Summary: About Mike With 3 decades of missional ministry experience in England and the United States, Mike now heads up 3DM, headquartered in Pawleys Island, SC. 3DM exists to fuel and resource the missional movement through books, learning communities, and other tools. Mike is married to Sally, and they have grown children. Mike was discovering and developing the concept of missional communities in post-Christian England long before the term and concept came into common parlance. He's the author of an array of books on discipleship and mission. And he taught Andy about Shandy -- a summery blend of beer and Sprite -- which pretty much changed Andy's life. What is Gospel Neighboring? Loving God and neighbor through sharing the covenant community God has given you, and the relationship you have with the Father. Mike's Gospel Neighboring Quote "Jesus said it best: love your neighbor as yourself. This means asking ourselves what we would want a follower of Jesus to do in the given situation if we were in our neighbor's shoes." Tough Lesson Learned in Gospel Neighboring Instead of blindly pushing forward relationally with neighbors, gain the emotional intelligence that allows you to perceive the spiritual temperature of the people around you --- whether certain people are cold, warm, or hot toward you and the gospel --- and pursue and pray for those who are hot toward you. More Lessons on Gospel Neighboring "Sometimes bringing a bottle of wine to a new neighbor when they move in is a great way to let them know they're welcome, and to disarm them that you're normal and not 'religious'." One of the best things we might do is to get out a piece of paper, write down our neighbors' names, and write down "hot", "warm", or "cold". We need to love our neighbor well enough to be alert to their spiritual and relational temperature. Then stick with the "hot" types in prayer and relationship. Action for the Next 24 Hours Pray specifically for the people in your immediate community, and allow the Lord to direct your prayers toward a specific person. Ask them how you can pray for them. Asking someone how you might better be able to pray for their needs is a gesture of care that will be appreciated even by agnostics and atheists. Mike's Final Bit of Gospel Neighboring Wisdom Jesus said that the wise man is the one who builds his house on the rock, meaning that he hears God's word and puts it into practice. The best thing we can learn to do in Gospel Neighboring is to intentionally seek answers to the questions "What is God saying to me?" and "What am I going to do about it?" Mike's Favorite Gospel Neighboring Resource David Watson, Discipleship. Connect with Mike Mike's email: mike@weare3dm.com Twitter 3DM
