Practical ways to reach our neighbours
Colin Johnson on how the Counties’ Neighbourhood Chaplains scheme is taking the Gospel to the doorsteps of communities across the UK – one conversation at a time.
Counties’ Evangelist, Colin Johnson
Not long after I began visiting homes near my church, I knocked on the door of a man who told me he was a carer for his wife. He had become quite isolated. At first, he started attending some of the church’s social activities. Later, he regularly attended Sunday services. He said to me: “Your knock on my door changed my life.”
That is the Neighbourhood Chaplains scheme in a sentence.
The question that gave birth to it is a simple one: what can be done to better connect the local church with its local neighbourhood? Counties’ Neighbourhood Chaplains (NC) scheme is a community outreach programme that aims to serve as a bridge between the local church and its community. Some NC schemes offer befriending and practical help to the homes they visit; others give gifts to local shops and businesses; and others visit care homes and hospitals.
The Biblical roots run deep. We find Jesus visiting people’s homes – sometimes being invited in, and other times inviting himself (Zacchaeus, Luke 19). He sends his 72 disciples out to ‘Go!’ and visit villages (Luke 10). In Acts, we find Paul preaching “from house to house” in Ephesus (Acts 20:20). Often, churches are very good at inviting people to come to things – but to ‘go tell’, as Jesus instructs, is more challenging. The Neighbourhood Chaplains scheme is a practical response to that call.
Steve Prince, whose church in Bishop’s Stortford set up its own NC team, started with 12 volunteers. All of them found the NC training helpful, learning the importance of signposting, listening, and related skills. Having a lanyard and a jacket with a logo gave them confidence. Steve shares: “It felt like I was supposed to be there.” Their church coffee morning became the base for the team, and community visits were focused on 500 homes and shops nearby. The first question they asked was simply: “Are you OK?” Social prescribers in the area took notice and began referring lonely people who needed befriending.
Setting up a Neighbourhood Chaplains team means your church will be able to reach out to every corner of the community – including people from all walks of life who would never ordinarily come through a church door. Those who are housebound, isolated, or simply disconnected from any faith community are often beyond the reach of more conventional outreach. NC goes to them.
When I go out for community visits myself, I focus on listening more than speaking – genuinely curious about each person’s story. Today I visited 20 homes near my church for the first time in a while, and had four meaningful conversations related to God or the church in just one hour. The Gospel is about relationships, and our communities are full of people longing for connection. Who can offer deeper community and love than the local church? Visiting works.
Not everyone is suited to the first-contact side of visiting – getting alongside people, listening, befriending. That is fine, because there are many ways to serve. Someone once told me: “I am not great at conversation, but I am handy with DIY – let me know if anyone needs help.” For others, it might be prayer or administrative support. Yet there will also be those who, stepping out in faith and giving it a try, might discover a calling they never expected. Someone I know once thought he would never do this kind of ministry – but after taking a step of faith, he found it was exactly where God wanted him.
How well do you, and other Christians in your church, know those living next door – or near your church building? Consider setting up a Neighbourhood Chaplains scheme. You may be surprised who opens the door.
To find out more about Counties Neighbourhood Chaplains, visit: countiesuk.org/neighbourhood-chaplains