Who: Capable followers of Christ

Followers of Jesus grow in their competence to a point where they can initiate the forming, or participate in the expression of, a faithful 'church' within the neighbourhood in which they live.

Followers of Christ have a latent and God given desire to reproduce the community of faith within their context.

A community of faith within the neighbourhood is the best context for being formed into a capable follower of Christ.

Where: In the neighbourhoods in which you live.

"Place” matters to God and that it is at the scale of neighbourhood that we are first responsible.

"Loving our neighbour” begins in the neighbourhood.

The people of God are best observed as a “Light on a Hill” within their neighbourhood environment.

The scale and quality of the neighbourhood environment enables the follower of Christ to flourish.

Attention to the neighbourhoods in which we live will enable the church to move from a service provision model of ministry to that of a stakeholder or incarnational model of ministry.

It is in the neighbourhood that we will be able to realize Jesus' prayer for the unity of his church.

It is through the avenue of the neighbourhood that we will be able to re-engage those followers of Christ who no longer participate in the current institutions of the church.

When: Before or after an average working day, during weekends or recreational times.

While any time can be used redemptively in the neighbourhood, one of the best opportunities is after the working day is over.

This is the time in which all members of a household can participate together in ministry.

It is often the time which followers of Christ often surrendered to “worries, leisure and riches" (Luke 8:14) and so an optimal time to live into Christ’s lordship.

It is this time which most neighbours are prone to struggle with life.

What: A faithful community of faith in a neighbourhood.

The church is the people of God “called out” for both religious and political ends in a particular neighbourhood.

The people of God are to be a community centered in Christ, giving their lives as a living sacrifice on behalf of others as a “witness” to the presence of the kingdom of God.

The followers of Christ in a particular neighbourhood should together agree to practices that reflect their commitment to Christ’s lordship.

How: Mature followers of Christ are “sent” into their neighbourhoods to seek the kingdom of God.

1. Identify your neighbourhood and attend to it.
2. Discover the people of peace and eat together with them.
3. Discern what God is doing and together participate together in it.
4. Collaborate with others who are sent into your neighbourhood.

Why not do it?