Meeting Your Meeting Your NeighborNeighbor Northwest Northwest Association Association

Wisconsin Conference Wisconsin Conference UCCUCC

David SchoenDavid SchoenCongregational Vitality and Congregational Vitality and

DiscipleshipDiscipleshipUnited Church of ChristUnited Church of Christ

Reclaiming the Biblical Reclaiming the Biblical focus on NEIGHBORSfocus on NEIGHBORS

Hebraic Scripture focuses on neighborsHebraic Scripture focuses on neighbors Ten Commandments and TorahTen Commandments and Torah Leviticus 19:18 Leviticus 19:18

You shall love your neighbor as yourselfYou shall love your neighbor as yourself Jesus commandment -You shall love your God Jesus commandment -You shall love your God

with all your heart, soul, with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind and your strength, and mind and your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:27neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:27 Love of God and love of neighbor combinedLove of God and love of neighbor combined

Jesus, Paul and James Jesus, Paul and James extend ‘neighbor’ to all humankind (with some surprises)extend ‘neighbor’ to all humankind (with some surprises)

No Matter Who You Are, or Where No Matter Who You Are, or Where You Are on Life’s Journey, You Are You Are on Life’s Journey, You Are

Welcome Here! Welcome Here!

Who are they, Who are they, and where do they come and where do they come

from?from?(Revelation 7:14) (Revelation 7:14)

MissionInsite MissionInsite DemographicsDemographics http://missioninsite.com/

flexible web based information system comprehensive socioeconomic and lifestyle

data interactive mapping platform strategic information resource for ministry

Meeting Your NeighborsMeeting Your Neighbors

Who are your NeighborsWho are your Neighbors

Rural Villages and Rural Villages and FarmsFarms

18.9%

Family ConvenienceFamily Convenience

8.2 %

Family ConvenienceFamily Convenience

Ministry Applications for Mosaic Lifestyle Portraits

Ministry Applications for Mosaic Lifestyle Portraits

Meeting your NeighborMeeting your NeighborIn PoliticsIn Politics

Liberal or ConservativeLiberal or Conservative

Meeting your NeighborMeeting your NeighborIn Religious PracticeIn Religious Practice

•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”.

Unchurched USA

Generations and ReligionGenerations and Religion

Religious PracticeReligious Practice

Where is your NeighborWhere is your Neighborin religious beliefin religious belief

Meeting your NeighborsMeeting your Neighborsconcerning LGBT Concernsconcerning LGBT Concerns

Meeting your NeighborMeeting your NeighborIn Community ServiceIn Community Service

Meeting Your NeighborMeeting Your Neighbor

The urgency of our times should not be The urgency of our times should not be driven by our decline in the United driven by our decline in the United Church of Christ.Church of Christ.

The urgency of our times should be a The urgency of our times should be a new generation and population new generation and population attuned to the values of our attuned to the values of our message and witness. message and witness.

See Millenials reportSee Millenials reportPew ResearchPew Research

Today’s Challenge Today’s Challenge (Opportunity)(Opportunity)

Meeting your neighborsMeeting your neighbors Reclaiming a focus on neighborsReclaiming a focus on neighbors

Missional in purposeMissional in purpose Get the church outside of itselfGet the church outside of itself

Relational in outreachRelational in outreach It’s all about relationshipsIt’s all about relationships

Conversational in witnessConversational in witness Talking about faith and lifeTalking about faith and life

Missional in PurposeMissional in PurposeRelational in OutreachRelational in Outreach

Ministry in 21Ministry in 21stst Century is Relational Century is Relational

Build community with those outside the Build community with those outside the churchchurch

Get to know your neighbors Get to know your neighbors and neighborhood and neighborhood

This means This means Get out of the church! Get out of the church!

Relational in OutreachRelational in Outreach

The days of waiting for people to The days of waiting for people to come to church to welcome them come to church to welcome them are over.are over.

Instead of waiting inside, we go Instead of waiting inside, we go outsideoutside

Bridge the gap by building Bridge the gap by building relationshipsrelationships

Meeting your NeighborsMeeting your Neighbors

Walk or Drive your neighborhoodWalk or Drive your neighborhood Watch for where God is at workWatch for where God is at work Take notes, make a map, collect contact Take notes, make a map, collect contact

datadata Who lives whereWho lives where What are community needsWhat are community needs Who are allies and good neighborsWho are allies and good neighbors

Do this again and againDo this again and again Talk to your neighborsTalk to your neighbors

What are the hopes and challenges of neighborsWhat are the hopes and challenges of neighbors How can the church be a good neighbor?How can the church be a good neighbor?

Meeting your NeighborsMeeting your Neighbors

‘‘Hang out’ with your neighborsHang out’ with your neighbors Meet neighbors where they gatherMeet neighbors where they gather

Spend Sunday morning with your neighborsSpend Sunday morning with your neighbors Soccer matches, Lowes, Coffee Shop, ExerciseSoccer matches, Lowes, Coffee Shop, Exercise

Pastors ‘office’ in a coffee shop, fast food, Pastors ‘office’ in a coffee shop, fast food, bookstore.bookstore.

