Invite my Neighbour
Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.
Luke 14:12-14
Jesus reminded us of the blessings that come with being generous and wide reaching when it comes to inviting and welcoming people.
The winter season brings lots of opportunities for individuals and churches to invite their older neighbours. Christmas is an obvious one, but there are other winter warming welcomes too.
Ideas & Resources
Winter Bakes and a Nice Cup of Tea
Inviting your older neighbours for a cup of tea and a cake or biscuit is a lovely way for all involved to spend a wintery morning or an afternoon.
Our CEO, Alexandra, always invites her three older neighbours to her home a few days before Christmas. Serving tea and mulled wine, along with mince pies and clotted cream, she says, "It's always such a jolly afternoon, and everyone really appreciates it, inlcuding me!".
Carol Services and Christmas Events
Older people who don't belong to a church often still really appreciate carol singing, nativity events. and church services during the advent season. Are you ready to invite your older neighbours along? Offering to give them a lift and to sit together is a lovely invitation, a brilliant opportunity for them to hear God's Good News, to remember favourite carols, and to gather together with others.
Hymns We Love
The Hymns We Love series uses well-loved hymns to share the gospel and key truths about God’s character. Many older adults grew up singing these hymns and reigniting those memories is an ideal way to engage with seniors and help them understand the Christian message.
A brilliant resource for churches preparing to welcome new older people during Love My Neighbour to church, or leading services in local care homes.