We Are Neighbors

  Does it matter who lives near us physically when our fast-paced, hurried, highly individualized lives don’t seem to intersect much with the people in our neighborhood? Yes, it does matter – you were placed for a purpose. Your address is not an accident and neither is your neighbors.  Join authors and speakers Chris and Elizabeth McKinney for our “Love Where You Live Neighboring Conference” on March 5 at Ridgecrest Baptist Church. How to be a good neighbor is a topic rarely discussed in church and long forgotten in our broader culture. This conference will provide a template for Christians to learn how to be a good neighbor, how to positively impact their neighborhood, and how to experience a deeper understanding of God’s grace, and His redemptive work.  Conference is open to the public as well as members and pastors of other churches. Lunch is provided at this conference along with related materials. FEATURED SPEAKERS:   Chris and Elizabeth McKinney, live in Columbia, MO with their

  Developing positive and loving relationships with your neighbors does not happen in one day or even one week. Instead, the relationship takes time and depends on hundreds of different choices. I have observed that neighboring relationships are defined by everyday actions that you choose to make. For example, we can choose to linger at the mailbox for a conversation when we grab the mail instead of rushing back inside our home. We can choose to spend all of our time indoors or in the backyard away from others. We could all benefit from more front yard living! We can choose to learn your neighbor's name and use it. There is a big difference between waving at a neighbor and saying, "Hey you" versus "Hey Matt." One is personal and the other, honestly, is indifferent and apathetic. How about the choice to take off the headphones when walking and visit with a neighbor in their yard. There is the choice to overlook past wrongs or current issues and offer me

If an airplane lands at the airport safely, that is not news.   But when an airplane crashes at the airport, that is breaking news. The first option is expected, while the second is unusual and tragic. This is an example of why so much of our news veers toward being negative. This also explains our reluctance to reach out to neighbors in a relationship. I have a google alert for the word "neighbors" that searches headlines every day across the United States. Perhaps one time a week, I will find a positive headline about neighboring. Most of the time, they read like this: ·        Neighbors call cops on black realtor showing home to a black dad, son (Carson Now). ·        Redwood Shores neighbors are alarmed by sex offenders (San Mateo Daily Journal). ·        Woman Apologizes After Video of Her Criticizing Neighbor's 'Tigger' Flag Viewed Over 10M Times (WBMN-NBC) ·        Man in custody after allegedly breaking into neighbor's home (Seattle Times

A loving neighbor must  first develop a relationship with their neighbor. A great approach is to be someone who blesses your neighbors, instead of having a sales pitch. Or as it is sometimes said: you can have an ultimate motive, but you should never have ulterior motives. That means love needs to guide your relationships with neighbors. Your neighbor doesn’t want or need a sales pitch, and they do not need to be your “pet project.”  But odds are they are lonely, looking for connections, and occasionally need help or a good listening ear.  You could be that person! Once you know your neighbor well enough to call them or visit with them, what is the next step? That is when you want to be a blessing! Let me refer you to the book “B.L.E.S.S.: 5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change the World” written by Dave Ferguson.  He makes lots of great observations, but this one really caught my eye.  This study notes the importance to developing a relationship with your neighbors first. Th

Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Springfield, Missouri exists to make Christ-centered disciples of their neighbors and the nations. In 2022, church leaders are asking the Lord to lead members to build strong, loving relationships with their eight closest neighbors as part of a neighboring initiative being called "We Are Neighbors." The initiative launched on Jan. 2 with the first sermon in a five-part sermon series. As part of the initiative, Ridgecrest is rolling out six different challenges during the year and offering several classes, conferences, and sermons focused on neighboring. The six challenges are expressed as Pray, Meet, Act, Gather, Serve, and Invite. "We are spending the year encouraging our members to learn the names of all their neighbors. Then build relationships with them through common interests and shared experiences, and sustain compassionate and caring practices of neighborly love," said Kelsey Kleier, Missions Director at Ridgecrest. Studi

Over the last year or two, I have been blessed to have several opportunities to share the importance of neighboring with audiences. Podcasts and television have given me a chance to tell my personal story and to focus the essential messages of neighboring. If you are new to neighboring and wanting to understand the topic at a deeper level you may find some of these resources helpful. This 30-minute interview with Jennifer Moore on Ozarks Public Television (KOZK) in Springfield, Mo. Sense of Community Series: " Being a Good Neighbor." Access online . The Neighboring Movement in Kansas has a podcast with thousands of downloads. David Burton was a special guest in May for this 45-minute episode. Listen to it online here . You can listen to the interview about the research on neighboring on the "Local Lifestyle Podcast." David Burton addresses the idea of being a good neighbor online here . Pastor Jeremy Muniz and David Burton also visited about the neighboring theme a

The impact of neighboring -- the art and skill of building relationships with the people who live in closest proximity to you -- is as varied as the people involved. In my own life I have seen the practice of neighboring create friendships, open doors for gospel discussions, provide ministry opportunities, life my own spirits, create a sense of community, bring joy to an otherwise lonely person, improve the security of a neighborhood, and even provide support for my wife when she was facing a cancer diagnosis.  But this week, I am sharing some recent examples that individuals have shared with me. First, from Springfield, Mo.: I had been struggling with knowing where to start in my neighboring journey. My neighborhood is small (8 homes) and there is a lot of distance between homes. For several weeks I had been praying for God's leading in this area. Then on News Year's Day we had new neighbors knock on our door and deliver some goodies. I didn't even know someone had moved