Have meetings outside the church.Have meetings outside the church. Bible/book studies in coffee shop, book storeBible/book studies in coffee shop, book store Council meetings in neighborhood contextCouncil meetings in neighborhood context

Engage in conversation, build relationships, Engage in conversation, build relationships, Collect data of names/addresses/e-mailsCollect data of names/addresses/e-mails

Relational in OutreachRelational in OutreachConversational in WitnessConversational in Witness

Conversational ministry is central to Conversational ministry is central to the future of the church in 21the future of the church in 21stst CenturyCentury

Count conversations, not Count conversations, not conversionsconversions Brian McLaren, Brian McLaren, More Ready than You More Ready than You

ThinkThink

Conversational MinistryConversational Ministry

The postmodern world calls for The postmodern world calls for disciples who reach out to a world that disciples who reach out to a world that is hungering for good conversation is hungering for good conversation about faith, values, hope, meaning, about faith, values, hope, meaning, purpose, goodness, beauty, truth, life purpose, goodness, beauty, truth, life after death, life before death and God. after death, life before death and God. Engaging in everyday faith Engaging in everyday faith conversations will not only help conversations will not only help othersothers become disciples, it will help become disciples, it will help usus become become disciples, who know and love the disciples, who know and love the stillspeaking God more than ever.stillspeaking God more than ever.

If God is still If God is still speaking,speaking,

Shouldn’t we Shouldn’t we be? be?

Are You Ready to Are You Ready to Talk?Talk?

Why do you love your church?Why do you love your church?

What impact has believing in What impact has believing in God and following Jesus made God and following Jesus made

in your life?in your life?

What spiritual experience has What spiritual experience has made a difference in your life? made a difference in your life?

Still Speaking Conversation Still Speaking Conversation and Invitation with and Invitation with

NeighborsNeighbors Informal moments at work, shopping or….Informal moments at work, shopping or….

Be attentive for moments for a still speaking Be attentive for moments for a still speaking word word

Become a Still Speaking VoiceBecome a Still Speaking Voice Wear your still speaking witnessWear your still speaking witness

Home dinners with neighborsHome dinners with neighbors First Welcomers First Welcomers

New NeighborsNew Neighbors Public Worship Public Worship

Ashes to GoAshes to Go

Stillspeaking Stillspeaking Witness!Witness!

E. Word = ElbowE. Word = Elbow

““The e.word today is elbow.” The e.word today is elbow.” Jim GriffithJim Griffith

Still today the way most folks find a Still today the way most folks find a community of faith is when they are community of faith is when they are invited to come and brought by a invited to come and brought by a friend or neighbor.friend or neighbor.

Friend–Raising WeekendFriend–Raising Weekend 315 Congregations315 Congregations 4,200 visiting guests4,200 visiting guests 6.2% increase in 6.2% increase in

worshipworship St. Stephen’s UCC St. Stephen’s UCC

35 guests from 79 35 guests from 79 invitations invitations

Journey UCC Journey UCC 33 members - 36 guests33 members - 36 guests

New Vision UCCNew Vision UCC Guest still comingGuest still coming

God is still God is still speaking,speaking,

Through you Through you and me!and me!

Meeting your NeighborMeeting your NeighborIn TechnologyIn Technology

Meeting Your Neighbor OnlineMeeting Your Neighbor Online

Meeting your Neighbor Meeting your Neighbor on-lineon-line

Connecting with neighbors on-lineConnecting with neighbors on-line Church WebsiteChurch Website

InvitationalInvitational Interactive Interactive MessagingMessaging E.newsletterE.newsletter LinksLinks

FacebookFacebook Church fanpageChurch fanpage Your ownYour own LinksLinks Advertising Advertising

Meeting your Neighbors Meeting your Neighbors with new Technologywith new Technology

E-mail BlastsE-mail Blasts Daily DevotionalDaily Devotional

TwitterTwitter You TubeYou Tube WebinarsWebinars Go To MeetingsGo To Meetings AppsApps

Meeting your neighborsMeeting your neighborsReclaiming the Biblical Reclaiming the Biblical

focus on neighborsfocus on neighbors

Missional in purposeMissional in purpose Get the church outside of itselfGet the church outside of itself

Relational in outreachRelational in outreach It’s all about relationshipsIt’s all about relationships

Conversational in witnessConversational in witness Talking about faith and lifeTalking about faith and life

Social Networking DrivenSocial Networking Driven

Meeting Your NeighborsMeeting Your Neighbors Get startedGet started Pray, Pray for your neighbors and Pray, Pray for your neighbors and

congregationcongregation This takes time, strategy and work.This takes time, strategy and work. Get a team of ‘bright-eyed’ people togetherGet a team of ‘bright-eyed’ people together Study and conversation with congregationStudy and conversation with congregation Takes support of congregational leadersTakes support of congregational leaders Just get started. Just get started. Do one thing. Start with strengthDo one thing. Start with strength

Meeting Your NeighborsMeeting Your Neighbors

What have you learned today?What have you learned today?Who are your neighbors?Who are your neighbors?How will you use this information?How will you use this information?What one thing will you do when you What one thing will you do when you return home to start?return home to start?

Meeting Your NeighborsMeeting Your Neighbors

Blessings as you meet your Blessings as you meet your neighbors neighbors and discover what God is up to in and discover what God is up to in your neighborhood!your neighborhood!

Thank You!Thank You!

Thank you for your vital leadership Thank you for your vital leadership and stillspeaaking voiceand stillspeaaking voice

Thank you! Your financial support isThank you! Your financial support isChanging Lives: That’s Our Churches’ Changing Lives: That’s Our Churches’ Wider MissionWider Mission