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Here’s a great way for your neighbors to learn more about each other. This activity is especially well-suited to people living in an apartment or planned-community or development setting.

Finding a location to host your mystery event is easy. A neighborhood clubhouse or large basement is perfect. And these days, hosting a mystery dinner is as easy as going to your local game store or searching the Internet, where you can find numerous themed kits that give you everything you need from plots to clues to menus. Everyone loves a meal, and the intrigue gives the party a focal point and keeps everyone involved.

Helpful hint: Spice up the atmosphere of the event. If costumes are a possibility, wear them. If you have extra people who want to help out, you and they could dress up appropriately as waiters or servants or the master of the hall. For more help in planning a unique scenario, try the local library. You can find dozens of short mysteries in a Miss Marple Investigates or Hercule Poirot Mysteries collection.

Whether buying a prepared game or coming up with your own mystery, remember these basic tips for a successful event:

1. Encourage your guests to come in costume, and have simple props available for their use.
2. Invite the correct number of guests.
3. Provide character name tags so your guests can remember who they’re portraying.
4. Decorate your meeting area to reflect the mystery’s theme. Themed food is also a fun addition.

If you’re not able to find or buy party kits, you might consider just hosting a themed dinner. Provide each of the guests with a pamphlet giving the details of a mystery to be solved, or you might break it up into sections to be given out or even read aloud between each course. Give everyone a chance to guess the solution.

Send out an open invitation to all neighbors, or; if you live in an apartment complex, post a sign-up sheet on the community bulletin board. Most purchased mystery kits are for six to eight people, so you might consider doing one on a bimonthly basis so everybody has a chance to participate.

Instant Intentions

This can be a great way to show your neighbors that Christians are about living a Christlike life of joy, not just following a bunch of rules. If it turns out that there is anyone at the party who particularly enjoys mysteries, you might offer to do some reading together. A mystery book club is always fun. There are a lot of great mystery writers out there, and their books can provide an opening for further discussions. Try Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, or Ellis Peters for some great material.

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

Note: How do you reach out to your neighbors? Do you have an idea (it could be a one-time event or an ongoing effort) you’d like to pass on for others to try? Please jot it down and stick it in my mailbox (see box below) or send me an email. Your idea could end up in our bulletin and on our Immanuel website!  – Lisa Jaeger