God has placed us all in different neighborhoods to be a witness to those God is drawing to Himself. But sometimes we miss those who live right next door.
Mike and Jody are disciple-makers in Morgan Hill, CA. Mike is a deputy sheriff and detective and Jody is a homemaker and financial coach. They just joined CDM’s Coached Team, and they have been enjoying the opportunities God has given them as they intentionally develop relationships with their neighbors.
Jody Finds A Seeker Through Nextdoor.com
About two weeks ago, we had an incident here in our city where protesters were blocking a freeway. Curious, I hopped on Nextdoor.com to see if anyone locally had posted anything.
One post titled “Bible Study” caught my eye.
It read something like this: "I would like a Bible study partner to teach and share their knowledge of the Bible… If possible we could meet at the library where I live to stay at a distance. Thank you."
Intrigued, I called her and discovered that she never knew much about the Word nor walked with God despite growing up with Christian influences. She wanted that to change!
We met and started our Discovery Bible Study in Genesis. She was so engaged in the study that we talked for two hours. I asked if she wanted to meet again once a week, and she suggested twice a week!
She shared since she struggled to connect with people in churches, the study really met a need for her to connect and fellowship with believers.
Mike Starts a Discovery Group After a Neighborhood Barbecue
Another story of disciple-making in our neighborhood started with a family that was hosting a BBQ in our condo complex. We joined and ate together with some neighbors. Jody had already been meeting regularly with a woman named Jane for Bible Study.
I connected with some of the men. Then Jane's husband Bob said, “Man, this is pretty cool! I don’t get to talk to many people because I'm not going to work during the pandemic.” Seeing an opportunity to connect, I suggested we get together more to get to know each other.
Then it was suggested that we do a Bible study, and Bob replied, “Yeah, that would be great!" Bob had some bad experiences with religion, so we were excited to see his interest in God's Word.
Later, we started a Discovery Bible Study on Genesis 1 with Bob and Jane. Though we talked about Creation vs. Evolution, we did our best to stick to the passage at hand. They really enjoyed it and told us they want to continue meeting. So, we made a plan to meet regularly for DBS!
Lessons in Engaging Neighbors
These stories show the power of being involved in the lives of your neighbors and community. We never know how God is going to guide us to start Discovery Bible Studies among seekers, whether we meet them through websites like Nextdoor or through neighborhood barbecues.
We only need to be obedient to engage those around us and invite them to read God’s Word!