Six ways to engage your neighborhood

These are six ways that I’ve seen used to help the church engage the local neighborhood.

Throw an annual block party.
Hold a medical fair in your fellowship hall.
Classes on community felt needs – parenting or economics, home ownership.
Hold a job and community service fair.
Hold a free dental clinic using student from the local medical school.
Host English as second language classes.

By our evangelism definition, community service isn’t evangelism outright.

Rather, community service can provide a context for evangelism. It’s demonstrating the good news, and words can accompany it with a gospel explanation.

We find it helpful at some of these events to have a prayer station, a place where people can visit to receive prayer from church elders or those trained in prayer ministry.

It is here at this prayer booth where the conversational side of evangelism occurs.

But, church members should be encouraged to look for those moments where God is at work and look for those opportunities to discuss their faith.

Let me ask you this?
What are some ways your churches have engaged their neighborhood?

photo credit: Leo Reynolds via cc