A New Excuse Not to Love My Neighbor - Amy Lively

Because this is a question you dear readers ask all the time, here’s how to I transition from Open House to Bible Study:

Please come meet our neighbors at an open house on Friday, September 24, from 9-10:30 am. No one will try to sell you anything, I promise. You’re also invited to come back for Bible study every Friday morning in October (please come to the Open House even if that’s not your cup of tea!).

I made a MAP of the local roads to keep track of who I’ve invited, and asked neighbors I do know for ideas on who to ask. Rural folks have to draw bigger circles to love their neighbor – I can see my friend Bobbi’s house “across the street” but to knock on her door would be a challenging hike, and my “neighbor” Elsa’s farm is a twisty ten-minute drive away!

My decision to start a new Neighborhood Café was made pretty quickly because I want to do something before Christmas. If I think about it too long, I’m sure I can come up with a dozen new excuses!

Yes, I’m nervous.
No, I don’t have time.
Yes, my dog barks misbehaves.
No, my house isn’t perfect.

Would you like to start a Neighborhood Café with me? Everything you need to get started is available for free. I’ll be right there with you, and you can listen in on my personal pep talks and share your own great ideas. You don’t have to launch a big-deal Bible Study. You can simply have coffee. You can work on a craft. You can share a short devotion from your favorite author. The point is to set aside time and space to make friends with your neighbors.

Don’t spend too much time thinking about how to love your neighbor, or you’ll come up with new excuses, too. Drop your best excuse in the comments, and we’ll overcome them together.