Where?

I had lived on the corner of Rosewood and Longwood Drive for over seven years, yet many of the women who lived nearby were complete strangers to me. I didn’t know their joys or their pains, I had no one to call to borrow a cup of sugar, and I had never told them about Jesus.

Do you long to share the love of Christ with the women in your neighborhood? Are you ready to “do” the word instead of merely listening to it (James 1:25)?

To reach out to the women living around me, I started The Rosewood Café (named after our address on Rosewood Drive). No, it’s not a real café – it’s just a neighborhood Bible study over coffee at my kitchen table, the best place for forming new friendships and deepening old ones. The Neighborhood Café concept, which teaches other women how to open their hearts and homes for “Coffee, Conversation & Christ,” was born from my experience.

Who Is Your Neighbor?

The women in your neighborhood have one very important thing in common: they all live near you. You might live right around the corner from some of these women:

Religious Rita: a regular churchgoer who never misses a noodle dinner
Pagan Patty: sunbathes on Sunday yet never darkens the church door
Faithful Felicity: prays for the opportunity to meet other women but doesn’t know how
Unsaved Sue: she doesn’t even know what she doesn’t know
Wondering Wendy: has dabbled in the God-thing but has no one to answer her questions
Widowed Wilma: is overwhelmed with solitude
Single Shelby: does double duty as both Mom and Dad
Executive Alexis: brings home the bacon and sometimes even manages to fry it up in a pan
Molly the Mommy: wonders if she’ll ever have a conversation that doesn’t involve the potty
Busybody Bettie: knows the scoop and loves to dish it out

Would you consider inviting Felicity, Wendy or Alexis to your own Neighborhood Café in the warm and inviting setting of your home? God may be calling you to say, think or do something today that will impact your neighbor’s lives for eternity. You can create a community of friends – women of all faiths or no faith, from all churches or no church, of all ages, at all stages of life – who draw on each other as they draw near to Christ.

“Why should I do a Bible study in my home?” you might ask. “My church has Sunday School, and nice rooms I can use throughout the week. Can’t I just invite my neighbors to my church?”

Yes, you can – and you should. Your church is the perfect place for women to grow in Christ… but your home is the perfect place for women to meet Christ for these reasons:

Your home is familiar. Some women are afraid of church. From finding a parking space to finding the bathroom, it can be intimidating to visit a new church (especially if your spouse doesn’t attend with you).

Your home is safe. Some women have been wounded by the church. They haven’t experienced acceptance or forgiveness from a gracious church body. They may be scarred by haughtiness, hypocrisy or hostility they’ve encountered.

Your home is a novelty. Some women are worn out on worship. They may have been bored to tears or worked to death at church. Their experience may have been one of rote worship rather than real joy.

Your home does not compete with church. Some women already have wonderful church homes. A neighborhood Bible study builds unity between the churches in your community as women from different congregations form friendships that cross denominational lines.

Your home is a cradle for creating friendships. Some women simply need a friend. In the comfort of your home you can nurture a new friendship that ultimately leads to a relationship with Christ.

Your home is convenient. Some women can’t squeeze another appointment onto a crowded calendar, but they can carve out time for a cup of coffee.