Jesus in your Community

Jesus in your Community

from Life in Christ

By Neil McBride

I have just moved into a new place after spending fourteen months in my last home. Now I’m sharing with someone completely new, a stranger turned flatmate. There has been a lot of talk lately about community, bringing people together for local projects, shared spaces, and shared lives. It is funny, though. Community is one word that shapes shifts depending on who says it. It means neighbourhood barbecues; to others, it is quiet nods in the hallway, one word, a hundred meanings, each one personal.

If someone asked me what community means, I would be unsure if I could offer a simple answer. It is one of those words that rolls off the tongue easily but carries layers beneath it, sometimes even sounding like a polished political slogan, full of good intentions and vague promises about unity.

I have heard it everywhere: at work meetings, casual conversations, and especially at church. But before diving into what it means in a church setting, I want to rewind a bit and talk about the different kinds of community I have experienced, each shaping the way I now hear that word.

One of the purest glimpses of community is the roar of a local sports ground. There’s something electric about standing shoulder to shoulder with strangers, your fellow tribe members, united in passion, voice, and purpose. All eyes fixed on the same pitch, all hearts pulling in the same direction, willing your team to glory.

I’ve been to countless matches across my local area, and every time, there is that same magic: the chants, the colours, the highs and the heartbreaks. It is more than a game; it is a shared story written in real time. And when the big tournaments roll around, like the World Cup, it is as if invisible borders melt away. Rivalries are paused, and for a few fleeting weeks, entire nations breathe as one, rallying behind a dream that belongs to everyone. That, to me, is community at its most alive.

Another beautiful expression of the community lives quietly in our parks. These are the unsung gathering grounds where people unite, not for glory or spectacle but to care, preserve, and protect a shared patch of green. Park groups are made up of everyday locals who roll up their sleeves and tend to the land, not because they have to but because they believe in something bigger than themselves.

Protecting green spaces in the UK is deeply personal for me. Last year, I joined a local community group and took on the role of running their social media. I would wander the park, camera in hand, capturing the quiet poetry of trees, birds, and squirrels, trying to tell a story that would draw others in and help them see what I saw: that this place matters.

Just like fans in the stands, outdoor enthusiasts have a fierce loyalty to the spaces they love. In a world where green spaces are constantly under threat from soulless development, tight-knit communities stand as guardians. A good community does not just enjoy the beauty; it defends it.

Now comes the biggest question: What does community look like in a church?

It is a question that has lingered in my thoughts for quite some time, especially after recent events. You see, my own church was recently uprooted and forced to move into a temporary space after the owners of our old building decided to tear it down and transform it into a commercial development.

That shift, leaving behind a place filled with many memories, prayers, and stories, has made me reflect deeply on what truly makes a church a community. Is it the walls and stained glass, or is it something less visible but far more powerful? Something that survives even when the building does not.

As we started hunting for a new church building, things got a bit… adventurous. What began as a logistical challenge quickly became a community treasure hunt, with less gold and more group chats.

Our pastor gave a full presentation with slides and hopeful enthusiasm, laying out his dream for our next church home. It was not just “We need four walls and a roof.” It was about finding a space that could plant roots in the local area and mean something to the people around us. Naturally, this sparked a lot of conversations in church. Suddenly, everyone had an opinion. Some were scouting real estate like undercover agents, and others were spiritually discerning floor plans.

Personally, I was not just looking for anyone to help; I was looking for the right people, the kind who know the local café owners by name and have secret intel on empty buildings before estate agents do.

This was not just about moving into a new postcode; it was a chance to step outside our church bubble and remember that we are not just a community within four walls. We are part of the neighbourhood tapestry; our church should reflect that. I even brought it up with the pastor. “What if we stop just being a community,” I said, “and start doing community? You know, out there, actual people.” He laughed, but it stuck.

It did not take as too long, to find a suitable location. I am happy with the process, and believe if we use the right marketing, we can be fruitful in our new home.

When I think about church and community, they feel like two sides of the same coin, equally important but occasionally need a bit of polishing.

On one side, there’s the community within the four walls of the church, the hugs, the shared prayers, the slightly off-key worship songs, and the quiet comfort of knowing you are not walking through life alone. That is the family side, the familiar faces you see every Sunday and the people who ask how you are during coffee time.

