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<\/p>\nEvery year we host a New Year’s Eve party to help us get to the neighbors. It is a fun and enjoyable way to get to know your neighbors so that you can show them the love of Jesus. Though I know it is a little early, if you begin planning now, you can get a head start on planning a New Year’s Eve party that will help you get to know your neighbors.<\/p>\n
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Since the evening party needed to be held indoors due to the time of year, we were unable to invite all of our neighbors (our table seats only twenty four), so we focused on our nearest neighbors. When we invited people, most said that they \u201cusually don\u2019t attend New Year\u2019s Eve parties\u201d because they try to stay off the road on New Year\u2019s Eve, then laughed when they realized they all live no more than a block from our house.<\/p>\n
Last year\u2019s New Years Eve party was literally a last-minute effort thrown together that day and the day before. One of our neighbors was dying. She was very discouraged. We knew she wouldn\u2019t be here for another New Year\u2019s Eve. When she agreed to drop by for a few minutes, we quickly invited other neighbors to join us. But what to cook? We settled on take-and-bake pizzas from Costco, complemented by other prepared foods. Our guests loved it!<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s menu was somewhat expanded, but take-and-bake pizza was still the centerpiece. Almost everyone, on their own, brought along pie, cookies, wine, breads, cheeses and so on. The big hit: lemon meringue pie. The big dud: my personal stash of Wasabi peanuts. Although clearly labeled, some people ignored the label (they thought they were getting green Jordan almonds maybe?) and took some anyway. Consequently, all but one person (a true Wasabi fan) happily put their Wasabi peanuts on my plate when they figured out what Wasabi peanuts are.<\/p>\n
We have no agenda for our neighborhood parties. We set them up and let them happen. Once neighbors get together, they love to eat and talk. Unless the food is bad or there is not enough food, they don\u2019t remember a few weeks later what they ate. However, they do remember who they talked to and what they talked about. We hear people comparing previous places they have lived and worked, what wars they fought in, what\u2019s happening in the neighborhood and various other topics. For the most part, they\u2019re just getting to know each other better.<\/p>\n
Here are some of the comments people give us in between parties:<\/p>\n
\u201dWhen you have another one of those neighborhood parties, we\u2019d like to be invited.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe missed the block party, but plan to come next year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got to know some of our neighbors better. Even though we\u2019ve lived on the same street for over thirty years, we really didn\u2019t know each other very well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGreat party, just a great party!\u201d \u201cDon\u2019t move away! Who\u2019d organize our parties? We love them!\u201d<\/p>\n
Most people love getting to know their neighbors. We do! Though we had planned to move to a warmer climate when we retired, we recently decided to stay right where we are. Why? We have lots of really great neighbors!<\/p>\n
We care about our neighbors and they care about us and each other. We\u2019re choosing that instead of Hawaii or Florida. If you\u2019re wondering about the spiritual significance of all of this, I will close out this series with a post on that very topic.<\/p>\n
There's more to it than inviting them to church...<\/p>\r\n
Fill out the form below to receive several emails about how to get to know your neighbors and love them like Jesus.<\/p>\r\n\r\n