7 Simple Outreach Ideas
Even if we are women who want to love God, so often we become too busy to really love the people he puts plainly in our paths.
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.'” Mark 12:30-31 (NIV)
This love, as God’s Word declares, is more important than all the sacrifices we could make. We cannot beat ourselves up. But we can do something. We can pause, permitting God to tap us on the heart, gently interrupt us and rearrange our day.
We can go deeper … beyond a hurried “Hi!” to an authentic, “How are you?” When God knocks on our hearts, we can knock on their doors.
Will you do it? Will you try? Then once you’ve reached out, leave the results to God. Our job is obedience. God’s job is results. Here are 7 simple outreach ideas to do with those in your neighborhood, town or whomever you are wanting to reach with the love of Christ.
1. Bake something.
Bake a batch of cookies. Whip up a pan of brownies. Try your hand at some fancy muffins or scones. Deliver them in a basket lined with a new plaid kitchen towel to a neighbor or someone at work. Simply tell them you were thinking about them so you decided to bake them a little goodie. As you leave your treat, ask them if there is anything you can be praying about. Follow up with a handwritten note letting them know that you did pray for their request.
2. Take something.
Don’t have time to deliver some lovin’ from your oven? It doesn’t need to be homemade from scratch. You can also fill a basket with some seasonal fruits or vegetables or even purchased goodies from a farmers market. Try some crusty whole-grain bread and a jar or two of jam or a few jars of salsa and a bag of authentic tortilla chips.
3. Notice something.
Be on the lookout or ways to help your neighbor or coworker. Did you notice that the neighbor down the street was scraping their shed, ridding it of old peeling paint? The next time you see them out working away, show up with a scraper and a jug of homemade lemonade and help them tackle their chore. Did you overhear your coworker talking about their favorite childhood book? Go online to eBay and try to win them a copy of it. Wrap it up and give it to them as an un-birthday present.
4. Listen.
Don’t just smile and wave as you pass by a neighbor’s house. Stop. Engage them in conversation. Ask what they have been up to lately or how their family members are doing. Really listen as they talk. If you sense any area of concern, let them know you will be praying for them. Don’t forget to ask if there is anything you can do to help.
5. Organize.
Organize a get-together with your coworkers, or those in your neighborhood. My husband is famous for this. We have held several Christmas open houses, backyard neighborhood picnics, a crazy neighborhood game of road bowling and even a neighborhood Bible study. Or try an ice cream social. You provide bowls, spoons and napkins. Have guests bring one container of any flavor ice cream and one topping. I have one friend whose family does this every year on June 21 since it is the longest day of the year and stays light until quite late. It is surprising how willing people are to get together. They just need a point person to organize the gathering.
6. Lighten a load.
Is there someone in your neighborhood struggling with a family illness, recent death, or new addition to the family? No doubt they could use a little help. Look for creative ways to help with a task. Do they have older children who need to be run to activities by mom but the family has a brand new baby? Offer to play shuttle service for their children for a few weeks so mom can stay home and not have to take the baby back and forth to activities.
7. Invite.
Hospitality is a lost art in our day and age. Summertime is a perfect time to invite others into your home. You can even relax about having the house clean and eat outside on a picnic table. Keep the food simple. Grill out or even order pizza. The point it to open your home, not to impress others with your cooking. Or if you prefer, invite them to accompany you on an outing such as a sporting event, festival or fair, or outdoor concert. Then, go to a local ice cream shop or coffeehouse for a treat and some time to visit.
***************
For ideas on sprinkling God’s love all year round, check out Listen, Love, Repeat: Other-Centered Living in a Self-Centered World. Karen Ehman encourages us to to live alert, listening for “heart drops,” hints from those in our lives who need a helping hand or a generous dose of encouragement. Living alert lifts our own spirits, showing us that blessing others blesses us even more. Listen, Love, Repeat offers biblical teaching and suggests doable actions that are simple, heart-tugging, sentimental, even sneaky and hilarious. For a sneak peek at Listen Love Repeat, sign up for Karen’s How to Hear a Heart Drop five-day challenge.
The invite is my goal! I would love to be more intentional this summer!
My family and I are going to reach out to our great-uncle more often. We are going to have a standing ice-cream date once a week.
