1 O LIF E STO R IES
LIF E STOR IE S 11
“ D O N ’ T L I M I T G O D ! DON’T BE SURPRISED B Y W H AT H E C A N D O ! ” An independent church in Kent - which
meeting in their home, with a desire to
has grown from a handful of members to
start a new Bible-based church. A ‘chance’
over 100 people - is thankful for the advice
meeting on the street, where Simon
and support given to them from Counties
says he literally ‘bumped into’ Frank led
Hertfordshire evangelist Will Andrews,
to a connection, which three years later
who has helped support them in their
resulted in the church building being
faith-building journey.
handed over to Simon and his team.
Neighbourhood Church, which began as
Simon explained: “We felt this was an
a house group with Simon and Joy Lang
affirmation from God that this is what He
and two other people, has just completed
wanted us to do. I mean it’s not every day
the Church Strengthening Initiative with
you get given a building! At the time I was
support from Will.
working part time in the print business
heart of commuter belt town Beckenham but back in 2007 it was a different story. The building, which Neighbourhood Church now meets in, was originally Cromwell Road Gospel Hall with just three elderly members, including elder Frank Betts, who were very concerned about its future but praying to God to do something. On the other side of town, Simon and Joy had left their Anglican church and were
and we were struggling to do what was in our hearts. The building was in a state of disrepair and we had no finances to allow me to work full time in the ministry.” In early 2011, a leaflet about the JW Laing Trust ‘Church Strengthening Initiative’ (CSI) dropped through the letter box of the church and Simon applied to join the scheme. Counties evangelist Will Andrews was assigned to be their advisor, and later that year carried out a ‘secret worshipper’ visit to the church with wife Lynne.
Photo by Keith Mindham
It is now a vibrant community hub in the
Neighbourhood Church is thriving
Pastor Simon Lang
