After more than seven years in nonprofit and ministry work, I’ve observed a common misconception in the church: many believe that the biblical call to serve and evangelize is for spiritual giants—the pastors and church leaders. This mindset overlooks the beauty of service and evangelism as essential parts of discipleship.
Engaging your neighborhood isn’t just for the super-spiritual; it’s for every Christ follower. Scripture reminds us that our faith is expressed through our works and love for one another (James 2; John 13:34–35). Because of the cross, we were not only saved from something but also saved for something—to be active agents of redemption and restoration (Ephesians 2:1–10).
I currently work for Watermark Health, a faith-based nonprofit clinic in Dallas that began as a church ministry 11 years ago. It has since grown into a 501(c)(3) organization, serving over 80,000 patients across three clinics and four service lines, powered largely by volunteers. While your church may not have the resources to run a large nonprofit, you can still make a significant impact. Here are four practical ways to mobilize your church’s gifts to engage your neighborhood.
1. Take Inventory of Your Talents
Look at your church community. What talents and professions do the people around you have? Watermark Community Church’s location in North Dallas, near major medical centers, has attracted many healthcare professionals. In 2013, a group of these professionals saw an opportunity to serve their city through healthcare, and the ministry was born.
At Watermark Health, we appreciate medicine as a powerful reflection of Jesus’s earthly ministry—meeting people in their most vulnerable moments to care for their physical and spiritual needs. While you may not feel called to start a charity clinic, what other strengths do the folks in your church body represent? There may be college students you can host, or legal services can be provided; hairstylists and barbers can sponsor back-to-school haircuts. There are countless opportunities for service in every profession!
2. Investigate Opportunities
What are the unique social and economic needs in your neighborhood? This requires some research. Dive into the history of your area, and look closely at the community around you. Often, we become so busy with our daily lives that we miss the brokenness surrounding us. We need healthy disruptions from our routines to truly see and engage with our community’s needs.
At Watermark Health, we recognized a significant gap in healthcare services. 21% of residents were uninsured, and the state ranked 48th in the nation for healthcare access. In response, we established an urgent care clinic offering services at little to no cost, focusing on high-need areas.
This includes a refugee settlement, enabling us to serve the nations in our backyard. As we learned more about the needs in our community, we expanded our service lines and launched a mobile clinic in South Dallas, partnering with local churches and outreach programs.
When investigating your neighborhood, consider the following:
- Demographics: Are there retirement communities, single-parent homes, or college students?
- Economic Status: Is there a large homeless population or wealthier areas nearby?
- Access: Are there resource deserts (food, healthcare) or transportation challenges?
- History: What systemic issues have shaped your community’s needs?
3. Don’t Try to Recreate the Wheel
You don’t need to start something from scratch to make a difference. Instead, consider how you can partner with existing initiatives in your city. God calls us to be faithful, which may mean starting small to fill a gap or joining a work he’s already begun.
To discern what to start or who to partner with, look at the resources available in your community. If your church isn’t big enough to launch an urgent care clinic, are there charity clinics nearby? How can you come alongside them to share your resources for the sake of the gospel? If you discover that no one is addressing a specific need, that may be God’s invitation for you to step in and create something new.
4. Just Do Something
After considering these steps, the next move is to just do something! We often think we need everything perfectly lined up before we can engage, but that’s far from the truth. You’ll stumble and say the wrong things but trust that God will catch you. Tiny acts of faithfulness can shift the course of someone’s eternity.
Acts of service disarm the soul and bridge trust, opening the door for authentic gospel conversations.
I love to remind people that God delights in our creativity to serve him. Recently, I encouraged a friend who uses her cooking skills to provide meals for women caught in the adult entertainment industry. God can use your photography to illuminate stories of injustice, bringing the right eyes and resources to crucial situations.
Acts of service disarm the soul and bridge trust, opening the door for authentic gospel conversations. By meeting immediate needs, we remind ourselves and those we serve of our greatest need: Christ.
I truly believe the Lord has us in our neighborhoods, in our cities, at this particular point in time for a reason. Will you join him in this mission?
Deborah Sodipe is the Communications Coordinator at Watermark Health in Dallas, Texas. She is a graduate of Texas Tech University and Dallas Baptist University.
