My Hopeful Neighbourhood -
Building Community
Join our Board and Staff members as we embark on a journey to use prayer and our God given gifts to build trust and a sense of community with our neighbours! Together we will heed God's call - He knows our gifts and calls us to use them everyday, right where we live. Start by downloading the resource below. Draw your neighbourhood, read how to use the "My Hopeful Neighbourhood Map" and begin with prayer!
* Have your neighbourhood map laminated! This enables you to update it regularly with new details as you learn them.
Over the course of the summer 2023 we hosted three interactive sessions online. We encouraged one another and shared ideas, so that together, we can pray, care, and engage our neighbours and bring hope to the world and glory to God! To receive a link to the recorded sessions – email director@lll.ca or call 1-800-555-6236!
Getting to Know Your Neighbours
People are God’s creation who possess special gifts from Him. God can transform us to see others how He sees them. When this happens, doors open, attitudes shift, conversations change, and relationships can grow because our perspective is grounded in love not divisiveness. Click the booklet above to purchase.
Ideas to try:
- PRAY! Ask God to help you get to know your neighbours and provide opportunities to share God’s love.
- Just smile! Greet your neighbours each time you meet them. 🙂
- Go for it and introduce yourself! If you are comfortable, offer your contact information in case of an emergency.
- Give your neighbour a compliment. “Your yard is beautiful”.
- Go for a walk. Walking around your neighbourhood is a great way to get to know the people around you.
- Share! If you garden – offer your extra flowers, herbs or produce to the neighbours.
- Are you a baker? Double the recipe and share!
- Draw! Use sidewalk chalk to leave uplifting messages weekly – maybe you will spark conversation or better yet, others may join in the fun!
- Ask for advice. Need to hire an electrician? plumber? Knock on your neighbours door and ask who they recommend.
- Offer help. Watch for opportunities to be neighbourly. Shovel a driveway. Help move some furniture.
- Build a “Little Library”! Offer books, puzzles and don’t forget Project Connect booklets. 😉
Building Trust Through Group Activities
Ideas to try:
- Offer to help organize a block yard sale and donate part of the proceeds to a charity.
- Are you a craft person? Offer to have an outdoor craft for the neighbourhood children. Example: Paint rocks to share and move around the neighbourhood.
- Organize a neighbourhood get together. Offer your yard. Hand deliver invites. It can be as simple as dessert and coffee, to a BBQ, to a backyard concert!
- Start a neighbourhood emergency contact list or Facebook group to share important information with each other on what’s going on.
- Create a neighbourhood map and share it with the rest of your street.
- Get a few neighbours together to help clean up an elderly neighbour’s yard.
- During extreme hot or cold weather, check on the elderly to ensure they are safe and comfortable.
- Help the neighbourhood children help plant a small garden or a potted tomato plant for an elderly neighbour.
- Organize an outdoor movie night for teens or young adults.
- Hire a teen neighbour or two to help with yardwork, washing windows or cleaning your car.
Highlighting the Biblical theme of God’s people caring for and helping their neighbors in the communities where they live. This is done with Christ-centered service, a loving witness, and showing a genuine, non-partial concern for those in one’s neighborhood. Click the booklet above to purchase.
Sharing the Hope with your neighbours
Equip yourself with knowledge and confidence to have faith-sharing dialogues with others. This easy-to-read, easy-to-use booklet is ideal for helping you have more fruitful conversations about Jesus. Click the booklet above to purchase.
Ideas to try:
- Offer to pray. If your neighbour has shared a hardship or a difficulty that they are experiencing, offer to pray for them. If you are comfortable, offer to pray with them right then and there.
- Wear your Faith. Have a church t-shirt or jacket? A cross necklace or other jewelry? Without saying a single word, what you wear can open the door and start a conversation.
- Host a Bible or Book study in your home. Invite a few friends and neighbours. Set aside time weekly to discuss what you are reading and how it points to the cross.
- Movie Night anyone? Invite your friends, put out the popcorn and snacks and play a family friendly faith-based movie.
- Invite them to church! Offer to pick them up Sunday morning and sit with them in the pew. Or maybe you have an event coming up that they might enjoy.
- God is at work in your neighbourhood because He put you there for the sake of the gospel. You can expect Him to use you regularly in the lives of you neighbours, as you love and serve them.
Prepared to respond course:
Explore the wonderful world of spiritual conversations! This course will help you have spiritual conversations with a friend based on their spiritual posture. (see the Conversation Curve on your Hopeful Neighbourhood map) Whether they are unreceptive, receptive or seeking, these courses will guide you through possible conversations.
Helping Your Child Love Their Neighbours
This series of booklets bring hope for anyone who wants to nurture their child's faith by helping them grow through welcoming others, having a relationship with God and having regular faith conversations. Email helpful@lll.ca for free PDF copies.
This rhyming children’s booklet emphasizes how we should love our neighbors and take care of our neighborhoods. Interactions between kids and adults highlight key concepts such as friendliness, working together, loving others, and sharing one’s faith in Jesus. Click here to purchase.
Hospitality is one of the best traits a child can learn, and this begins at home. This little booklet shows in words and pictures how important it is to be welcoming to others-just as God has invited and received us into His kingdom “home”. Click here to purchase.
This booklet is geared towards pre-school to 3rd grade children. This children’s book is full of fun rhymes for youngsters (and parents). It reminds readers that both words and actions are part of telling others about Jesus. Click here to purchase.
Gallery of Colouring Contest Entries!
Encouraging Your Church or Small Group to be Better Together!
God has called all laypeople to be powerful witnesses for Christ to their families and communities.
Lutheran Laymen’s League of Canada partners with congregations to support their outreach activities that proclaim the Gospel.
We offer workshops and seminars that speak to how to talk with friends about Jesus. We can walk your congregation through the many resources Lutheran Hour Ministries Canada has to offer or help unpack the critical research available through the Barna partnership.
Email director@lll.ca if you would like LLLC to speak at your next in-person or virtual event!
