Brian Mavis - The Neighboring Church: Getting Better at What Jesus Says Matters Most

Its amazing how complex weve made this thing called church. The Neighboring Church takes us back to basics with a simple, yet profound, approach. Rick and Brian help us dare to imagine and give us a workable strategy to simply love our neighbors with a Jesus-like approach.

G ENE A PPEL , SENIOR PASTOR

E ASTSIDE C HRISTIAN C HURCH , A NAHEIM , C ALIFORNIA

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the person in need doesnt get any help until someone gets off his donkey! That person (the Samaritan) was the good neighbor of the story, which is why I wish we called it the parable of the Good Neighbor! In this book Rick and Brian have helped demystify what it means actually to neighbor people. It certainly shows up in how we treat the people who share addresses close to ours, but it extends to the people in need we encounter along the way. The Neighboring Church provides not only inspiration, but also some practical advice on how the people of God can be people of blessing simply by doing what Jesus said was most important to him.

R EGGIE M C N EAL , AUTHOR

G ET O FF Y OUR D ONKEY ! AND K INGDOM C OME

The Neighboring Church is a must read for leaders who have a desire to raise the value of neighboring in their churches. It is filled with working models from around the country and provides practical steps that will help people put the Great Commandment in action.

D AVE R UNYON , CO - AUTHOR

T HE A RT OF N EIGHBORING

Its always great to hear from practitioners and not just theoreticians. This book flows from the life of a local church leaning into the neighborhoods represented in its congregation. Brian and Rick speak from experience and give a number of practical tools that will help those who are trying to learn how to love their neighbors and leading others to do the same. They show a way forward for believers to take the Great Commandment seriously and literally.

J AY P ATHAK , CO - AUTHOR

T HE A RT OF N EIGHBORING

Advice from critics and coaches standing on the sidelines of ministry is plenty, but words from proven, effective leaders in the trenches, such as Rick Rusaw and Brian Mavis, are priceless. The Neighboring Church is that kind of precious advice. Rick and Brian are trusted leaders who speak from experience with grace and passion. Their guidance is field-tested, and insights are biblically sound. Church leaders everywhere will be blessed and challenged by this practical and inspiring book.

J EFF W ALLING , DIRECTOR

Y OUTH L EADERSHIP I NITIATIVE , P EPPERDINE U NIVERSITY

Engineers talk about the beauty of the elegant solution. The elegant solution is one in which the maximum desired effect is achieved with the smallest, or simplest effort. Who would have thought the elegant solution of all God wants to do in the world is found in three verses in Matthew 22? My friends Brian and Rick have taken up the mantle in clearly articulating the next steps in neighboring... by becoming a neighboring church. This will be the book I recommend over the coming months.

E RIC S WANSON , L EADERSHIP N ETWORK , CO - AUTHOR

T HE E XTERNALLY F OCUSED C HURCH AND T O T RANSFORM A C ITY

The way leaders live and love in their homes and neighborhoods is what validates our Sunday morning message. The Neighboring Church challenges all leaders to step up our game, living out the Great Commandment more literally than ever before.

D ON W ILSON , SENIOR PASTOR

C HRIST S C HURCH OF THE V ALLEY , P EORIA , A RIZONA

This is the much-needed punchline to the externally focused and missional church movements. The Neighboring Church goes beyond taking it to the streets and calls us to open our eyes and hearts to love the people on the street where we live. This is bold, super-practical, and a world-changing strategy every Jesus follower and every church can live out. We all know we need to change the scorecard and focus for our churches. Brian and Rick help me know how to do what my gut has been saying is needed as a way of doing the stuff Jesus said mattered mostloving God and loving our neighbors.

B EN C ACHIARAS , LEAD PASTOR

M OUNTAIN C HRISTIAN C HURCH , J OPPA , M ARYLAND

Straight up, I enjoyed The Neighboring Church and found myself motivated by what I read. I think this is a great addition to the emerging genre of books that are teaching and championing neighboring. This is a book I want our staff, leaders, and congregation to process.

C AL J ERNIGAN , SENIOR PASTOR

C ENTRAL C HRISTIAN C HURCH , P HOENIX , A RIZONA

2016 by Rick Rusaw and Brian Mavis

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing.

Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked THE MESSAGE are taken from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked NI r V are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Readers Version, NIrV. Copyright 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIrV and New International Readers Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible. Copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016932967

Hardcover: 978-0718-0772-3-5

e-Book: 978-0718-0772-6-6

16 17 18 19 20 21 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1

To Diane, whose gift of hospitality has
made me look like a better neighbor!
Rick Rusaw

Dedicated to all my great neighborspast, present, and future.
Brian Mavis

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