Who is my neighbour?
A report from our 23 April online discussions on what it means to be church on the margins during the pandemic.
Who is my neighbour – a walkable parish
(reflection by Chris Lawrence in New York)
How are people staying connected/helping (low-tech)?
- Notes through doors, phone calls, WhatsApp groups where possible.
- Church leaflets/services/prayers through letterboxes
- URC church sending out letters (?)
- Toy, book and food boxes on streets
- Communities that had existing networks are managing to keep in touch with people, communities/churches that did not have contact details for people are struggling to reach people.
- Making masks and scrubs
- Pastoral ministry from home
- Safe contact, e.g. distanced conversations
- Shopping for people
- Street art, banners, chalk on pavements
Isolation – trigger for mental health problems
What will you do differently after this?
- Street party
- Affordable rent
- Eat and pray together (rule of life)
- Make the church a community hub
- Do church differently
- The church building does not matter, we need to be engaged in the community / change how we do church. … Being with people, being present where people are, was how Jesus worked.
- Responding to priorities will, in turn, re-shape the church.
- Were our ways of doing church before completely wrong?
- We need to do church differently, and plan for this now.
- Economics – the situation is going to be difficult after this.
- Racial justice – BME more affected by COVID 19
- Grassmarket church – developing friendship pantry.
- Would communities notice if the church left? Are churches integrated into communities?
- Will fractured communities be more whole after this?

Research and Information Officer
The church must be at the heart of the mishmash of local life
What are the challenges and opportunities in your neighbourhood? And where does your church fit in? Those are two of the questions that people at …
Urgent: Ask your church to display this poster on Sunday
Churchgoers are urged to speak up against the Government’s harmful and immoral cuts to vital lifelines. Please, join the calls. The Government is proposing to …
The town of 250,000 that revolutionised its food system
The town of Reading, in Berkshire, has revolutionised its community food work in the past two years. Faith Christian Group has opened eight Your Local Pantries …
Say no to these immoral cuts, built on weasel words and spin
Labour said they would put disabled people at the heart of everything they do. But instead they have shoved us to the very edges. The …
Dreams and Realities in our context
Revd Amanda Mallen reflects on the impact Church Action on Poverty Sunday made in her community. During the week following Church Action on Poverty Sunday …
How we can radically boost recruitment of working class clergy
Our communities are awash with talent – but Churches need to offer new routes to ministry. Father Alex Frost calls for bold thinking from national …
The church must be at the heart of the mishmash of local life
What are the challenges and opportunities in your neighbourhood? And where does your church fit in? Those are two of …
Urgent: Ask your church to display this poster on Sunday
Churchgoers are urged to speak up against the Government’s harmful and immoral cuts to vital lifelines. Please, join the calls. …
The town of 250,000 that revolutionised its food system
The town of Reading, in Berkshire, has revolutionised its community food work in the past two years. Faith Christian Group has …