ST. CHARLES – A special offering will take place Oct. 25 during the Missouri Baptist Convention’s annual meeting to benefit the Good Neighbor Initiative, a ministry of the St. Louis Metro Baptist Association.
Beginning this fall, the Good Neighbor Initiative aims to bring Mark 12:31 to life as cities like St. Louis become home to refugees from around the world. That verse reads: “’You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
“Every year literally hundreds of persons and families move to the St. Louis area from throughout the world. Some come as immigrants, some as refugees. They are often looked over, left out, left behind and least of these; precious people made in God’s image,” reads the Good Neighbor Initiative website.
The Good Neighbor Initiative will match active members of St. Louis metro association churches with a neighbor new to St. Louis they can befriend. Those interested can sign up to be a part as an individual, a family or a small group / Sunday School. The goal is for a 12-month commitment to visiting the new neighbor in their home at least once a month, praying for your new neighbor regularly, as you are comfortable and God leads, invite them to your home for a meal, special occasion, a holiday, complete the “Checking In” form on the Good Neighbor Initiative website on a monthly basis.
Those in the St. Louis area who are interested can apply at http://www.stlbaptist.com/goodneighbor/. After a pastor completes the recommendation form and approval, the association will match up new neighbors. There will be a one-hour training session at Oasis International, 5035 Gravois Road on the third Saturday of each month.
