Overview Creating Connections

We all enjoy eating, having fun, watching tv, video gaming, hobbies, walks, and so much
more. An activity and an invitation are all you need to make meaningful connections with others. Instead of adding more to our already full schedules, what if we simply invited others to join us in what we are already doing?

This is the most natural way to make connections. The purpose of the following list is to present you with ideas to help you to connect with those who are already in your life (workplace, neighbourhood, or sphere of influence). Pick ideas that already fit with your personality and interests. This is not an exhaustive list, but one that will help you connect with others.

BLESS Articles: Practical Stories to Connect With Others

Food & Social Space
  • Eat with other people. Each week presents 21 opportunities for natural connection with others, without adding anything new to your schedule. Meals are a powerful expression of community.
  • Be a frequent visitor to the same local cafe, pub or park. As you see the regular faces, it will give you a more natural opportunity to chat with them.
  • Invite neighbours over for dinner or host a coffee and dessert night.
  • Do a summer BBQ once a month on Saturday nights and invite friends and neighbours to contribute.
  • Start a weekly open meal night in your home or community clubhouse (most people don’t enjoy eating on their own and look forward to socializing with others).
Active Socializing
  • Invite others to join you in what you already like to do(hike, cycle, jog, walk, play board games, gaming). Invite non-believing friends to join, so they can meet your believing friends.
  • Initiate a walking/running group in your neighbourhood.
  • Volunteer to coach a local sports team.
  • Organize a kid’s play date at home or the park with someone from the neighbourhood or school.
  • Walk your dog regularly around the same time in your neighbourhood or frequent a dog park. Ask God to enlarge your heart to connect with who is around you.
Acts of Kindness & Community
  • Serving others. Consider weeding a neighbour’s garden or helping the elderly with snow removal.
  • Prayer walk. Walk around your neighbourhood using what you see as fuel for prayer. Pray for people, homes, businesses, community groups, and community needs.
  • Do a food or coat drive at thanksgiving or in winter and get neighbours involved.
  • Grow a garden and give out extra produce to neighbours.
  • Offer to be the ‘welcome wagon’ for your neighbourhood or townhouse complex (present a gift of flowers and/or chocolates to newcomers and answer any questions they have about the community).
  • Give out $10 gift cards to people who serve you at restaurants, the gym, library, etc.) with a note that praises them for a characteristic quality (friendly, kind, professional). In the note add that you are available to help them with what you are good at (repairs, counseling, addressing spiritual questions, etc.).
Events, Media & People
  • Host a sports game-watching party.
  • Throw a party! A theme party with friends and neighbours can be a good way to break the ice (a party based on 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s music party, or more specifically an Abba theme party, etc.) No matter the occasion (St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Spring-break, Summer, Halloween), throw a party to gather people. A block party is another idea to connect with neighbours.
  • Host a movie night and discussion afterwards.

What are 1-3 ideas that you will employ to connect with others on this list (or your own)?

Pray before you go. Ask the Lord of the harvest who to engage with, what questions to
ask, and what to share with them.

Share what happened as you connected with others or your own connection ideas with
steve@gracepoint.ca.

(The list is adapted from my own connection practices, and also from articles by Josh Reeves, Tim Chester, and Jonathan Batteas.)