Transcript Meeting Your Neighbor Northwest Association Wisconsin Conference UCC David Schoen Congregational Vitality and Discipleship United Church of Christ.

Meeting Your Neighbor
Northwest Association
Wisconsin Conference UCC
David Schoen
Congregational Vitality and Discipleship
United Church of Christ
Reclaiming the Biblical focus on
NEIGHBORS
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Hebraic Scripture focuses on neighbors
Ten Commandments and Torah
 Leviticus 19:18
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Jesus commandment -You shall love your God
with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind
and your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:27
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You shall love your neighbor as yourself
Love of God and love of neighbor combined
Jesus, Paul and James
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extend ‘neighbor’ to all humankind (with some surprises)
No Matter Who You Are, or Where You Are on
Life’s Journey, You Are Welcome Here!
Who are they,
and where do they come from?
(Revelation 7:14)
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MissionInsite Demographics
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http://missioninsite.com/
flexible web based information system
 comprehensive socioeconomic and lifestyle data
 interactive mapping platform
 strategic information resource for ministry
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Meeting Your Neighbors
Who are your Neighbors
Rural Villages and Farms
18.9%
Family Convenience
8.2 %
Family Convenience
Ministry Applications for Mosaic
Lifestyle Portraits
Ministry Applications for Mosaic
Lifestyle Portraits
Meeting your Neighbor
In Politics
Liberal or Conservative
Meeting your Neighbor
In Religious Practice
Unchurched USA
•Since 1991 adult population
in the US grew by 15%.
•During that same period the
unchurched population grew
by 92%! 75 million US
adults do not attend church
'Unchurched' Americans
say church is 'full of
hypocrites' consider
Christianity to be more about
organized religion than
about loving God and
people, …“unchristian”.
Generations and Religion
Religious Practice
Where is your Neighbor
in religious belief
Meeting your Neighbors
concerning LGBT Concerns
Meeting your Neighbor
In Community Service
Meeting Your Neighbor
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The urgency of our times should not be driven
by our decline in the United Church of Christ.
The urgency of our times should be a new
generation and population
attuned to the values of our
message and witness.
See Millenials report
Pew Research
Today’s Challenge (Opportunity)
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Meeting your neighbors
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Missional in purpose
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Get the church outside of itself
Relational in outreach
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Reclaiming a focus on neighbors
It’s all about relationships
Conversational in witness
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Talking about faith and life
Missional in Purpose
Relational in Outreach
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Ministry in 21st Century is Relational
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Build community with those outside the church
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Get to know your neighbors
and neighborhood
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This means
Get out of the church!
Relational in Outreach
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The days of waiting for people to come to
church to welcome them are over.
Instead of waiting inside, we go outside
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Bridge the gap by building relationships
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Meeting your Neighbors
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Walk or Drive your neighborhood
Watch for where God is at work
 Take notes, make a map, collect contact data
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Who lives where
 What are community needs
 Who are allies and good neighbors
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Do this again and again
 Talk to your neighbors
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What are the hopes and challenges of neighbors
 How can the church be a good neighbor?
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Meeting your Neighbors
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‘Hang out’ with your neighbors
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Meet neighbors where they gather
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Spend Sunday morning with your neighbors
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Pastors ‘office’ in a coffee shop, fast food, bookstore.
Have meetings outside the church.
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Soccer matches, Lowes, Coffee Shop, Exercise
Bible/book studies in coffee shop, book store
Council meetings in neighborhood context
Engage in conversation, build relationships,
Collect data of names/addresses/e-mails
Relational in Outreach
Conversational in Witness
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Conversational ministry is central to the future
of the church in 21st Century
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Count conversations, not conversions
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Brian McLaren, More Ready than You Think
Conversational Ministry
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The postmodern world calls for disciples who
reach out to a world that is hungering for good
conversation about faith, values, hope,
meaning, purpose, goodness, beauty, truth, life
after death, life before death and God.
Engaging in everyday faith conversations will
not only help others become disciples, it will
help us become disciples, who know and love
the stillspeaking God more than ever.
If God is still speaking,
Shouldn’t we be?
Are You Ready to Talk?
Why do you love your church?
What impact has believing in God and
following Jesus made in your life?
What spiritual experience has made a
difference in your life?
Still Speaking Conversation and
Invitation with Neighbors
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Informal moments at work, shopping or….
Be attentive for moments for a still speaking word
 Become a Still Speaking Voice
 Wear your still speaking witness
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Home dinners with neighbors
First Welcomers
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New Neighbors
Public Worship
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Ashes to Go
Stillspeaking Witness!
E. Word = Elbow
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“The e.word today is elbow.”
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Jim Griffith
Still today the way most folks find a community
of faith is when they are invited to come and
brought by a friend or neighbor.
Friend–Raising Weekend
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315 Congregations
4,200 visiting guests
6.2% increase in worship
St. Stephen’s UCC
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Journey UCC
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35 guests from 79
invitations
33 members - 36 guests
New Vision UCC
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Guest still coming
God is still speaking,
Through you and
me!
Meeting your Neighbor
In Technology
Meeting Your Neighbor Online
Meeting your Neighbor on-line
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Connecting with neighbors on-line
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Church Website
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Invitational
Interactive
Messaging
E.newsletter
Links
Facebook
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Church fanpage
Your own
Links
Advertising
Meeting your Neighbors with new
Technology
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E-mail Blasts
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Daily Devotional
Twitter
You Tube
Webinars
Go To Meetings
Apps
Meeting your neighbors
Reclaiming the Biblical focus on
neighbors
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Missional in purpose
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Relational in outreach
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It’s all about relationships
Conversational in witness
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Get the church outside of itself
Talking about faith and life
Social Networking Driven
Meeting Your Neighbors
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Get started
Pray, Pray for your neighbors and congregation
This takes time, strategy and work.
Get a team of ‘bright-eyed’ people together
Study and conversation with congregation
Takes support of congregational leaders
Just get started.
Do one thing. Start with strength
Meeting Your Neighbors
 What
have you learned today?
 Who are your neighbors?
 How will you use this information?
 What one thing will you do when
you return home to start?
Meeting Your Neighbors
Blessings as you meet your neighbors
 and discover what God is up to in your
neighborhood!
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Thank You!
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Thank you for your vital leadership and
stillspeaaking voice
Thank you! Your financial support is
Changing Lives: That’s Our Churches’ Wider Mission