Community has played an important part in Caitlynn Rasco’s faith. It was during her sophomore year on the high school track team where a teammate’s father showed her the love of Christ. He gave her the invitation to believe. It was through a faithful friend, Kenna, who offered to take Caitlynn to her youth group. It was there she got plugged into Christian community. After graduation, her freshman year at college a couple of students invited her to their church and small group. Through community, God showed Caitlynn that it is not about people pleasing and caring about what others thought of her. It was all about the truth that Jesus loved her regardless of her effort and work.
“It was through these people that I saw the love of Christ,” Caitlynn shared. “Seeing this and hearing it I decided to place my faith in Jesus. He saved me from people pleasing, caring what others thought of me and replacing it with knowing Jesus loves me and I don’t have to prove that.”
In college, it was the first time Caitlynn started going to church consistently. She joined Citylight’s college ministry the Salt Company her second year. She became a City Group leader in Salt. After dropping out of college, she moved back to Glenwood, Iowa but still made the drive to Citylight. She understood the importance of staying in community.
After a couple years, Caitlynn considered moving back to Omaha. When she heard about Harbor Church, Citylight’s next church plant, she wanted to then move to Bellevue or La Vista.
“I wanted to be near Omaha, where my community was, but wanted more of a small town feel,” Caitlynn described. “This past December my friend Kenna came back. I shared with her that I had been thinking about getting an apartment. “What if we got a house together?” She agreed and I got so excited to move back to the area. Friends are here and now the church plant. I wanted to be intentional with finding something in Sarpy county to be close to the church plant. We found a 3-bedroom home with room for Kenna’s baby. Kenna invited me to youth group in high school and now we are living together and going to church together. It’s full circle. We are like sisters.”
This past spring, the core team for Harbor Church attended the Art of Neighboring event at Citylight Omaha's West location with Dave Runyon. It was there Caitlynn was convicted and encouraged to be intentional with offering community to others especially toward her new neighbors in La Vista.
“I’ve always wanted to be missional,” Caitlynn confessed. “In Salt it was my campus and now it’s with my neighbors. God calls us to love our neighbors. At the Art of Neighboring event we were told about the practical benefits of neighboring. Statistically there’s less crime in neighborhoods where you know one another. You don’t need meals on wheels if you are checking on your elderly neighbors. The stories of doing fun life events together. God commands us to love our neighbors, but I thought to myself how do you actually do it? When they were sharing stories at the neighboring event, they talked about a block party as one of the ways to get to know the names of the eight houses around you. At the Harbor intro groups, Trevor (co lead pastor) shared that he knows all the people in their cul de sac. They’ve hosted block parties. Trevor talked about when he first moved into his neighborhood they held a block party once a month during the summer. I knew I wanted to do this too.”
Caitlynn went home and told Kenna what she had learned. She shared her goal to have a block party and Kenna agreed. Their goal would be to host a block party once a month this summer as a way to build relationships with their neighbors.
“We didn’t know anyone yet because we moved in February when it was cold,” Caitlynn described. “We picked a day in June but when it got closer, I got nervous. One of the girls in my City Group reminded me that it will totally be worth it.”
That reminder provided the encouragement Caitlynn needed. She and Kenna made little flyers for the block party with their address, date, and time. They included on the flyer they would have food, yard games, and said kids are welcome. Five days before the block party, Caitlynn went around her neighborhood to hand them out.
“It was nerve racking handing them out,” Caitlynn said with a grin. “I almost didn’t. But I am so glad we did and we had good responses from the flyers. I went and knocked on every door and put them in our neighbor’s mailboxes. I kept going down the block and met some super nice neighbors.”
One after another, Caitlynn began to meet her neighbors as she invited them to the block party. For instance, one woman she met had been in the neighborhood for 40 years. There was another family who were foster parents. Caitlynn couldn’t wait for the block party now.
“As we got closer to the date, someone in my City Group provided yard games,” Caitlynn celebrated. “I had to remind myself not to stress over the small details and whether there would be enough food since I didn't know how many people would come or if anyone was going to come at all.
The day of, we set up our front yard with games and lawn chairs. I wasn’t planning on my neighbors bringing anything but one neighbor brought drinks. Two other people brought dessert. We had a children's picnic table full of kids. One elderly neighbor named Sandy had her adult son bring her chair over and I saw another neighbor helping Sandy walk over to our yard.”
Before Caitlynn and Kenna knew it, the block party ended. As people were packing up, a few lingered to chat. Some of the kids asked if they could come back and play in their sandbox in the front yard. Phone numbers were exchanged between neighbors.
“I have a full heart,” Caitlynn exclaimed. “I experienced that God’s commands are not meant to be burdensome. His way for doing relationships is what is best. It is the most fulfilling. I have more joy and peace after getting to know my neighbors. I think my neighbors got that too. One neighbor was so excited about meeting us. She offered to watch Kenna’s daughter. Another neighbor said they could only stay a few minutes but ended up staying for an hour. Everyone desires community, but we still stay in our bubbles. It is so worth coming out of our bubbles and stepping into community.”
The goal is to have a block party every month. The next one, Caitlynn is thinking popsicles or ice cream in the front yard. Maybe a box of ice cream sandwiches with yard games. It’s all about creating space to get to know neighbors and gather everyone together.
“I’m much more intentional now,” Caitlynn described what she has learned. “I want to invite some over for dinner. I have neighborhood kids waving to me now. We told our neighbors if you need anything we are right here. I want to keep building deeper relationships to be able to have spiritual conversations. Another thing I have learned is if you want to do this with neighbors, it doesn’t have to be anything crazy or expensive. Practically I thought it would be hard to organize a block party. I made it more complicated in my head. It can simply be inviting people to bring lawn chairs and just hangout in your front yard. It was so worth it! It has brought me so much joy. Now, when I drive through my neighborhood, I can say “Oh there’s so and so’s house.”
Caitlynn wants each of her neighbors to know that there is joy in knowing them. She looks forward to growing her relationships with each of them and one day; to be ready to share what Jesus has done for her ... She is no longer alone, and she is loved completely. That’s what community in Christ is all about.
This is so beautiful!! I have been doing block parties – we call them Neighborhood Night – for the last several years. Connection is treasured by others, and it is so appropriate that those of us who have experienced the Gospel hospitality of God would lead the way in opening heart and homes to our neighbors. Way to go!!!!!