Ideas for Deepening Relationships

We all desire to build deep meaningful relationships within our congregations. This list is initiated by the Central Plains Congregational Ministries Committee to stimulate thinking on ways we can build on activities that we are already doing to nurture relationships. These ides are given in the spirit of Deuteronomy 6 where adults are encouraged to use home, road, bedtime, rising, coming and going to share their life of faith with children.

Hear, O Israel : The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.  Deut. 6:4-9

What if…

…persons were invited into the children or youth Sunday School classes to share their stories including pictures, mementos, etc

…part of a church work day  would be given to pair up children or youth with our adults to work side by side for a while.

…adults would pair up with children or youth who had desire to learn about how to do things in which the adult/s have expertise.  In this way our children or youth ministry would happen as persons interact around an endless number of activities, i.e. cooking, fishing, knitting, welding, car mechanics, hunting, quilting, gardening.

…a potluck would include dividing up into different groupings around tables to eat. The groupings could be by birth month, by interest, by drawing numbers, etc.  Direct the conversation to include all at the table.

…a family would adopt a grandparent/s from the congregation.

…a retired person would offer to cook regularly for a young family and then eat the meal together.

…individuals would get together to work at each other’s homes for spring cleaning, yard work, painting, roofing, canning etc.  Begin with a short prayer of blessing upon the home.

…congregations would compile a list of things people would be willing to loan out to each other resulting in more relationships and less consumerism.

…our baptismal candidates would be paired up with others in the congregation as sponsors and they would work on establishing a relationship of trust and sharing.

…you were to care for someone’s child/ren during worship or other congregational activities.

…those who take in meals for funerals or for other reasons would ask a young person to join them in making and delivering the meal.  Eat it together with the person receiving it. Maybe part of what you prepare together could be a prayer for the recipient.