Frequently asked…

Yes. It is a church. It’s currently in the start-up phase (aka a “church plant” for all the religious folks).

Because we wish to emphasize that the church is people.
No buildings necessary.

Church is not a nice sermon with moving lights or a pulpit.

It is a collective of people sharing meals and dumb stories and game nights and zoom meetings.

It is a collective of people who know each other and attend each others’ soccer games, birthdays, and funerals.

It is a collective of people who are on the lookout for real ways to help in their community.

It is a collective of people who choose NOT to be passive in the face of social injustices.

It is a collective of people who come from all backgrounds, and beliefs, and yet are united by the power of Love.

It has nothing to do with insurance.
(You’re singing it now, aren’t you?)

We like Jesus of Nazareth. He taught and did revolutionary things, and ignored religious rules for the sake of people.

One time (Luke 10:25-38), religious people asked Jesus how to “receive life.” Which religious laws did they need to believe or obey in order to “make it?”

Then Jesus made up a story about a Samaritan man who gave his time and wealth to care for a wounded man, who was the man’s ethnic and religious opposite.

Some call that man the “Good” Samaritan. But in Jesus’ community, Samaritans weren’t “the good guys.” In his story, the good ones failed, while obeying their scripture.
The Samaritan man passed with flying colors. Jesus turned to the now-uncomfortable crowd of people like himself and said “Which one loved his neighbor? Go be like him.”

Is there a more in that story? Sure.
But we figure that’s a good place to begin.
I mean, everyone has neighbors. What if we linked elbows with ours, regardless of what they believe, and set out to be good ones?

We envision groups of people growing in community.

We envision partnering with local leadership and nonprofits and then inviting our neighbors to help to meet actual needs in our towns.

We envision learning about larger social justice issues, so we can move toward the flourishing of all people.

Likely never. Some of us aren’t too thrilled about “normal” church, anyway.

The good news is, if you want a church that meets an hour every Sunday, there are plenty to choose from.

Yes. When we say everyone, we mean it.
None of that vague, harmful bait-and-switch stuff.

The Good Neighbor Collective is a fully inclusive community. We are LGBTQIA+ affirming.

We believe that action matters more than belief statements. (James 2:14-25)

We believe all people are worthy of love and acceptance.

We believe our local community will say whether or not we actually care. (John 13:35)

We believe the church should hold itself accountable, and should not prioritize self-protection for the organization.

We believe that God is love (1 John 4:16), and that love wins.

We believe that Jesus is for all.

We seek to participate with God in the renewal, healing, growth, and flourishing of all people and creation.

We most frequently pull our teachings and readings from the Bible, often centering on the teachings of Jesus.

We know truth is truth, no matter where it is found, and do not claim to have cornered the market.

We desire to also learn from others as we pursue healing, growth, and wisdom together. This includes therapists, historians, physicians, etc. Maybe even you!

That’s ok. For real.

We value inclusion, not assmilation.

We think there are powerful stories and truths in it.

We also know damage has been done with it. Many on our team have even experienced such damage.

Because of that, we hope to look at it differently. We won’t be perfect, but we strive to do better.

The Good Neighbor Collective is a team effort.
But if you have questions at this moment, send them to michael.bouchard@thegoodneighborcollective.org

We are not currently aligned with one at this time.