At IBC, we want to be everyday neighbors to the people around us. So, in October, we will have what we are calling "The Neighbor Initiative". All month long, we are emphasizing local service and being an everyday neighbor to those around us. We want YOU to determine the projects that need to be done where you live, work, and play. Get together with church members in your neighborhood, or even your small group, and decide on ways you can serve your neighbors right around you. This may look like doing yard work for several people in your neighborhood, helping with home repairs, making goodie bags for neighbors, or even throwing a block party or cookout in your neighborhood as a way to bless the people you live by.

Have an idea but need some help? Let us know how we can help here.

Be prepared to share your faith with others as you serve them during the neighbor initiative! Click here for a short training on how to do that!

 FAQs

  • We want to encourage you to do projects with other IBC members! You can determine projects with your small group, with your IBC neighbors, or just friends you attend church with! You are also welcome to do different projects with different people.

  • Please do! This will help the church staff know when projects are happening and will ensure that two groups aren't planning to do the same project in October. Reach out to lauren@ibcshawnee.org and let us know about what you’re doing!

  • If you don't have a project to submit or a group to serve with, please reach out to Lauren or Scott. They will help you find a project and a group to serve with!

  • If you are planning to do work on someone's property of any kind, you MUST have the homeowner or property owner sign a release of liability. This protects both you and the church from liability. We will have a downloadable form linked here soon.

  • • yard work to bless someone who needs help

    • home repairs for someone in need

    • host a block party or cookout in your neighborhood

    • goodie bags for neighbors

    • organizing a service project with a local ministry organization

    • assembling care packages for the unhoused community

    • blessing first responders through cards, baked goods, or care packages

    • ministering to those in a local nursing home

    • cleaning up trash in a neighborhood or local park

    This is not a comprehensive list! This is just to give you creative ideas to make an impact in the lives of the people right around you.

  • As you serve, try to get to the gospel in your conversations with those whom you're serving.

    While we want to serve our neighbors through meeting physical needs, we also want to make sure we're thinking about people's spiritual needs and pointing them to the hope we have in Christ.

    Here are some simple tools that may help you start that conversation with those you encounter:

    • "Join Us!" invite cards. You can use these cards to invite others to church at IBC. They also have the "three circles" gospel tool on the back that you can use. You can find these on the tables under the tv's in the foyer or you can get them from Lauren.

    • Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations by Jimmy Scroggins and Steve Wright is a small and easy read that will help you see ways to include the gospel into everyday conversations.

    • Your testimony - your personal story of how Christ saved you is powerful! Don't underestimate how God can use your story to work in the lives of other people.

    • Download the "Life on Mission" app. This app allows you to have the three circles gospel tool on your phone so it's handy to pull out and use any time without having to have all the images memorized.

    • At the church, we also have "Share Jesus Without Fear" New Testaments. If you would use one to have gospel conversations, we will give you one.

    • Whatever gospel tool you will use is the best one. If there's another tool like the

    "Romans Road", the "ABCs to salvation" or another one that you will use, use it!

    • Often when a group does something to serve another person, the person being helped will ask, "Why are you doing this?" Use that question as an opportunity to share the love of Jesus!

I Still have questions