Two friends of mine moved to a new city. Keen to both make friends in their neighbourhood, but also eager to create some natural opportunities for evangelism, Daniel and Julia hit upon the idea of starting a book group. It was an obvious idea: they both loved reading and Julia had met a neighbour in the local bookstore and had a long conversation about an author they both enjoyed.
So Daniel and Julia made up some flyers and posted them through all the doors on their street. They put up posters in the local library and also made an announcement on the Facebook group for their community—advertising the first event in a local cafe.
Amazingly 20 people turned up for the initial meeting, so Daniel and Julia suggested that the group meet once per month, with people taking it in turns to suggest a book for people to read and discuss at the next meeting.
When it was their turn to suggest a book, Daniel and Julia prayed and thought carefully about the best book for their purpose. They chose C. S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters, a brilliant study of the nature of evil and a very entertaining read (the audiobook narrated by actor Joss Ackland is superbly well done). They found that it started all manner of questions about God, faith, and human nature and people enjoyed it so much that many asked “Has C. S. Lewis written anything else?”
If you love reading then why not either join a local reading group (if one exists) or if not, pray about starting one! People are increasingly looking for community and so book groups are popular. So give it a try:
- Find a local venue—e.g. a cafe; the local library (ask if they’d make a room available for you). A local bookstores could be a good option, as it’s free marketing for them!
- Design some flyers and poster (ask for help if you’re not artistic!), spread the word among friends and neighbours.
- See who shows up!
- Take it in turns to suggest books—and pray for wisdom as to what book you pick. (Maybe Have You Ever Wondered? could be a good choice).
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of literature! Help me think about ways to use my love of reading to reach my neighbours. Amen.
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