We Are Neighbors

Watercolor how to video  https://youtu.be/at8_66UG49c When a neighbor receives a kind note from us, especially if it is handwritten, they feel like the writer has a deeper desire to serve them or connect. I solated and lonely people desire a personal touch. This has always been true. But it is especially true during this period in our social history. As a speaker and writer on the topic of neighboring, I am seeing a surge of interest in connecting with the people who live nearby, and notecards are a great way to do introductions or invites. Taking the time to personalize a notecard, like with watercolors, can be relaxing for you, but it also tells the receiver that you invested time in the communication. Quentin Schultze, a Communication Professor Emeritus at Calvin College, is a fan of handwritten notes and personal letters. He has written books and blogs on communication topics, and when it comes to a handwritten note, he says a nicely written note is gold. “If there’s some

  In his book, Pastor Dave Ferguson shares a simple acronym that describes for us a practical way to B.L.E.S.S. our neighbors. B – Begin with prayer L – Listen E – Eat together S – Serve S – Share stories Let's take a closer look at this idea of serving. When Jesus is in the upper room with his disciples, he sets an example of service for us. He washes his disciples’ feet. He was the master. He was the teacher. You would think that it was the disciples who ought to wash Jesus’ feet. But there Jesus is stooping down to perform this modest but meaningful task. After he finishes he says: “You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” (John 13:13–15, ESV) Jesus trades his crown for an apron.  This was big. In an honor and shame culture what he did would never bring hono

  I was telling a neighbor about a book I had read recently where a lady put a picnic table in her front yard and it become the hub of social activity in that neighborhood. (The Turquoise Table) She then told me about a lady she knew in Texas that has a business called Neighbor’s Table. That put me on a journey to learn more and the story of Neighbor’s Table unfolded as all good stories do, organically.  In 2011, owner and founder Sarah took a huge leap and moved to Dallas, Texas. She was running herself ragged from chasing everything shiny. Her performance-driven, young professional heart was looking in all the wrong places for validation and approval. Then a good friend helped het stop and put a plan in place to understand her identity. Slowly, she began focusing on being more than doing and she started to confront the things that had held her back. For months, she reflected on how she was naturally wired and thought about the moments she felt most alive. She kept coming back to wha

Dave Runyon is co-author of "The Art of Neighboring," the book that re-launched a neighboring movement nationwide when it was released 10-years ago. David remains a mentor to many, speaking to classes and groups nationwide about neighboring and helping at least ten other authors over the last six years that have also written about neighboring. He remains active in his neighborhood in Arvada, Colorado, where his story began.    Dave details in his book, along with Jay Pathak, how a local mayor challenged him to work with people of faith to be better neighbors. Dave discovered he had not been a very good neighbor and set out to change in the process. His first step was to learn and use the names of his neighbors. He is the creator of the eight-neighbor spreadsheet that encourages individuals to get to know their eight closest neighbors and write down their name to remember it and use it. This neighboring grid is now used by countless churches and organizations nationwide.  In

M y 2022 exhibit for Lawn Art With Neighbors is a little exhibit I've named: "Welcome to my Colorful Neighborhood." Each colorful piece on display was signed and created by residents of our neighborhood (or special friends) using the "spin art" method for abstract art.  Every square or heart is colored differently because of the choices made by that particular artist about colors, spin speed, and the number of spins. The art has been attached to cedar picket fence panels that harken back to the old idea of yards with picket fences. It is a visual representation of a neighborhood. So visually, we see with this project that every person is uniquely created but we are joined together in a neighborhood. We are stronger when working together and I would say prettier too! My  "Welcome to my Colorful Neighborhood"  sculpture is a powerful reminder of the importance of neighbors but also understanding the Imago Deo. We live in a culture where we are always in

Looking for ways to meet your neighbors?  Here are 100 different ideas that you can use yourself. Each one is designed to help you build connections with your neighbors. The goal is to build relationships. Do not feel obligated to entertain people or entertain neighbors. Building connections is more important than entertainment. Give these ideas a try and let us know which one is your favorite. POSSIBLE ACTS OF NEIGHBORLINESS  Invite neighbor kids over with their parents for a game night.  Organize a parade in your neighborhood.   Soup potluck for neighbors in your driveway.  Set up an outdoor picture-taking event for kids.  Grill hamburgers and/or hot dogs in the front yard and include water.    Put out chairs in the front yard, so neighbors can sit down and rest and drink something.    Bring out a fire pit in your front yard to roast marshmallows or make s'mores.    Offer a helping hand to rake a neighbor’s lawn or cleaning rain or street gutters are great