But flip that coin, and there’s another side: the church outside its walls. How does it show up in the local community? How does it become more than just a building with a steeple and a Sunday schedule? That’s the trickier and more exciting part because church becomes a movement, action, and presence, where faith puts on shoes and walks the streets.

Okay, so let as look at community within the church, and explored the scripture on the matter. We start with one of Paul letter to the church in Corinth in Greece. It said,

“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 12:13

Paul spoke powerfully about how the Holy Spirit acts as a divine bridge, drawing together people from vastly different communities and weaving them into something unified. This message still hits hard today because we are naturally drawn to those who look, talk, and think like us. Familiarity feels safe, and so we trust it. But that is not how the early Church worked or what the gospel calls us to do.

One thing I love, which fills me with pride as a follower of Christ, is that the Church was one of the first institutions to unite cultures, not separate them. That is in its DNA. And I am blessed to be part of a church that lives that out, where people from all backgrounds, cultures, and stories worship like family.

In Paul’s time, this was not easy. He found himself in the thick of a culture clash between Jews and Gentiles, a tension that could have torn the early Church apart. But instead of picking sides, Paul chose a metaphor: the human body. Brilliant. He reminded the Corinthian Christians that in Christ, every person, Jew, Greek, enslaved person, free, was now a vital part of one body. And if you’re part of a body, you cannot exactly declare a foot less important than a hand. The divisions were artificial; the unity was God-given.

However, the idea of community goes back even further to Israel’s time in Egypt. Under bondage for over four hundred years, the Israelites learned to find safety within their households. The family was their fortress. To me, family is one of the purest pictures of community, where you feel safe, secure, and sheltered from the storm.

It is like being in the wilderness, where danger is everywhere and shelter matters. A tent can keep the rain out, but the people inside make you feel protected, not just from the wild outside world but from your inner fears and struggles. True community does not just guard your body; it guards your heart. That is the kind of community God had in mind all along.

The Church is the greatest expression of true community on earth. The real community cannot exist without the presence of the Holy Spirit; unity, love, and purpose flourish where He dwells.

I love the Church. Whenever I gather with my church family, I experience something deeper than a Sunday ritual; it is not just about attending a meeting. Jesus is alive every day of the week, not just on Sundays, and His presence should be at the centre of our lives and communities.

Fellowship with Him is the heartbeat of authentic community. I am incredibly blessed to be part of a vibrant, healthy church where people come together in faith and action, each contributing what they have to build the body.

In the Church, everyone has something valuable to offer. It is not about a stage or a spotlight but service. If someone has a car, they serve by transporting people or bringing equipment. If someone is gifted in social media, they strengthen the Church’s digital voice. If someone can play an instrument, they lead others into worship. If someone is skilled in the kitchen, they nourish both body and soul through hospitality. These are not small things; they are acts of worship.

Everyone has a unique gift, and when those gifts are surrendered to God, they become tools for transformation. As Christians, our lives are meant to have a purpose. When we use our talents to serve the community, we do not just add value; we build something eternal.

One of the most vital roles of the Church today is feeding its local community, not just with physical needs but with spiritual truth. In the UK, many community churches have stepped up to support those facing hardship. Food banks, household goods drives, and school uniform drives are just a few examples of how churches meet real, urgent needs. I’ve seen churches open their doors to partner with charities, offering space, resources, and volunteers to serve low-income families. And it is making a difference.

But as the Church, our mission must go deeper. Every act of charity should carry with it the heartbeat of the gospel. It’s not enough to do good; we are called to share the Good News. These outreach projects are powerful tools for connection, and often, they become the first step that leads someone to attend a service, encounter Jesus, and ultimately be saved and baptized. That is the real reason we do what we do: to see lives transformed for eternity.

Charity is important, but it cannot be the full identity of the Church. It is a doorway, but Jesus is the destination. We must be intentional and ready to speak the gospel with His name on our lips in every conversation. If we serve the community without sharing the hope of Christ, we risk becoming just another social service instead of a spiritual lighthouse.

When churches disengage from their communities, the risk is not just irrelevance, it is extinction. A church that is not active in its community will slowly fade, but a church that engages with purpose and conviction will thrive. We need people, not for numbers’ sake, but because people matter. People are the mission. The Church should be the central point of every community, not just a building but a beacon, a place of hope, service, truth, and transformation.

Jesus in your Community

Life in Christ

DTA – Neil McBride

(CEO and founder of Downtown Angels)