker Books.
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