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Here’s an idea to get the guys together…but all family members are welcome. Everyone has a favorite food. Some people hold to their tastes with more passion than others. Often, guys are pretty dedicated to a good steak.

Start an Eat Meat Club in your neighborhood. Send out an invitation to the guys to join you at your house for a barbeque. To be creative, design the invitations to look like a T-bone steak. Invite people to bring their own favorite meat dish or marinade.

Offer a variety of meats and marinades, and declare the inauguration of the neighborhood’s Eat Meat Club. Suggest that you all get together for a monthly barbeque at different houses in the neighborhood, and two or three families can be responsible for supplying the food each time. Make sure to provide a vegetarian alternative, such as veggie burgers.

For fun, offer a series of prizes for funny events, like a hot-dog-eating contest or a trivia quiz about cuts of beef.

Helpful hint: Here’s a recipe for a tasty, easy-to-do marinade:

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup sesame oil
• 1 cup hoisin sauce
• ¼ cup brown sugar

Mix the ingredients, and let the meat soak overnight. This recipe is best with beef or pork.

Instant Intentions

Before eating, lead a very simple prayer to start the meal. Keep in mind that prayer may not be a part of your guests’ practices, so use the opportunity to show them how it’s done! You might say something simple: “Lord, thank you for this food. Thank you for these friends. Thank you for this time together. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Take pictures of your inaugural gathering. Then make sure to designate someone’s house for the next meeting. Before then, hand-deliver pictures to everyone who came, as a fun reminder of the event. Use this little visit as a further opportunity to get to know your neighbors.

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