I love the idea of an ice cream social! One summer we invited a bunch of folks from the neighborhood over for root beer floats. It was a lot of fun and very little pressure as it was just ice cream rather than a meal or a party. Good times!
WOW!!!! What can I say? Your book, A Life That Says Welcome is awesome. I bought it in the late winter and it has changed my life. I am 63 and have started welcoming more people into my home. ( for my neighbors and grandchildren I have had a Valentine’s party, dropped Valentine brownies off to a family that is struggling,) I also had a big Easter egg with large dinner for neighbors and grand children. I asked someone suffering from cancer to my home for dinner. I am planning to have a few friends from my childhood to come for lunch. Of course, their mothers are also invited.
It just goes on and on……….. I would like to win the book so I can bless someone else by giving it away. I love your wonderful creative ideas.
I have invited a few women from my church to come over this weekend and make thank you cards to have on hand at the church for sending to those who volunteer. Each one is bringing something to contribute to lunch. This is a huge first for me~
I love hospitality. That is something I always do to reach out and I’ll continue doing it! I love to invite people for breakfast because it’s such an easy meal. For me it’s both easier and less expensive then dinner or a cook-out. (I love your picnic idea.)
I can and will fix baskets of chips and salsa and take to a couple of neighbors! So simple and “doable”:)
Baking (cause I love too)! I am also trying to be more purposeful and creative in helping people.
I want to try them all! Thank you for the suggestions and the beautiful devotional you shared today. It really spoke to my heart and I hope to put all of your ideas into action. I want to be a person who loves God and people more. Thank you for the inspiration and allowing God to speak through you. God Bless You!
We are getting ready to move to a new house. I hope to be able to share some baked goodies with new neighbors or host a backyard BBQ once we are settled. Looking forward to finding new ways to make friends with new neighbors!
There is a young mother who just moved in next door to my family. She has 3 young children and a new baby, and her husband is in the military and has been stationed over seas. Her whole family lives in the same town, but I have felt convicted to embrace her adorable family and try to help out in any way that I can. They just moved in this weekend, so my first act is going to be to take a yummy Wal-Mart pizza to her to bake when she needs/wants it, and some cookies.
Living in the inner city is all about community. Working in the community garden and sharing harvest, fellowshop, and life.
Organizing. The ice cream social idea sounds great!
#4 Listen
Bake and take — My girls and I love to bake, especially a new recipe I found on Pinterest! I don’t often share, which is something that I should start doing. A simple blessing for a co-worker, friend or neighbor.
Will bake something for two new neighbors and possibly host a cookout for our street.
This is an area that God has been speaking to me about this week in particular. I want to take more time to notice what is going on around me and reaching out to those he puts in my path. I am making a point to say hello and really engage in listening to them and their needs. Thank you for all the the great ideas for reaching out.
I love taking baked goodies to neighbors!! Now that our garden is doing well, we share veggies too!
With two little girls to chase around it can seem difficult to and challenging to attempt some of those suggestions (but not impossible). However, I’m reminded that I can more often take time to listen and not be trying to run off to the next thing. We live around many elderly and I know that they often just want to talk. I want my girls to learn from me that the older generation is important and certainly more so than mommy’s to-do list.
I was very inspired by your post today. I’m a pastor’s wife and a teacher, so you would think that talking with others would be second nature. I often find myself at a loss for words when it comes to sharing the Gospel. You have given me some wonderful ideas of how to become better at being intentional with sharing Jesus with others and opening my home and heart to them. Thanks for all you do.
I would love to organize a neighborhood get together…
The idea I think means the most is listening, really listening and caring to others…and it’s free! I imagine God would turn things on its head (as He likes to do) and deem the free one best! A close second is the ice cream social or any fill-in-the-blank social. Thank you, Karen, for sharing about your neighbor.
Karen, while I think they are all great and have at one time or another been a giver or recipient of each “opportunity”, this post has repurposed my focus on God for tomorrow! Thanks!
I have a neighbor that has been on my heart since Halloween last year… I think I will get to baking. And I LOVE the idea of an ice cream social. I know I need to pray intently for them!
Take something – Several houses on our street have recently sold and taking something would be a nice way to welcome them. Something I need to be intentional about.