9 Ways to Connect with Your Community

So, you have a bunch of friends that don’t (or won’t) go to church, but you are hurting for a way to connect with them in the real world.  Been there many times, my friend.  Here are 9 simple ways to connect with anyone:

  1. Go to a concert/sporting event:  Especially in Nashville, there is always live music to be heard. Several minor league sports teams, too.  Check your community calendar and go have some fun!
  2. Volunteer: Go help serve a meal at the homeless shelter or help out at the local animal shelter. Habitat for Humanity is always a great organization to work with and you might even learn a new skill! There are hundreds of volunteer opportunities in and around your community and I’ll bet your friends would love to get involved, too.
  3. Invite them over to your house for dinner/dessert: People gotta eat, right? Why not feed them on your home turf? Give them a chance to see you and hang out with you at home.
  4. Invite them to church/small group: They don’t go to church, huh? have you invited them? This one might seem obvious, but it might just be that your friends aren’t coming because you aren’t bringing.
  5. Go for a motorcycle ride: Maybe you don’t ride a motorcycle. Well, start! Or go for a scenic drive. Or go for a bicycle ride. Get out and spend some time in the world God created.
  6. Host a Guitar Hero/Rock Band night: Everybody needs to unwind.  Break out the PS3 or Wii and rock out!
  7. Go play (insert your sport here): Football, Ultimate Frisbee, Tennis, Golf.  If you have the equipment, why aren’t you using it as a witnessing tool? Huh? :)
  8. Start a book club/study group: It’s not as nerdy as it sounds. Surely there is a book that has been written sometime in the history of the printed word that you might find appealing. If you are a student, you’re gonna be reading it anyway. Invite your friend/classmate to talk about it with you.
  9. Serve Them: Do they need help moving? What about helping them do a full-on cleaning of their house/apartment? Fixing their car? Volunteer yourself to help them get the mundane done; they will appreciate it.

Looking back over this list, I see a recurring theme: these are mostly things I like to do anyway. Theoretically, my friends like to do these things, too (would we be friends if we didn’t like even few of the same things?).  Connecting is simple: find common interests and go do them!

9 is a weird number for a list, so I need your ideas to finish it off.  What are some ways that you (specifically) can connect with your non-believing friends?  Leave your ideas in the comments.

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