By focusing on “blessing the community” rather than “filling the pews,” St Andrew’s offers a compelling vision of what Reconciling Mission looks like in practice. 

Alastair McKay and David Brubaker, authors of the new book Reconciling Mission, joined members of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Charleston, SC, in the USA, to discuss how faith groups can move beyond traditional boundaries to foster genuine local connection. 

Historically, success for local churches was measured primarily by the number of people in the pews at Sunday services. However, Pastor Spike of St Andrew’s explained how a simple but vital change in perspective shifted the church’s core approach to mission: 

“The question became: in what ways is the Holy Spirit leading us to partner with our neighbours to bless our community?” Spike said. 

This outward-facing, collaborative approach led to deeper, more practical connections with people and organisations in the local neighbourhood. Rather than seeing the church as at the centre of missional engagement, the congregation began to see themselves as partners in the work God was already doing outside their doors in the local community. 

A key part of this journey has been the church’s partnership with Revd King, pastor of a local black-majority church, and founder of a neighbourhood resource centre known as the PINK House (People Innovating New Kinships). 

The collaboration focuses on supporting youth and families in the community through practical, relational work: 

• Youth mentorship: The church provides a safe “circle” for community youth to learn about Christian principles and engage with one another without conflict. 

• A “no-agenda” approach: The partnership is built on trust, ensuring there is no “underlying plan” to pressure youth into joining a specific church or denomination, but encouraging them to meet with God, and explore being a disciple. 

• Family support: elders from St Andrew’s work closely with Revd King and her colleagues to “undergird” local families, providing essential resources and school supplies for youth and children. 

Revd King said: “The children of the community needed an opportunity to come in and hear about God,” she added, “and not to go to something where you’re going to try to get them to join a church.” 

Alastair McKay noted that this approach aligns with a key thread running through the Reconciling Mission book: the important of building “mutually respectful relationships,” in which the church learns to listen, and avoids dictating or demanding. 

Darlene, an elder at St Andrew’s, summarised the book’s principles well. “A church is not just what’s inside the doors, it’s how we open it up and go outside,” Darlene said. “We’re not just a group of people that come together every Sunday, sit in a pew, listen to the words, and leave.” 

By focusing on “blessing the community” rather than “filling the pews,” St Andrew’s offers a compelling vision of what Reconciling Mission looks like in practice: a church integrated into its neighbourhood, viewing those “outside the walls” not as people to be appropriated, but as people to love and learn from. A church which learns to share in both the community’s joys and her suffering. 

The St Andrew’s story suggests that when a congregation looks beyond its own survival to the flourishing of its neighbours, it discovers a deeper purpose, that connects them with God’s missional activity. It also moves from being a group meeting in a local building to body that can become a vital building block within the community.   

Reconciling Mission: Realizing God’s Reign through Community Engagement is available now, here. Contact Alastair if you’d like a 10% discount code.