We had a full house today.
Well technically, the garage and driveway. Today was “Family Gathering Day,” where we split our church up into eight geographical zones and have eight families host our church for giant BBQs in our communities. It felt so good to have our place crawling with people. We had street hockey going, two BBQs firing up the meat, major desserts, chips, salads, lawn chairs, and lots of great conversation. Too fun!
See, I have a vision for the church to be community in our communities. We don’t just share Jesus with people; we share our friends. Our yards. Our kitchens, our fridges, our TVs, our food, our money, our time. We’re learning to live a 52Thrive lifestyle. I even tell my church that if they need to deduct some $ from their tithe to invest in their friends and neighbors, to feel free to do that.
And it works. Cristy is a friend from our neighborhood. Our Life (small) group meets in our home and is made up of people who live within a 5 minute drive from our house. We’re investing in our neighborhood, loving people and sharing stuff — and Cristy got curious. We prayed for her, loved her, and she was captivated by Jesus. Today Cristy got baptized in our morning service, a living proof that lifestyle evangelism is more than just living our lives for Christ, it’s sharing our lives with people.
Who’da thought potato salad and warm brownies could be such a powerful tool?