Last Monday evening we had our neighbors over for snacks and harp music. We haven’t done a neighborhood Christmas party for years, but we’ve been realizing that getting to know our neighbors better takes … well… effort. [smile]
Monday was one of those days where many things seemed to go wrong. I spilled grain all over the basement floor and cleaned it up just in time to find that my mom had splattered her green drink all over the kitchen. She had left her metal spoon in her blender and turned it on which caused it to break (while it was blending) and spray everywhere. I will just say it wasn’t the ideal start to the day.
But, praise the Lord, everything got taken care of before people began to arrive… and we were so encouraged by the number of neighbors who came and by their response!
The evening enabled us to have many good conversations.
The neighbors seemed to really enjoy getting to know each other better. We also sang Christmas carols and my dad shared a “Christmas verse” with everyone from Genesis 3.
If you would like to do something in your neighborhood, here are some suggestions:
-Make a little invite and personally deliver each one.
-Don’t worry about not having enough space. Being a little crowded just makes it cozy!
-Consider showing a short video, doing a puppet show, skit, or special music.
-Set up a table with some Christmas booklets or resources that people can take if they want to.
-Don’t be stressed about having a bunch of people over who don’t all know each other. Just be friendly and tell them, “We all live so close, we thought it would be nice to get to know each other better!” You may be surprised at how much they appreciate the evening.
I love your ideas, Grace! Thanks for sharing. I especially like how you had a table of booklets and resources for them to take.
This year was the second time we hosted a neighborhood ladies’ tea, where we made an ornament, had tea and treats, discussed different questions to keep the conversation flowing, and ended with a cookie exchange. I was surprised how friendly all our neighbors were and it was nice to be able to spend some time together since normally everyone hibernates during winter. 😉
Your post gave me more ideas, like music playing in the background, singing one carol together, or even us girls singing a song that we would prepare. Thanks again!
Such a wonderful idea, Grace – thanks for sharing. =) Have a blessed December!