Oddly,
despite
episodes
in
hospital
and
other
distractions,
I
have
become
more
involved
in
my
local
community
here
in
the
Leigh
area
than
anywhere
else
I
have
lived.
It
has
long
been
my aim
to
contribute
to
my
local
community.
There
is
great
value
in
meeting
people
outside
of
church
circles
and
interacting
with
them.
This
is
distinct from
the
duty
Christians
feel
to
introduce outsiders
to
Christ.
True, we
would
not
wish
to
deny
to
others
the
great
benefits
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
has
given
to
us.
If
only
those
others
knew
it,
it
is
a
matter
of
eternal life
and
death
for
them.
I frequently accuse myself of not guiding more people into
conversation about their spiritual state. My excuse is that it is
counter-productive to foist such discussions on people uninvited.
When the Bible says, “Preach the word; be ready in season and out
of season” (2 Timothy 4:2), that means be ready whether it is
convenient to you
or not – not the other person! We are not to harass people. But
that can be an easy get-out, and there are all too many times when I
could have shared the gospel without offence or inconvenience and
didn’t.
But
whether
I
get
to
talk
to
non-churchgoers about
their
souls
or
not,
it
seems
good
for
a
pastor
to
be
an
active
citizen
in
his
community.
This
was
near
impossible
when
I
was
minister
of
multiple
churches
scattered
around
different
communities.
I
shared
myself
around
seven
churches
in
Cornwall,
where
I
began
my
ministry,
and
as
many
as
eleven
in
Banbury,
with
a
hospital
chaplaincy
on
top.
But
towards
the
end
of
my
time
in
Aylesbury
(only
six
churches
there!)
I
became
impressed
with
the
work
of
the
local
CRUSE
branch which
offered
counselling
support
to
those
locally
who
were
bereaved.
When
I
moved
into
independency
in
1998, with only church to look after,
I
contacted
a
bereavement
support
organisation
local
to
the
Kidderminster
area
and
became
a
volunteer
worker
with
them.
In
Worcester
I
trained
to
do
budget
coaching
for those
who
had
financial
problems.
In
my
current
neck
of
the
woods,
things
have
taken
a
different
turn
again.
I
have
joined
up
with
my
local
Lowton
East
Neighbourhood
Development
Forum
(www.lendf.co.uk)
which
meets
monthly
to
discuss
matters
of
concern
to
local
residents.
It
has
been
an
education
and
a
joy.
I’ve
met
lots
more
people
through
it,
received
their
support
in
time
of
illness
and
hopefully
given
a
little
back.
This
must
never
be
allowed
to
encroach
on
my
duties
at
church,
but
it
adds
depth
to
my
connection
with
the
place
where
I
live.
Some
churches have little or no interaction with their local community.
Others have been so bound up with it for many generations past that
they have almost lost their distinctive Christian character. Our task
is to be in the world, but in such a way that the world wants to ask,
“What makes you so special?”
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