PRACTICE
NEIGHBORING
Creating a culture of connection and care with your actual neighbors
“The connections among local people are what awaken the power of families and neighborhoods to weave the social fabric of an abundant community.”
– John McKnight
WHY NEIGHBORING?
Neighbors can do incredible things that no one else can do.
Who else can know you by name and give you a wave as you walk out your front door? Who else can keep an eye on your house or pick up a package from your stoop while you are away? Who else can watch your kids at the last moment or bring you soup when you aren’t feeling well? Who else can share extra produce or fresh baked goods like neighbors can?
Caring neighbors make us safer, healthier, and happier.
A key indicator of one’s sense of belonging and safety in a community is whether they know their neighbors by name.
Studies on social connection tell us that caring relationships improve our physical, social, and mental health.
GET STARTED
Building connection with your neighbors starts with YOU! Don’t underestimate the impact of a simple wave or hello. Be the type of neighbor that you would want others to be to you.
Consider: How do you feel when your neighbors wave or say hello to you?
“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.”
– Simone Weil
Do you know when a place or a community just feels good? Being in the company of people who you care about and who care for you is a special feeling. While we may not become good friends with each of our neighbors, we can create a neighborly culture with those around us.
Consider: What can you do to make your neighborhood more neighborly?
“Some people think they are in community, but they are only in proximity. True community requires commitment and openness. It is a willingness to extend yourself to encounter and know the other.”
– David Spangler
When was the last time you offered help to a neighbor in need? When was the last time you asked for help from a neighbor? Receiving help or being invited by neighbors into their spaces and lives may be an even stronger indicator of connection than your own willingness to give or invite.
Consider: Who can you ask for help on your block, in your building, or in your neighborhood?
“Great neighborhoods are built on reciprocal relationships, on two-way streets… the art of neighboring involves our being able both to give of our time and energy and, just as important, to receive from others.”
– Jay Pathak & Dave Runyon, The Art of Neighboring
Our culture often prioritizes private spaces and backyards over shared spaces and front yards. But what if spending time outside in places where you might ‘bump into’ someone else could increase your sense of community and actually make your neighborhood safer?
Consider: How can you spend more time on your front porch or your front yard?
“Many studies show that there are two major determinants of local safety: (1) how may neighbors we know by name, and (2) how often we are present and associated in public—that is, outside our houses.”
– Cormac Russell & John McKnight, The Connected Community
Neighboring requires intentionality. It doesn’t just happen by itself. It is a deliberate choice. Reach out to your neighbors. Check in on them. Send a text / give a call / knock and say hello. Imagine a community that cares for you and your family, and then be that type of community for others.
Consider: What neighbor comes to mind for you? Reach out to them right now.
“Creating community requires an explicit commitment to be a part of each other’s lives and to make those lives better. This commitment is the foundation for a new social contract we are now called to build together.”
– Dr. Vivek Murthy, Former US Surgeon General, My Parting Prescription for America
WORKSHOPS
NEIGHBORING RESOURCES
This resource will help you build a team and think through all the elements needed for your project.
Survey examples and best practices for listening to and learning from your community
The Neighboring Movement Podcast shares stories, interviews, and resources about the power and importance of neighboring. It is hosted by the staff team at The Neighboring Movement.
Michael Tubbs is the youngest mayor in American history to represent a city with more than 100,000 people — and his policies are sparking national conversations.
A block party is more than just a party. Bottom-up actions, like block parties, can transform your community.
Communities of faith stand in an important position to support vibrant, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods. And in recent years, some have stepped up to the challenge at a variety of different scales.
NEIGHBORING RESOURCES
| Image | Title | Type | Author | Summary | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| The Connected Community | Book | Cormac Russell, John McKnight | Discovering the Health, Wealth, and Power of Neighborhoods | ||
|
| Neighborhood Project Planner | Document | Community Works | This resource will help you build a team and think through all the elements needed for your project. | ||
|
| Neighborhood Mapping | Book | John Fuder | How to Make Your Church Invaluable to the Community | ||
|
| The Art of Neighboring | Book | Jay Pathak, Dave Runyon | Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside Your Door | ||
|
| Church Forsaken | Book | Jonathan Brooks | Practicing Presence in Neglected Neighborhoods | ||
|
| Neighborhood Mapping: Appendices | Book | John Fuder | Survey examples and best practices for listening to and learning from your community | ||
|
| Who Is My Neighbor? | Book | Wayne Gordon | Lessons Learned From a Man Left for Dead | ||
|
| The New Parish | Book | Tim Soerens, Paul Sparks, Dwight J. Friesen | How Neighborhood Churches Are Transforming Mission, Discipleship and Community | ||
|
| The Abundant Community | Book | John McKnight, Peter Block | Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods | ||
|
| The Neighboring Movement | Podcast | The Neighboring Movement | The Neighboring Movement Podcast shares stories, interviews, and resources about the power and importance of neighboring. It is hosted by the staff team at The Neighboring Movement. | ||
|
| The political power of being a good neighbor | Video | Michael Tubbs, TED | Michael Tubbs is the youngest mayor in American history to represent a city with more than 100,000 people — and his policies are sparking national conversations. | ||
|
| The Rise, Fall, and Power of Block Parties, Explained | Video | Strong Towns | A block party is more than just a party. Bottom-up actions, like block parties, can transform your community. | ||
|
| Faith Communities Can Help Build Vibrant Neighborhoods | Article | Strong Towns, Jennifer Griffin | Communities of faith stand in an important position to support vibrant, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods. And in recent years, some have stepped up to the challenge at a variety of different scales. | ||
|
| Start With Hello | Book | Shannan Martin | You want more. You want to belong to a community that looks out for each … |
SPOTLIGHTED ORGS
Check out and learn more from these organizations: