September 11, 2024

What are your best practices with keeping in touch… with family, with friends, with people in your community of faith, with renters and groups using your building, with neighbourhood, with community partners or potential community partners, with other denominations in your area, with multifaith groups, with organizations that have care priorities like hospitals, hospice, retirement and long-term care settings, local seniors groups? Perhaps a team or committee might think of someone to check in on within your community of faith, a group you have connected with but not recently, perhaps even pre-Covid, and someone new to reach out to and be in touch with. Being in touch helps plant seeds to begin or strengthen relationships. If you are hosting welcome back events, who can you be in touch with to give a special invite to come join you? If you have special events for the fall, add a component of being in touch with others to be intentional to invite people. Help your congregation with some cards, postcards or letters to be in communication and help keep in touch. If your community of faith does not have a pastoral care team, it is a great time to explore how being in touch can help people stay connected. Phone calls or visits can really brighten a person’s day. Notice your neighbours on the street you live on and be in touch. A neighbourhood street got brave and hosted a potluck and what a success it was. Can your community of faith host a neighbourhood potluck for your church’s street? Need some more ideas in your context, or want to share how your community of faith is keeping in touch.