Roxburgh Missional Network

A Moving Back into the Neighborhood (MBiN) Workshop is an event designed to assist people in a local church discover what God might be up to in their neighborhoods and among their neighbors, and plan for ways of joining with God there.

We believe mission-shaped life in local churches is about moving back into the neighborhood and connecting again with the places and people where we live and work. If we are to take Luke 10: 1-12 seriously and as the basis for the ways we shape local church life across North America then we need to learn the skills of entering and dwelling in and among the people of the neighborhoods where we live and work.

This one-day workshop provides local churches and denominational leaders with easy to understand concepts, tools and resources for this journey back into the neighborhood. It will assist people understand how to read what is happening in a community, the types of people who shape its make up, where they have come from, the images shaping their lives and the desires that form them at this moment.

Rather than relying on demographic resources purchased from an agency this workshop trains people to do their own work of discovering a neighborhood and determining the ways in which a local church might shape its ministries and mission. This is an essential resource for any church or group wanting to discover again how to enter and love its community for the kingdom.

The Workshop will cover the four following sections:

1. Why Look at a Community or Neighborhood? Understanding the call of the gospel, the role of complexity, diveristy and transitions and change on our ministry.
2. Guidelines for Listening.  Structure and guidelines to create a process of listening to maximize your effectiveness in listening deeply to your context.
3. Doing the Work.  The work of listening will involve community interviews, churches and their ministries, religious organizations profile summaries and looking at census data.
4. Developing and Presenting a Report.  Step by step instructions on how to compile all your work of listening into a report.

Learning More

The process of Moving Back into the Neighborhood is central to be a missional community.  We want to resource, encourage, inspire and provide all the supports we can to churches and communities rediscovering the call to love our neighbors.  Here are some ways we do this:

• Video Resources: Visit our Vimeo Group (or the video box above) Moving Back into the Neighborhood and view all of our free video resources associated with reengaging our neighborhoods.
• Workbook: Use the practical guide to initiating a process of reengaging your neighborhood in our MBiN Workbook available soon.
• Host a Workshop: Read about a Moving Back into the Neighborhood event in San Diego, CA in Summer 09 and visit our store to learn more about how you can host a Workshop.