WHAT IS NEIGHBOR COLLECTIVE?
Neighbor Collective is a community for people who are journeying with Jesus of Nazareth and want to grow in their faith with people from all over the world. Together each week this collective participates in empowering video teachings, practical spiritual exercises, and virtual discussions that allow for a safe place to ask difficult questions about our faith. The content and discussions are available to everyone who signs up, including individuals, families, small groups, or home churches.
WHO WAS IT CREATED FOR?
While anyone is able to participate, this collective was created to meet people who may not have a local church they connect with or attend and yet they want to continue growing in their faith and/or learning more about Jesus of Nazareth. Neighbor Collective is designed to be a refuge and a safe place for people in all stages of their journey with Jesus. We are striving to be the “light of the world” in that we are guiding people towards Jesus and offering a spiritual refuge to those in need.
WHY WAS IT CREATED?
Between the pandemic, politics, and church scandals, a lot of people don’t feel like they can trust the Church nor do they want to search for one. And after countless conversations with people who just don’t resonate with many church models today, including myself (Justin), I wanted to design a ministry to meet people where they are: in their homes. This way, even if they don’t have a local church they can connect with, they can still utilize this collective to continue growing and learning about how to follow Jesus today.
Click Here To Read About Why We Chose The Name Neighbor
Why Neighbor Collective? Within the wilderness story of Israel and several encounters with Jesus we find the command to love God with all of our heart, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. When the Israelites received these commands they were living in Sukkot (temporary shelters) around the place where God dwelled among them. In a season where they felt displaced from the rest of the world, God still dwelled among the Israelites and acted as neighbor to them. Both the Israelites and followers of Jesus would be commanded to love their neighbors as one of their own and to be a light to the world. As a Neighbor Collective, we are journeying together with Jesus and discovering how to love God and love our neighbor. We’re finding ways to be the light of the world and are acting as a beacon in guiding people towards Jesus and offering refuge to people in their own spiritual journey.
As followers of Jesus, we see John 1:14 say, “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.” We believe Jesus became Immanuel (God With Us) and dwelled with us in a human tabernacle (sukkah). Jesus became our neighbor. As God among us, the mission of Jesus of Nazareth was pronounced in Luke 4 quoting Isaiah 61: “to proclaim the good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor.” Now, as temples/tabernacles of the Holy Spirit, we have the opportunity to continue the ministry and mission of Jesus and be a neighbor to others. Not just to share the Good News but to become the Good News – to become the Good Neighbor.
What’s The Difference Between
The Collective & The Home Church?
The Collective is specifically an Online Community where you receive weekly pre-recorded sessions, an invitation to a private group, and an invite to a once-a-month live virtual hangout. The Home Church will NOT be live streamed.
The Home Church is an in-person experience for people who are in the Charlotte, NC area at Justin & Lauren’s House. The sessions will be similar in terms of content and worship elements, it will just be in person as compared to online. The Home Church will NOT be live streamed.
Where & When Do Things Happen?
Every Thursday
After you sign up and join, you’ll get a weekly session delivered to your email each Thursday with a link to the videos and teaching guide. Because these are pre-recorded you can use these whatever day works best for you.
Private Facebook Group
In the welcome email, you’ll also get a link to join our private FB group. We know not everyone is on there, and we are working on another solution. However, this is the best way to connect with others in the collective throughout the week at this time.
First Thursday Of Every Month
Since our sessions are pre-recorded, we still want to have virtual meet-ups with everyone from the collective who can join. These live sessions are more “get to know” hangouts than virtual spiritual sessions.
Okay, So Is This A Church Or What?
Yes and no. The Church is the global community of believers who are on mission with Jesus through the Holy Spirit to bring Heaven to Earth. Acts 2:42-47 says that the fellowship of believers took place when people came together, learned about Jesus, broke bread and prayed together. Even more than that, they came together and gave to everyone who was in need and praised God together. On the one hand, this is an online experience which can never truly replace the in-person dynamic. On the other hand, you’re learning, praising, and breaking bread with the global community. And if you welcome people into your home to share these sessions with, then it can be like a home church or at the very least a small group.
I'm Not Really Sure About Jesus Or The Church. Can I Still Join?
