Idea Starter: Home-Based Small Groups Reach Out to Neighbors and Friends

EastLake Church in Chula Vista, Calif., encourages its members to form small groups based on common interests, like fitness, gardening, crafting, sports or games. Then it asks group leaders to open up the groups to people who live in the next house over, or people whose kids go to school with a group member’s kids or play Little League with them. Once they’re connected, the church encourages them to stay connected by getting involved in a ministry as well as off-campus missional work.

ONLINE: EastLakeChurch.com. Adapted from an article that appeared in the March/April 2012 issue of Outreach magazine.

James P. Long
James P. Longhttp://JamesPLong.com

James P. Long was formerly the editor of Outreach magazine and the author of a number of books, including Why Is God Silent When We Need Him the Most?

God Is Doing Far More Miracles Than We Realize—Every Day in Human Hearts

We don’t lack miracles in our lives! What we lack is the vision, the eternal perspective, that allows us to see and experience and marvel at these miracles.

Ed Stetzer: Who We Are

We are called to cultivate human flourishing and societal transformation throughout the world as a testimony to the truth of the gospel.

5 Keys for Sharing Your Faith

We do not need to be contentious and argumentative. We can be kind and grace-filled even when we disagree with others and offer them a whole new worldview.