The leaders at Trinity City Church are working with Sara Joy Proppe to launch the Loving Your Neighbor(hood) Challenge. Sara Joy is the founder and director of the Proximity Project. For even more practical guidance on neighborhood engagement, listen to Sara Joy’s podcast The Embedded Church.
Over the last two years, many of our households were at home more than out in our community. With COVID rates down and warm weather going up, we're going to give the congregation monthly tips for engaging our city and neighborhoods a little more.
The next tip: Walk with intention!
Draw a map of a two-block radius of where you live: When drawing your map, consider it your "prayer radius." While two blocks is suggested, there isn’t an exact science to this. Rather, think about it in terms of the density of neighbors around you and/or a manageable walking distance that provides you opportunities to pray for those around you.
Pray for particular people within your walkshed: Think about your neighbors in broad and creative categories. Your neighbors will certainly include people living in houses or apartments around you, but they can also include business owners of nearby shops, management companies of neighboring apartment buildings, and so on.
Take pictures of things while you walk: This exercise will encourage you to "see" your neighborhood in a new way. Paying attention to the nuances is how you begin to know your neighborhood. Ask God to reveal the good and the broken places where you might participate in his work. God is on the move in your neighborhood. Pausing and observing helps you see this.
Check out Sara Joy’s article for the Evangelical Free Church - Praying with Proximity.
Lake Como. (Photo courtesy of the City of Saint Paul)