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This one is for ladies only! Host a valentine-making party in your home, and get ready to craftily express your love!

Invite the women of your neighborhood to participate in a valentine craft day. Be prepared to provide all of the materials for valentine-making, but don’t hesitate to ask others to bring craft items for the group to share. Gather plenty of brightly colored and patterned craft papers, fancy handmade papers, fabric scraps, stickers, craft baubles, candy hearts, pattern-edged scissors, glue, markers, or even a sewing machine for stitching paper or fabric treat pouches (and perhaps some candy to go inside).

Prepare the craft area in your home by covering tables and countertops with protective paper. Scatter the supplies around so they’re within easy reach of the crafters. You may want to prepare a couple of valentines as examples ahead of time, just to give people a jump-start when they arrive.

Helpful hint: Provide a book of elegant verses or love poems for participants to copy onto their valentines. Also, to inspire imagination and creativity, you might set out a book or magazine picturing various crafts.

• Set up an arrangement of light, non-messy refreshments for your guests to enjoy while they’re crafting and talking.
• Play a selection of love songs or instrumental music in the background to help set the mood.
• Be sure to facilitate conversation between your guests.
• Don’t forget to offer praise and encouragement to your neighbors as their creations emerge.

You could also try adapting this idea to other holidays or even a change in the seasons. Just buy theme-appropriate materials, and provide examples of relevant crafts. For example, for a Christmas craft party you could have guests decorate tree ornaments or create holiday cards.

Instant Intentions

Along with the more traditional valentine verses, consider setting out a Bible with pages marked at 1 Corinthians 13 or Ephesians 4:13. You could also mark other fitting Bible passages about love. Be sure to use the Bible yourself to copy some wording onto your valentines. You may be asked about using the Bible verses, so be prepared to briefly explain how these love words from God are meaningful to you in all your relationships.

-          From the book, Field Guide to Neighborhood Outreach by Group Publishing, 2007.

Note: Check out the Book of the Bible Song of Solomon for some surprisingly romantic verse.

Have you put a Neighborhood Outreach plan into action? Thanks for your effort in His name! If you’d like to share your experience, please contact me. Your project could inspire even more work for His kingdom (and add a little fun to liven up the everyday lives of Immanuel members and their neighbors). – Lisa Jaeger