HOUSTON (ABP) — Five years ago, the neighborhood north of Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, was a scene of broken windows, cars littering yards, lawns turned into weed-filled jungles and paint peeling from houses. But Hardin-Simmons placed a family in the neighborhood with one goal — living missionally. And transformation in the area followed.
Students from Hardin-Simmons University volunteer at the Friendship House.
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Danyel Rogers described her family’s experiences during a workshop on missional living held at the recent Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting in Houston. Rogers directs the Friendship House — a place where children can play safely and where the door almost always is open — in Abilene's Northpark neighborhood. Linda Carleton, the Texas Baptist-affiliated school's recently retired dean of students, adapted the idea from a similar model in Shreveport, La.
“I ask myself every day, ‘What am I doing to invest in other peoples’ lives?’” Rogers told workshop participants. “Think about whom you encounter each day and think, ‘What can I do to reach out to them?’”
At its heart, Friendship House practices a ministry of reconciliation, she said.
“In my neighborhood, we eat meals together, take care of each other’s children and work on recycling as a community,” Rogers said.
“What we do to practice reconciliation is to provide a place of support where neighbors get to know each other.”
Each afternoon, children visit the Friendship House to play games with students from Hardin-Simmons.
“It is all about transformation,” Rogers told the workshop.
“Take what you already know about Christianity and put it into practice. Don’t just have good intentions. Live what you know. The way you start is to ask God to open your eyes to see the needs of the people around you.”
The initial Friendship House has sparked creation of several others in Abilene, all managed by Connecting Caring Communities, a non-profit organization.
A new Friendship House is being constructed in the Northpark neighborhood, supported in part by continued funding from the school.
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Janlyn Thaxton is director of public relations for Hardin-Simmons University.