Serving people in need

Braving the streets of your town or city at night is not as daunting as it first sounds. All sorts of people are Street Pastors, providing help and a kind word to people leaving nightclubs at 2am, among other things.

Encourage people from all over the world who are seeking answers to faith questions

Many people, especially older folk, love a coffee morning because it's a chance to meet up for a chat. Is this an unmet need in your community?

Find a cause – or a person (eg, mission worker) – that moves your heart and do a fundraiser. There are loads of ways to do it – from coffee mornings to jumping out of a plane!

Invite the church and neighbours for teas and whatever you can sell on a stall.

A few months ago a colleague sent around a note asking if anyone wanted to go with her when she donated blood and I realised I hadn't given blood in such a long time.

Tidy your environment and meet your community.

Set aside 15 minutes of your day to allow yourself to be inconvenienced by God.

Create some time in your week to meet needs of people you are already in contact with - people at your church, neighbours, families from school.

Think of those who picked the leaves while you brew up, often struggling for a better life, often with homes and schools tied to their jobs, and usually on very low wages...

Simple but effective tool to get to know your area and pray for its people

Pray for prisoners across the UK. There are 84,000 of them - 4,200 are women and 2,500 are children and young people.

There are lots of resources available to help you run a small group helping your friends and neighbours think and engage with "God questions".

There are plenty of people who are serving those in need in some of the world’s toughest places. They themselves need love and support.

Try this next time you are sitting in traffic