June 16, 2026 / by Alex Constant
Growing up, I believed a good neighbor was a quiet neighbor. When we moved into my family’s first home in Lincoln, I held that view while also wanting to minister and get to know them.
If it sounds like the two views contradict, that’s because they did! Since we’ve lived in our house, I’ve never actually gotten to know any of our neighbors.
During the winter electives, my wife and I decided to take Pastor Justin’s class on a “Biblical Vision for Loving Your Neighbors,” expecting it to be about the metaphorical neighbor often discussed in Luke 10, where Jesus tells the parable of the good Samaritan. However, when we showed up, the class was largely about loving the physical neighbor you live next door to. At first, this was uncomfortable, since I had never taken the initiative to get to know my neighbors, and because we are actively wanting to move from Lincoln. As the class progressed, I prayed that God would open doors for interaction, specifically with our neighbor behind us, because I had not had much positive interaction with him in the past.
About a week after the class ended, I decided it was time to cut down a small tree in our backyard that bordered my yard and this neighbor’s. As I was finishing cutting up the tree’s limbs, this neighbor came out and offered to help finish the trunk and make sure no damage came to our fence in the process. This is what I had prayed for! It opened the door to at least start a conversation and get to know him and his wife. After cutting the tree down to a stump, we had a great conversation, just getting to know each other better.
Since then, we’ve had several conversations here and there, asking about the vacations we both had planned and other miscellaneous things. One thing I took away from the Winter Elective was that relationships take time. Sometimes you can dive right in and share the Gospel. Often, though, those conversations need to come after time spent building trust and friendship with a person. The Lord will lead relationships toward Him if you allow. I look forward to many more conversations with this neighbor as long as we continue to live in Lincoln, and I also pray for opportunities to pour into my other and future neighbors as the Lord allows.
Alex Constant has been married to Sarah for seven years. They have two living children: Clara and Samantha. Their daughter Adalyn Hope went to see the Lord in November 2025. In 2021, the Constants relocated to Illinois so that Alex could serve as an associate pastor at a small church in Lincoln. Alex now works remotely supporting churches with livestreaming and digital ministries. Their family has been blessed attending East White Oak.
Learn more about Neighboring!
Consider how you can serve your neighbors by visiting the East White Oak Outreach page and discover creative ways to serve your neighbors, make disciples, and read some fantastic stories! Download this Community Engagement Guide or grab a printed copy at the Gospel Resource display at church to learn how to engage with and share your faith with a simple 3-Circle Gospel Outline!
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