What happens when we slow down and really pay attention to the place where we live?

This fall 2026, we’re inviting our church community to try Lectio Vicinitas—a practice of prayerfully walking through our neighborhoods, paying attention to the people, places, beauty, needs, and surprises we encounter along the way. Lectio Vicinitas means something like “reading the neighborhood.” Just as we might prayerfully read a passage of Scripture, we can learn to prayerfully “read” the places around us.

For three Sundays in September, we’ll gather after worship and walk together through the neighborhood surrounding the church. We’ll walk with open eyes and open hearts, noticing what we might normally pass by. When we return, we’ll sit together for conversation and prayer, sharing what we saw, what surprised us, and what we wonder God might be inviting us to notice.

Our church neighborhood walks:

• September 13 at 12:30 p.m.
• September 20 at 11:30 a.m.
• September 27 at 11:30 a.m.

You don’t have to join us at church to participate. In fact, we hope you’ll try Lectio Vicinitas right where you live. Take a walk through your own neighborhood sometime during these weeks. Notice the people, homes, businesses, gathering places, signs of joy, signs of struggle, and places that make you curious. Then come share what you noticed with us.

Beginning September 13, we’ll also have a Lectio Vicinitas table in the Parlor at 9:30 a.m., with conversation prompts and information about the practice. It will be a place to learn more, connect with others who are participating, and share what you’re discovering.

You don’t need to be a walker, a theologian, or an experienced pray-er. You just need to be willing to notice. Sometimes God is already speaking through the places we walk every day—we simply need to slow down enough to listen.