Building Community

We hosted our first community party in our new neighborhood tonight. The popsicles & ice cream party was a huge success. Since we moved in November, I've been taking the kids door-to-door to meet the neighbors. I've recorded their names, phone #s and email addresses in a little chart on the computer. Friday morning, we put homemade invitations in 16 mailboxes. 50% of the families came, and they were so grateful for the opportunity to meet one another. We hope to gather people together again later this summer.

We were fortunate to be welcomed into our old neighborhood by the Sheppard family, who hosted watermelon parties for neighbors throughout the summer. They created such a wonderful feeling of community through their extension of hospitality and friendship. They were a light of God's love in a world where neighbors rarely know one another's names, much less anything about their personal lives.

Our family is committed to carrying on their legacy in our new hometown. We want our neighbors to know one another. This will create a safer and friendlier community for our families, and it will give us the opportunity to share God's love with them.

How have you seen people build community and friendships in their neighborhoods?