In the wake of last week’s tragedy that rocked Orlando and the rest of the country, it’s important to remember Jesus’ commandment that we are called to love our neighbors. In Mark 12:31, Jesus reminds His followers of what God commanded them to do back in Leviticus 19:18, that is, “love your neighbor as yourself”. Note that Jesus doesn’t caveat this in anyway; He simply calls us to love everyone out of the abundance of love He has bestowed upon us. No one is deserving of the love of Christ, yet through His overflowing grace, He chooses to love us despite our many sins and flaws. In the same way, we should love others and meet them where they are. It’s not our place to judge and condemn, and it’s certainly never justified to take precious and valuable human life to make a moral statement. As we mourn with those devastated by Orlando’s shooting, let’s take this summer to make a special effort to love our neighbors. Whether your neighborhood is Orlando or elsewhere, think about how you can involve your congregation in actively loving their community. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Organize a Picnic

Organize a potluck style church picnic in a local public park. Put up signs advertising free food and allow members of the community to stop by for a free feast and great conversation.

Encourage Small Groups to Adopt a Cause of Their Choosing

Sometimes committing to a single charity on a more long-term basis is a better approach for your community outreach. If your church is organized into home groups that meet regularly outside of Sundays, you might want to encourage them to each select an organization of their choosing to support. Doing community service as a group keeps people accountable to serving, while also solidifying unity and comradery within the home group. For example, a group might build a Habitat for Humanity house or adopt a refugee family through an organization like Austin’s Caritas.

Help People Moving

According to Cheap Movers NYC, summer is the busiest time of the year for moving. As old neighbors move out, offer to lend a helping hand loading the moving truck or babysitting their kids on moving day to keep them out of the way. You can also welcome new neighbors to the neighborhood by dropping off cookies or a loaf of bread and inviting them to join you at church once they are settled in.

Elder Care

There are more than 46 million people considered to be in the elder population in the U.S. Of these, nearly 1.5 million live in a nursing home or other institution, while a great number still live independently or with in-home help. The elderly is often a forgotten and neglected segment of the population, and even the church seems to at times be apathetic to their plight. In Timothy, however, Paul admonishes us to care for the elderly, particularly those who cannot care for themselves. There are many ways you can encourage your church members to reach out to the elderly in their neighborhoods:

• Organize visits to the local nursing homes to deliver flowers and sing songs to the residents; elderly especially get joy out of seeing children, so consider involving your children’s ministry.
• Help elderly neighbors by volunteering to assist with yard work or taking them to run errands if they are otherwise homebound.

Back to School Bash

Thanks to Servolution for this great idea! Many families simply don’t have the means to purchase the lengthy list of school supplies normally required upon going back to school in the fall. Organize a school supply drive based on the lists provided by your local school district. Then, advertise a “back-to-school bash” before school starts so that kids in need can come by a fill backpacks with all the supplies they’ll need for the fall semester. This is a great opportunity to reach out to families in your neighborhood.