When we're talking to possible partners in other cities, we often use a group of 50-60 retired gentlemen in Fort Wayne as a primary example of what neighboring as a lifestyle can look like: Carpenter's Sons (St. Vincent de Paul Society - Fort Wayne). They meet once or twice a week to have breakfast, then go out and serve. Each year, they tackle several hundred home repair and wheelchair ramp projects.
If you haven't yet seen the video about their story, check out the link in the comments!
While helping one of them pull a report this morning, I noticed that the group is about to cross the 4,000 projects completed mark. And when you see the map of projects their group has completed, it takes your breath away. No, numbers are not our focus. But the scale of lives touched is impossible to ignore. Fort Wayne would be significantly worse off as a city without these guys and how God works through them.
Meanwhile, they pour into each other. There are so many stories about identity, personal transformation, belonging, community, faith growth, etc. as they serve alongside each other.
What would your city look like with a similar group? What would the country look like if EVERY city had a similar group? And it's obviously not limited to retired folks. We work closely with groups of veterans, moms, underground/house churches, neighborhoods. We love supporting individuals. But groups of people serving within the context of community, even if it's a small one, is where things become an ongoing, sustainable, transformative lifestyle.
If you're interested in neighboring as a group, but aren't sure where to start or need barriers out of your way, we'd love to pour into you.
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Brett Meyer
CEO, NeighborLink Foundation Inc
I'm on my Second Mountain.
I'm a (recovering?) technologist that loves amplifying humans, solving big problems, and building with purpose. I gained a breadth of software engineering and leadership experience in multiple industries, including roles at Twilio, Disney, Red Hat, Raytheon, NBC Universal, and regional companies. I was also the the founder and a partner at Impact Upgrade, a software/integration/data agency that served many nonprofits and mission-driven businesses.
But now, I get to focus on redemptive tech, discipleship, and NEIGHBORING. NeighborLink's ministry has been ingrained in my family's life for a long time. And the road leading to this particular spot has been a wild one. Through the journey, I've witnessed the organization evolve multiple times and in many different ways. But the mission God has placed in front of us has never been more clear. I'm grateful for the opportunity to simply be a part of it.