For regular readers of our e-news you may remember back in the summer 2017 Phil and Liz, in Chesterfield, England, shared their story of how being a part of an Inspire Missional Leadership Community had motivated them to follow a long time promoting of the Spirit.
Their story began like this: “For many years we have felt prompted at times to be a witness to our neighbours. We know many of them and chat when we see them. But we always felt God wanted us to do something more intentional. But what and how? As we met over the last few months on our Missional Community Leadership days, God began to speak more clearly. We felt we should be a light in the street. As we talked about the home as a mission base we discussed Missional hospitality, opening up our homes and sharing who we are with those around us ….”
And so they organised an open house and invited every neighbour on their street. Two years later they still gather the neighbours every so often, and the Lord is at work in their mission-base home. Here is the latest update from this summer:
“We had 19 neighbours in for a very blessed afternoon together. Most stayed for a good couple of hours or more and the last ones left about 6pm! One older couple were squeezing coming in between 2 sets of visitors, but wanted to pop in……they said they weren’t staying and kept their coats on but ended up staying over an hour!
It is lovely that it feels like we now don’t host, but facilitate relationships being built between all the neighbours. One newer neighbour has really appreciated getting to know people and can put names to folk she sees now.
In the building of relationships we have been able to offer to pray for people in their differing needs, and once prayed with one lady too. It has truly been a way of building community in our street, engaging mission and allowing God to open up conversations and opportunities to go deeper in His timing. But just building the relationships is the important part. God will do the rest in time!”
Phil and Liz are now Inspire Missioners! If you’d like to know more about the Inspire Learning Communities, or how Phil and Liz do their open houses, then do Contact Us
