3 Strategies to Meet New Friends

Your goal to meet new friends can be challenging and downright hard. When you move to a new community, it doesn’t matter how old you are, you’re right back in junior high or college or you’re the new kid in school not knowing a soul. You look around at church, at the store, at Starbucks and people are deep in conversation. You can chat with the checker, but she’s not your friend. How do you get over the good friend hump, meet new friends, and have someone to laugh with?!

Maybe you haven’t moved. Maybe things have shifted in your life. You’ve changed jobs. Your best friend has moved. The divorce happened. Or, you’ve never had many friends. You’d like to have friends, but meeting new friends and growing relationships has never come easy for you.

Let’s chat about some easy and fun strategies to change your current situation. The cool thing about growing new friendships is that it blesses the people you’re getting to know as well. You never know, they’re probably a little shaky in the friend department themselves! Another cool thing is that it’s something you can DO, you don’t have to wait for it to happen to you.

Oh, and also, my friend Julie who moved across the country along with her grown children and their families (like us) told me developing good, new friends takes time. For most, it’s at least a year (could be sooner) to develop new friendships at the keeper level.

#1 Be a Joiner

You might’ve heard this one before but here are a few things to join you might not have thought of to meet new friends:

• Seek out a Crafting Group. It’s more fun to knit with others, right?
• Join a new gym. If you qualify for Silver Sneakers, those memberships just might be free!
• Sign up for a book club or a Bible study group. I’m so thankful for the good friendships that have come out of the Bible studies I’ve joined. Reading and experiencing a book is much better together.
• Find a local cause you care about and volunteer. You’ll be working alongside others who share your heart for this need.

#2 Be a Giver

This one rocks for making new friends if you’re in a new neighborhood where new people are moving in all the time. We’re in that unique situation in our development. Everyone is new down at our end of Lake Pointe! In fact, one of my new friends Kara is the epitome of this tip. She gives cute little gifts, we trade magazines and you can’t walk by her house without her giving you a shoutout. I love hearing that, “Hey Ms. Kathy, how are you doing?”

• Bake a loaf of bread or your favorite berry pie and bring it on over to your neighbor’s house. You could include a card with the recipe. Wonderful for new and old neighbors.
• Bring a basket of yummy local fruit or veggies. Or a start from your garden.
• Share a book you’re done with or a few magazines your neighbor might enjoy.
• Fill a basket with K-Cups or tea bags and a couple of scones or biscottis and enjoy a coffee visit with your neighbor.

A Pin for You

#3 Be an Inviter

Inviting is inclusive and a huge compliment to the invitee. I remember when a new teacher friend Amy invited me to a church Christmas bazaar. We had a great time shopping and visiting as we went. That bazaar was the start of a great friendship and teaching partnership. So glad she invited me!

• Have an informal/potluck dinner for neighbors who might hit it off with each other. (There are some fun recipes over here that could work for a yummy get-together)!
• Start a weekly coffee get-together for fellow grandmas, single moms, stay-at-home moms, or the people you’d like to get to know better. My new friend Jill and I will be doing this very soon!
• Ask someone to your church or women’s Bible study or a fun event and have a seat saved for them 🙂
• Walk or go to the gym together.
• Invite her to go shopping with you. My friend Lynn has been great at showing me the sites in and around Temple. It’s a fun and easy way to get to know someone in a comfortable setting.

Let’s wrap this up

We’ve been living on Quiet Hollow well over a year now (and yes, Julie it did take about that long) but I’m getting to know some great women in our neighborhood Gramma Group (in fact we’re going out to breakfast next week!). My Bible Study friends are getting more and more special to me as we continue with our seasonal studies and have some fun on the side. And, I’m looking forward to getting to know a brand new neighbor Mika I just met while driving down the street this afternoon. She and her husband are moving in this Saturday! (I need to bake some bread. 🥰

And, don’t forget there is a friend who is always there for you. Moms and sisters and BFFs (and I had/have the best) come through for many of us, but I’m talking about Jesus. It might feel funny because of your understanding of him. It might be a stretch to think that he could be a regular type of friend. Someone you want to hang out with, tell your secrets and problems to. Someone you can trust, because he loves you more than anyone ever and only wants the best for you. However, I’m convinced, he’s the best friend you could ever have! 💕

If you happen to be on Facebook, I’d love to invite you to come join us in our special group just for Next Chapter girls. It’s called Our Next Chapter Community and it’s a friendly, fun, caring group of women in our stage of life. Please come, we’d love to have you join us! It’s actually a great place to meet new friends as well.

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