The innovative survey tool that helps churches discover the real needs of their local community.

Find out what matters most to the people in your neighbourhood, work together to create positive change and transform lives for the better.

What if your church could get to know your neighbours better… and find new ways to support them?

What does it look like to serve and bless the unique neighbourhood around you? Many churches long to offer practical solutions to the issues faced in their communities, but are unsure of the best approach.

Perhaps you already have an idea of your local demographics, but there’s a lack of detailed data to underpin the next step.

Or you sense there’s a gap in provision that which your church could be perfectly positioned to fill, but has been overlooked in your area so far.

Maybe you have community initiatives up and running already, but they don’t seem to be working as effectively as you’d hoped.

If you’re ready to ask your neighbours “What can we do for you?”, Neighbours offers a systematic way to gather a meaningful response.

A community consultation programme to engage your church neighbourhood

We’ve seen time and time again that the greatest impact happens when the whole community is invested in a project, whether that’s providing new resources or undertaking a building project.

Neighbours provides churches with reliable information about:

Who lives, works, and uses services in your area
How local people perceive local issues
What people would love to see from the church
How community needs are currently being met
Where gaps exist in provision
What people hope for the future of their neighbourhood

All this data is brought together in an in-depth report, presenting a well-rounded picture of the local area surrounding your church.

Equipped with this real-life data, churches can move forward with confidence, knowing where to allocate time and resources wisely.

Churches around the UK have used Neighbours to form foundations for new mission, to develop a brief for a building project, or to reach a deeper understanding of the people they live and work alongside.

Helping churches build community relationships beyond Sunday mornings

In fast-paced daily life, it can be challenging for a church to even meet their community neighbours - let alone ask big questions about their hopes and needs.

Neighbours is a stepping stone for churches to:

Develop reciprocal relationships with local residents

Gain a deeper understanding of the issues and challenges faced by the community

Gather up-to-date and detailed demographic information to inform future church projects

Helping to equip churches for effective social action

Churches and charities are being increasingly relied upon by local government to help address needs in their area. Research estimates that the cost of time given by churches and other faith groups through social action projects exceeds £3 billion per year (Cinnamon Network, 2016).

Neighbours enables churches to:

Inform a fundraising campaign or business case for capital expenditure

Prepare for even more effective mission to make a measurable difference

Nurture long-term relationships between the church and community leaders and influencers

How the Neighbours survey system works

The Neighbours surveys explore lifestyle provision, local environment, and current challenges. Questions draw out responses on issues affecting families, the young and the elderly, as well as perspectives on leisure, health, education, homelessness, domestic violence, financial hardship, unemployment, addiction, crime and more.

We’ve identified five user groups which can provide important insights from different perspectives.

These groups are:

Influencers:
People in positions of authority (such as local councillors, headteachers, chief of police)

Church members:
People who regularly attend Sunday services and other church activities

Residents:
People who live within a specific postcode area or distance from the church

Workers: People who work in the community (such as healthcare professionals, social workers)

Church building users:
People who currently use the church building for groups, clubs or events

Each carefully crafted survey covers the same topics, with the questions customised for each of the different user groups. Respondents answer an initial question to determine the best fit for them, so that they can then be directed to the most appropriate survey.

Neighbours surveys are hosted online for ease of access, can be completed in around 5 minutes, and remain anonymous.

Use the Neighbours resources to equip your church: shape vision, kickstart mission, and serve your community for years to come.