  Here is Sherry Hebert's neighboring testimony video that was shown at Ridgecrest Baptist Church on May 29, 2022. View it here . SPRINGFIELD, Mo. --  Nearly ten years ago, Springfield residents Sherry and Lynn Hebert read Dave Runyon's book, "The Art of Neighboring." The book was convicting and the impact of their efforts was immediate and caused them to develop a neighboring lifestyle that they maintain even today. Sherry was kind enough to do a Question and Answer session to get at the heart of what being an engaged neighbor has met for her and her family. Q: What does it mean to be an engaged neighbor? A: It means being a part of their lives as long as they will allow. It means being aware of and caring about their needs and what they're going through. It means helping physically where you can and praying for them daily. Q: Why do you think neighboring is important? A: Because it's important to Jesus! He loves them and wants us to show His love t

Current American culture has to be convinced to do nearly anything and the question being asked is "what is in it for me?"  When it comes to being an engaged neighbor, there is an abundance of research on this subject.  Knowing your immediate neighbors can decrease crime where you live by 60 percent. Subdivisions where neighboring is done well see lower crime rates, improved resale values, and help for neighbors that need it. Knowing your neighbors can improve your physical and mental health in a number of different ways. One example is that chronic loneliness has the same physical impact as smoking one pack of cigarettes a day. Taking steps to get to know your neighbors can lead to discovering new skills and abilities in you and your neighbors. That often leads to more community volunteerism and leadership.  Getting to know your neighbors is also a preventative step for future problems. If you have a relationship with your neighbor you are more likely to be to work out probl

What difference can one person make? There are of course the types of examples that get turned into movies and for which books are written. Examples where one person stands up for what is right and wins. Examples where one person works so hard and persists until the point of accomplishment. But what if you could make a difference just by being kind? Sounds like a tall order until you read about how Mister Rogers' hometown is known for kindness. Chris Rodell's book on Mister Rogers' hometown documents how visitors and new residents often comment on how nice people are in the town and wonder if it is some sort of gag. One new police officer to town told how he pulled a resident over to give the driver a speeding ticket. The driver said "thank you" and gave the police offer a cold bottle of water (it was a hot day). There are a number of other examples that make it apparent that Mister Rogers' behavior made a permanent impact on the town. You may not have a show

Participants in this year's 100 Acts of Kindness Challenge helped the University of Missouri Extension document 873 kindness actions between March 20 and March 26. It only takes a small act of kindness to make a big difference in the life of someone in your community, like a service provider, a lonely person, or a neighbor. We have no idea how even the most minuscule gesture might resonate with the recipient. This year, most of the submissions came from residents of Greene and Dent counties. There were 262 acts of kindness reported from Dent County, 498 from Greene County (beating the goal of 100). The remaining 114 came from other parts of the state. Actions ranged from delivering food and other gifts to neighbors, doing laundry for a sick friend, stocking shelves at a food pantry, giving a sick friend a ride to medical treatment, or gifting a neighbor a Mister Rogers' themed garden flag, for example. One resident of Republic bought eight gas cards for twenty-five doll

Back on National Good Neighbor Day, Sept. 28, 2021, Neighbor.com, the peer-to-peer self-storage marketplace, revealed the ranking for its second annual "Most Neighborly Cities in America." Neighbor-based rankings were based on key data points like volunteering, charitable giving, neighborly acts, and other important dimensions. Crowning the list for the first time was Madison, WI., 2021's Most Neighborly City in America. Madison topped this year's list for a few reasons: It is ranked #1 as the happiest city in America. It also leads the nation in donations to nonprofits per 100,000 residents. "Neighborhoods are the crux of our society, where we make friends, educate our children, and care for each other. Studies also show interacting with your neighbors and getting to know them results in lower levels of loneliness and worry," said Neighbor.com CEO Joseph Woodbury (pictured here with this story). Woodbury spoke to attendees of David Burton's  Oct