We expect the first year will be spent getting jobs (Gene:song writing, Juli: Nursing) and getting to know the community (attending PTO meetings, sporting events, city planning events, community partnership events, library workshops, coffee shops, hair stylist, any event listed in the paper that looks like an opportunity, serving in local food pantry, youth outreach program...). We plan to rent and have chosen an apartment community that has many recreational opportunities and a club house available for use.
Ideas to get us started:
- initiating neighborhood-together involvement in community efforts to feed the hungry, clean up parks, youth outreach, partnering with local organizations in meeting community needs
- hosting holiday parties
- hosting book clubs, theology chats, spiritual investigation groups (probably won't name them that, but you get the idea)
- 1:1 discipleship relationships
- maintaining an online spiritual guidance site
- working with StoryLine church as Life Coaches / Dream Releasers
- designing Spiritual Retreats for those who are desiring a journey, to learn how to spend time with God, training in disciplines such as Scripture study and meditation / prayer
- entertaining in our home
- hosting film discussion groups
We expect that with our focus on our "neighbors" and continued effort at revealing the Kingdom within our "neighborhoods" we will see some of what we have seen in Madison carry over to Nashville with a capacity for further development over time.
Once friendships have formed, once we are able to talk with neighbors at a truly meaningful level about their dreams and needs, praying with and for them about what really matters to them, any number of doors can be thrown wide open. We have experienced this in Madison and have found people are open to sharing with us real needs when offered the opportunity to have someone praying for them.
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