Did you know that there's an official PA holiday that celebrates having neighbors over for dinner?? It's an actual holiday -- one that provides great opportunities for evangelism!!
Here's the scoop: "Invite a Neighbor to Dinner Day" is the second Saturday of January; this year's celebration is set for January 10th. The idea is to "build bridges, not fences" with those you don't know well, particularly those in your neighborhood. The brainchild of Doylestown resident, Jeffrey Smith, the holiday was conceived in response to the tragedy of 9/11. Smith's idea was to help people reach out to their neighborhoods and communities through a simple act of friendship -- inviting them over to dinner.
As Christians, how better to reach out to others and take the first step towards sharing our faith than to invite others to share a meal?
For many of us, the idea of inviting total strangers into our home can put us off a bit. Smith suggests that the meeting at a neutral place, say a coffee shop or a local diner, would still serve the same purpose. The barrier of awkwardness can be overcome by candid conversation starters, Smith says. Try opening with "We were a little uncomfortable about this. What did you think when we asked you?" to get the conversation flowing. Or, you can always talk about food! Whatever way you start, the conversation is bound to get rolling soon.
Since this event is only days away, I thought you might like to share it with the church as an outreach idea in January. And it doesn't have to be 'officially' celebrated on January 10th, either. This new and usual holiday may be just the reason to prompt us to reach out to another family in our neighborhoods that we don't usually interact with.
More information on Invite a Neighbor to Dinner Day (or Dinner Day) can be found at http://www.dinnerday.com. Also, there's an article in the January/February 2008 issue of Cooking Light magazine and also at digphilly.com.
