Thank you for joining us for The Art of Neighboring Study, book by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon. We recognize that many people are looking for authentic connection and community. We believe the church is not just a building, it is us as the body of Christ and our ministry is our daily lives.

This is a great study that can be done individually or in a small group. We can’t wait to see how God teaches us and uses what we learn to reach out communities.

Read the chapters according to the schedule in "The Art of Neighboring," then watch the corresponding video and follow the discussion questions below.

You can buy the book on Amazon HERE.

Study Schedule: 

A Call to Neighboring (Chapters 1-2)

The Time Barriers (Chapter 3)

The Fear Factor (Chapters 4-5)

Motives Matter (Chapters 6-7)

The Art of Receiving (Chapters 8-9)

Peacemaking (Chapters 10-11)

Discussion Questions

1. What was your big take away from this week’s reading and/or the video? What stuck out to you? What did you like? What was difficult or confusing?

2. Read Acts 17:26-27.

A. What jumps out at you from this passage? How does it fit the context of the rest of his sermon in Acts 17?

B. Do you have any “invisible” neighbors (page 17)? Do you think you are invisible to them as well? How does it end up like this?

C. According to Acts 17 that we just read, why do we live where we live? Why has God placed us in our neighborhoods? What about those that surround us? Why are they there?

3. In chapter one, the mayor states, “The majority of the issues that our community is facing would be eliminated or drastically reduced if we could just figure out a way to become a community of great neighbors.” To what extent do you think this is true? Why don’t government programs alone solve the problems of society?

4. Luke 10:29 says this about the teacher of the law: “But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” In what ways do we attempt to justify ourselves in order to avoid taking the Great Commandment literally? In what ways are you tempted to make a “neighbor” into a metaphor? 

5. What would happen if everyone made it a point to know and befriend their literal neighbors? 

Discussion Questions

1. What was your big take away from this week’s reading and/or video? What stuck out to you? What did you like? What was difficult or confusing?

2. Read Luke 10:38-42

A. Do you associate more with Martha or Mary? If you were going to defend Martha in that moment what would you want to say?

B. Discuss the following myths and hw you see them impacting our culture (pages 45-46).

i. Things will settle down someday.

ii. More will be enough.

iii. Everybody lives like this.

C. Which of the three myths do you struggle with the most? How does that reveal itself in your life?

3. Imagine yourself with the time it would take to be a great neighbor. What are the things you would have to sacrifice to make that a reality? Why would it be worth it? What could change in your life or in your neighborhood?

4. On page 48 Dave shares about the tension that that he felt when making a decision about which sports league to enroll his son in. As you consider the issue of margin in your own life, what could you say “no” to, in order to spend more time in your neighborhood? 

Discussion Questions

1. What was your big take away from this week’s reading and/or video? What stuck out to you? What did you like? What was difficult or confusing? 

2. Read Luke 5:27-32

A. Are you uncomfortable about spending time with anyone on your block? Anyone you would feel strange being seen with? Why?

3. Discuss the impact that the 24 hour media cycle has on your world view. What are you afraid of that you have only seen on the news?

4. What’s the worse case scenario if you engaged your neighbors? Does knowing them increase the likelihood of your worst case scenario?

5. Who do you think is scared of you? Why?

6. What do you think are the main reasons people are often afraid of their neighbors? Do you have any fears or concerns about the people in your neighborhood? 

Discussion Questions

1. What was your big take away from this week’s reading and/or video? What stuck out to you? What did you like? What was difficult or confusing?

2. Read 1 Thessalonians 2:8b and Matthew 5:14-16

A. Are you comfortable sharing your story and telling people about the impact Jesus has had on your life? When did you last share your story with someone? What makes it hard to do this?

3. "We don't love our neighbors to convert them, we love them because we are converted" (p. 102) What do you think about this statement and how does it make you feel?

4. Instead of sharing your story first, have you ever tried asking others about their story? How can you focus on listening and create a safe place for honest two-way sharing? What kind of questions help people share their story at a deeper level? What’s the deepest moment you’ve ever had hearing another person’s story? 

Discussion Questions

1. What was your big take away from this week’s reading and/or video? What stuck out to you? What did you like? What was difficult or confusing?

2. Read 1 Kings 17:7-16

A. Why didn’t God just provide for Elijah directly? How do you think it felt to have to ask the widow for help? How do you think the widow felt?

3. What are your neighbors knowledgable and/or passionate about? How could you enter into their world and allow them to serve you?

4. Are you good at allowing other people to care for you? What makes it hard? How often do you ask for help from someone outside of your immediate family?

5. “The art of receiving is not complicated. It comes down to being aware of our own needs. It’s about opening our eyes, then being vulnerable enough to ask and receive” (page 128). What current needs do you have that a neighbor might be able to help you with? 

Discussion Questions

1. What was your big take away from this week’s reading and/or video? What stuck out to you? What did you like? What was difficult or confusing?

2. Read Romans 12:17-18

A. How do we know if we've done everything that depends on us? Is this even possible?

3. Share about a conflict you had with a neighbor. If you’ve not had one, have you witnessed one? What could have happened differently?

4. What happens over time when you fail to forgive people who have wronged you?

5. Have you ever become friends with someone that you once considered an enemy? How?

6. Is there a conflict in your neighborhood that you could be a peacemaker in?