Yes, absolutely! Over the years I’ve had several questions about Christianity that almost caused me to walk away from my faith. I (Justin) got to that place because I wasn’t sure who I could trust or to talk to. You are more than welcome to join and participate and ask those difficult questions. It’s one of the reasons I started this. I may not always teach what you want to hear or provide you with answers you may want to hear, but we will do our due diligence in researching to give you the best answer we feel lines up with the heart of Jesus. And even if we don’t agree, I promise to do my absolute best to respect your opinions and beliefs. My only request is that you do the same for me and those who are a part of this ministry.
How Does This Work?
Receive Session
Participate
Respond
Receive Session
Participate
Respond
Each Thursday you’ll get access to a weekly session on the website. Feel free to use the teaching whatever day works best for you.
Each session will come with a pre-recorded video and teaching guide.
You will be led in communion each week. We totally understand if you don’t want to participate each week, so no judgment here. Just know that you’ll have the opportunity each week and you’ll need those elements if you want to participate.
Each week you’ll get a form to fill out for feedback. This helps us know how things went during your time, and it also gives you the opportunity to provide us with insights on how to make each week better. Especially since this is a new ministry, we’ll want accurate and honest feedback to make the experience as engaging and fruitful as possible.
Because this is meant to empower you to grow in your faith, there will be sections that you’ll get to practice on your own or in a guided format. These sessions will be practical worship based, NOT entertainment based.
Who Runs This & Can I Trust Them?
Hello! I’m Justin Boothby and I run this collective. As someone who never really felt like they fit in with the Church, but still loves Jesus and has a heart to Pastor, I didn’t exactly know where I fit in. But maybe I was never called to fit in? And that has led me to start this ministry as an avenue for people who may not have a local church to connect with but still want to grow in their journey with Jesus.
Here are my credentials. I was called to a deeper ministry my senior year of High School in 2006 when I was filled with the Holy Spirit and my life radically changed. I then got my B.S. in Practical Theology with a Minor in Missions from Southeastern University in Lakeland, FL. From there I became a full-time Youth Pastor and full-time grad student at Regent University (Virginia Beach, VA) where I received my Master of Divinity. Then I lived in Jerusalem for 2 years and pursued my M.A. in the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near East. I’ve also served as a Discipleship and Middle School Pastor throughout my ministry career.
I’m married to a wonderful woman named Lauren who will be helping me and leading when she can. We also have a very fun and crazy child Noah who was born in May of 2021. Feel free to follow me on Instagram for all of his chaos 🤣 After living in Pittsburgh, PA for several years, we moved to Charlotte, NC in January 2022 to be closer to Lauren’s family and currently reside here.
Can I Trust You & This Ministry?
Also, is this a part of a denomination?
It’s a question I’ve asked myself many times at churches I’ve visited or been a part of. I believe in at least 3 layers of authentic accountability: 2 mutually exclusive pastors and a counselor that I report to monthly and/or quartlery. Because this is a new ministry and not one that is governed by a denomination or church planting network, I have chosen to submit to additional accountability in order to maintain a sustainable and healthy ministry. Those names and contact information are available upon request. Additionally, I plan to release quarterly accountability statements and financial statements so that this ministry will be as transparent as possible.
Are There Any Restrictions On These Sessions?
Yes. These sessions and content are only available for the household of those who sign up here. We ask that you do not share these sessions with other people without prior written authorization.
Individual/Family Use: If you would like to use this for yourself or your family, you are more than welcome to use this for free. Our only request for individual or family use is that you regularly submit the feedback form (at least once a month). It takes a lot of time and money to do this ministry, and the feedback form helps us to gauge what is and isn’t working and if it’s feasible to continue the ministry. If you would like to invest in the ministry to help offset the costs, you can do so here. No one currently takes a salary or is paid from this ministry.
House Church/Small Group Use: If this is something where you would like to invite and/or host others to participate as a small group or home church, we do ask that you would submit to a higher level of discipleship and training. This could be with us or another community you’re a part of. We ask this for a couple of reasons. 1. We believe strongly in accountability. The disciples all submitted themselves to accountability with Jesus, and then their disciples did the same. Authentic Accountability helps to mitigate risks of abuse and improper teachings. 2. While you may not be called to be a “Pastor,” you’ll still have a responsibility to the people you’re journeying with. Because of that responsibility we want to make sure that you are equipped to lead and/or host well. We don’t take the teachings of the Bible or Jesus lightly and believe they are of vital importance. Submitting ourselves to authentic accountability keeps us humble, holy, on mission, and filled with lovingkindness.