By Christopher McRae, BCI Discipleship Team Leader
Sojourn Church in Council Bluffs held a block party on August 11, 2018 to meet and get to know the neighborhood as well as introduce them to our plans to start a “community group” at a members house in that area. Uniquely, the community group leader developed a planning team composed of people from the church and non-churched people from the neighborhood. This group met several times before the event making plans, having great conversations and developing a friendship. They were all excited about the opportunity to meet the community and to start a community group bible study.
On the big day, they utilized two block party trailers, one from the Heartland Church Network and the other from the Council Bluffs 712 Initiative. About 150 people came out for the three hour event that included two bounce houses, numerous games, a face painter, live music, good conversation, solid fellowship and food. The small group leader cooked burgers and hot dogs and the neighborhood brought the deserts. From the flyers distributed and the information gathered, we plan to begin a new community group on Monday evenings starting on September 10th at a home on that street.
