Jessica’s Three Keys Of Connection
In front of a preschool, dozens of parents sit in their parked cars or on the concrete steps scrolling social media or catching up with email on their phones while they await their little ones’ dismissal. But Jessica Gilbert stands out among the crowd.
She too is waiting for her 5-year-old to follow his teacher out of the building in sweet queue — evoking a memory of mother duck leading her ducklings. But she’s not killing the time between on her phone. Instead, she goes car to car handing each parent a Ferrero Rocher chocolate truffle, saying, “You’re doing great! Eat this before your kid comes out!”
Along with the treat, she hands them a flyer for her neighborhood Easter party. “If you want to hang out with us this weekend, come by our house. We’ll have food and an egg hunt.” They’ll also have a Gospel opportunity.
Jessica Gilbert serves with Neighbor Bible Studies 2 GO and takes whatever natural opportunities God places in her view to make connections that can bring her community closer to Him. Living in Arlington, TX, she says that in some sense she lives in the Bible Belt, but her street is incredibly diverse.
“Something like 20% of our neighborhood was born outside the U.S.,” she says, noting neighbors from Africa, Vietnam, Thailand, El Salvador and Arab nations. She said the Lord had laid on the hearts of her and her husband Nate the desire to love and minister to all sorts of people. “We’d think how can we love [for example] the adopted or fostered…and then we realized they live next door.”
In fact, when Nate and Jessica first began seeking to connect with neighbors, they did so simply. It was Christmastime and they gave the gift of a tea towel with their contact information, letting their community know they were there whenever there was a need. Shortly thereafter, they became good friends with an older couple who had adopted their young granddaughters. The Gilbert family not only has these girls over to their home for meals and fellowship on a regular basis, but their older neighbors caught the vision of reaching the community for Christ.
But Jessica says these points of connection are only made possible by God’s grace in a few key ways; He’s given them His message of hope to share, partners with a similar heart and simple faith as they trust Him to do the rest.
The message itself is simple: God loves you where you’re at and He wants you to know Him or know Him more. This Gospel presentation can be shared through a children’s resource, a book study, or a Bible study from nbs2go.com if you’re holding an event. But really, it starts with a relationship, a time when you can care for them where they are, and after building a foundation, you can share that this care originates with Christ’s love in you.
The partnership is a gift from God. Jessica says her husband Nate is an extrovert, always looking to meet people and sow more broadly. “He’s like a golden retriever,” she laughs. “Seeing him [reach out] gives me the courage to do it, too.” Still, even if you don’t have a super-social spouse to lean on or look to, the Lord has people everywhere on Earth; seek Him and pray for a partner in your ministry to your community.
Still, in the end, Jessica says, the main factor needed in “successful ministry” is our small steps of faith, and whatever the Lord does with them from there. “I know God’s called me to do this,” she says.
“The story isn’t over yet. The seeds have been sown and are growing in ways I can’t describe. I’m not the Savior, but I get to point to the One who is.”
NBS2GO would like to thank Jessica for her inspiring trust in the Lord and her everyday steps of faith to share Christ with those around her. As Mother’s Day approaches, we celebrate all the moms (and all women) who love God and love their neighbors.
