Luke 10:27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
There was a time, not too long ago, when people knew their neighbors. People walked the block greeting people as they went. If they needed help with something they might check with a neighbor before hiring someone online. When they needed a recommendation for a plumber, they might ask a neighbor instead of Yelp. People relied on neighborhood watches rather than ring cameras. This may be romanticizing times past but I think it’s true that many people feel less connected to their neighbors than ever before.
This was one of the many reasons we decided to start working as community coordinators with a ministry called Apartment Life. The decision to become Apartment Life Coordinators wasn’t taken lightly. We knew that there would be a fairly large commitment and a lot of work to be done. However, we were drawn to the idea of making a meaningful impact on the lives of those around us while living in a diverse community. Little did we know just how rewarding this experience would be. Our apartment community is full of so many different types of people. Single seniors, refugees from Vietnam, young families finding their way and several people living with disabilities.
Our role as Coordinators means wearing lots of hats. We organize community events like; bingo, farmers markets, pool parties and a pop up Cafe, where residents from various walks of life come together, share stories, and form lasting friendships. But these events are more than just social gatherings; they are opportunities for people to connect, support one another, and build a sense of belonging.
Perhaps one of the most impactful aspects of our time as Coordinators is the relationships we are forming. We’ve become friends with residents who share their joys, challenges, and faith journeys with us. At times we’ve been there to help when someone needed medicine for a sick child, help with electronics, or just a smile from a four year old. The relationship that has developed between us and the residents has been a blessing to our whole family.
The focus of our work extends far beyond just community building however. We’ve seen how an offer of prayer or a spirit filled conversation could change the atmosphere of the whole community. Neighbors who once had little to no connection to the Church now come to us for prayer and share what God is doing in their lives. One neighborhood family has become regular attenders of Free Life’s Sunday services and another brought their children to VBS with us in August.
Our family’s experience as Apartment Life Coordinators reinforced the belief that, in the midst of our busy lives, Jesus’ call to love our neighbors includes investing time and effort into building meaningful connections with the people who live near us. It’s shown us that a strong sense of community can allow Jesus to enrich our lives and create a sense of home wherever we are. We’ve been blessed to have several of you from The Fount come and connect with your neighbors here and hope to be able to do that more in the coming months.
Working as Apartment Life Coordinators has been a transformative experience for our family, one that will leave a mark on our lives and our understanding of what it means to be a neighbor. If you’re interested in learning more about Apartment Life or know any young people you think would be a good fit for this type of ministry please let get in touch!
