Texas Methodist Foundation Launches Neighbor2Neighbor Initiative Helping Neighborhoods Thrive Through Their Local Churches

Neighbor2Neighbor Gathering

Texas Methodist Foundation (TMF) announces the launch of Neighbor2Neighbor, a three-year initiative that helps churches be the heart of flourishing for their local neighborhood and community. The essential practice of aNeighbor2Neighbor church will be to strengthen bonds across the entire neighborhood, expanding and deepening relationships with neighbors – whether they are church members or not.

Neighbor2Neighbor will walk alongside churches as they rediscover those who live around them and identify the gifts in the neighborhood, build relationships, and, most importantly, use those gifts to build a thriving congregation and a flourishing community grounded in love, generosity, and belonging.

“Neighbor2Neighbor is an opportunity for participating churches to deepen relationships with their neighbors in away that makes that church a community hub, and where residents in the parish neighborhood see the church as an active, engaging place contributing to their lives,” said Wendy Abel, TMF Vice President for Grants.

Based on the work of DeAmon Harges, founder of and a recipient, Neighbor2Neighbor, will use the well-establishedAsset Based Community Development (ABCD) process.

During the first year of the initiative, participating churches will create relationships with neighbors who reside within a mile of the church. This will be a time of identifying the spiritual, social, economic, and political capital and currency that already exists in the community. Then, in years two and three, churches and neighborhoods will puttheir relationships and capital to work to realize the full potential of the neighborhood for all who live there. Learnings from the initiative will be documented and shared widely with churches and places of worship in any faith tradition setting.

The inaugural cohort of churches is comprised of four churches in Texas and four churches in Indianapolis, Indiana,all of which are being trained in the ABCD process, with the support of a learning community comprised of leaders from the participating churches and their neighborhoods. Texas Methodist Foundation is investing $80,000 in this initiative in its commitment to engage neighbors and community as part of a Spirit-led movement building thriving congregations and flourishing communities.

Participating Churches and Pastors In Texas

• Challis Bradford (Dallas)
• Stephen Goldsmith (Humble)
• Sylvester Patton (Texas)
• Bryant X. Phelps (Desoto)

In Indianapolis, Indiana

• Jerry Davis
• Myron Duff Jr.
• Rachel Metheny
• Deborah Lightfoot Oates