Mecklenburg Ministries is excited to announce the launch of season #2 of the city-wide Friday Friends program, to help build greater trust and understanding in our wonderfully diverse city.

What Friday Friends Is All About

Friday Friends is a Mecklenburg Ministries Crossroads project that seeks to bridge the gap between races and cultures. The goal of the program is to have people of different faiths, races or cultures commit to having lunch on the last Friday of each month for six months and get to know each other as people - not as "categories." Mecklenburg Ministries provides questions each month to help build deeper relationships as pairs explore how to build greater inter-group trust, one friendship at a time.

How Do I Find A Friday Friend?

The goal of Friday Friends is for each person to identify someone of a different culture or race whom they would like to get to know – and risk reaching out to that person.

Look around you: at your co-workers, classmates, neighbors, a friend of a friend, someone at a store where you shop. It does not need to be a perfect stranger and, in fact, will probably be more meaningful if it is someone you are friendly with – but not necessarily close to.

Need another idea? Visit with us at this Thursday’s Food For Thought program on Hinduism or this Sunday at our InnerChange program. You never know who you can meet at these great events. (See details below)

This does require initiative and offers a chance to get out of your comfort zone… and that is part of the point!

Friday Friends TOP TEN Answers and Suggestions

10. Yes, you and your Friday Friend can chose another day besides Friday and another meal besides lunch for your meeting time!

9. Your Friday Friend does not have to be a stranger, just someone you'd like to know better.

8. Consider having your house of faith partner with another congregation. For instance, Revs. Amy and Russ Dean and Park Road Baptist have partnered with Rev. Ricky Woods and First Baptist West for Friday Friend partners.

7. Send an invitation to a potential Friday Friend to invite them to be your partner. (Email Mecklenburg Ministries and we will be glad to provide one!)

6. Don't know what to talk about? Mecklenburg Ministries will provide you with questions each month over the six consecutive lunches to guide the discussion and help build the relationships and trust on a deeper level.

5. Ask a friend to suggest someone you ought to meet.

4. Invite your child's teacher (remember, it doesn't have to be Friday or lunch), or the parent of your child's friend, or a parent from the sports league.

3. Call up CPCC or Queens College and see if they have a foreign exchange student who would be interested.

2. Befriend someone at a nearby nursing home and see how both of your lives will be enriched.

1. Be bold! Be courageous! Take initiative! Let's get out of our comfort zones and together build a better community.