Roughly three church models can be found in our city of Amsterdam. Without passing value judgments, they can be described as follows.

The first focuses entirely on its own members and has a place (or need) to gather. They make a difference in the (spiritual) lives of their congregation members.
The second can be viewed as ‘network churches’: they are active within a specific spectrum of the population, such as a culture or language (Ghanaian, Arabic, …).
Or alternatively as a (large) upcoming church among young adults, for example. Often these churches are ‘attractional’; there is a high-quality stage program that appeals to the group of people they reach. They make a difference in the lives of (young) people who, in turn, take their place in society and bear witness to Christ there. These churches are usually highly visible on social media and share a lot of content about what happens on Sundays.
A third group consists of neighborhood-oriented churches, which predominantly engage visitors from their immediate vicinity and also genuinely make a ‘difference’ in their neighborhood. In other words: the building and the activities taking place in and around it would be missed by the surrounding community as soon as they were no longer there.

These practical tips were written particularly for the third group. Group two can also benefit from them; after all, every church should have a positive influence on its environment. I myself (Jurjen ten Brinke) planted a church in Amsterdam-Noord that primarily functions as a church in group three.

1) Make sure you know who lives around your church (building) and what is happening in the neighborhood

How large that area is… you decide for yourself. A small neighborhood? A district? Or the entire city? It involves questions like: who lives there? What is the demography of an area? What social issues are playing out?
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and also the research department of the City of Amsterdam are good starting points.

Tip: it can be a great research project for a theology intern or graduating student (or someone from another social studies program) who approaches you. With a win-win result: research that your church can truly use, and thus satisfaction for the student carrying it out. You can conduct interviews in your neighborhood, asking people for a few minutes of their time. You ask questions about the positive and negative sides of the neighborhood, music preferences, political preferences, faith in God, and the value of a/the church. If you would like to receive sample interview questions, send a message to the undersigned.

2) Set aside time for non-church activities and duties

To serve the city, you must make sure to be part of it. So that the city's issues become your issues, whether negative or positive. It helps you connect with your church's environment.
Agree with your church council / leadership team on a set number of hours you will be present in society; think of the board of the scouting club, a participation council at your children's school, a neighborhood committee organizing the May 4th Remembrance Day, volunteering at the food bank, etc. You get to know people there and can openly share what you (and your church) do for the city.

Tip: encourage church members to take a seat—if necessary ‘on behalf of the church’—in consultations and committees aimed at the good of the city. One of the issues in our city is that people simply have too little contact with Christians in everyday life, where you roll up your sleeves together for what needs to be done.

3) Read newspapers and local door-to-door flyers

As a pastor in Amsterdam, you practically must have a subscription to Het Parool. To know what is going on in the city. You cannot ignore local neighborhood papers and municipal newsletters: you can sign up for them here.

The prophet Jeremiah relays God’s words to the people of Israel: Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper (Jeremiah 29:7). Knowing your city is therefore crucial.

Tip: connect with the people who manage these local papers; perhaps you can write a monthly column in which you playfully connect faith in God with what you see happening in the neighborhood. It increases your visibility and is educational for yourself, because it forces you to enter the mindset of your neighbors and fellow citizens who believe differently or not at all.

4) Build relationships with other churches in your neighborhood

Via kerkengidsamsterdam.nl you can find other churches in your area. Be sure to do this, especially when starting a new congregation somewhere, so that any spirit of competition is eliminated from day one and collaboration and mutual recognition are secured.

You can also connect with one of the church networks in the city, such as:

• Council of Churches Amsterdam

• Amsterdam Council of Christian Leaders

• SKIN-Amsterdam

• Pentecostal Council of Churches (Amsterdam-Zuidoost) – via SKIN

• City To City Amsterdam

If needed, contact the facilitator for church connections in Amsterdam via jurjen@accl.amsterdam to build relationships with other congregations or pastors.
Together we serve the entire church of Amsterdam. Perhaps one could even say: pastors are the ‘elders’ of the city (to whom the Bible addresses various letters).
Tim Keller said regarding networks in the city: Various sorts of denominations tend to reach certain kinds of people, because nobody can reach everybody. And if you want to reach everybody in a city, you’ve all got to work together. There really is no one denomination or one church that could possibly reach the diversity you find in a city.

In Amsterdam-Noord, we as pastors preach in each other's churches and organize gatherings where we meet as leaders (music, children's ministry, prayer, leadership team / church council / board of elders). To pray together and align our efforts.

5) Make yourself known as a church (and pastor) to local government

Invite the neighborhood police officer and the area coordinator (gebiedsmakelaar); share who you are and what you do as a church.
The area coordinator is the civil servant who serves as the link between your neighborhood and the district. He or she knows their way around the administrative organization of the City of Amsterdam and can connect you with the right officials or departments if necessary.
Attend the New Year’s reception of the district council. In Amsterdam-Noord, a great deal of experience has been gained in cooperation between the civil government and faith communities. If necessary, invite yourself to the district office and ask to be added to your district's mailing lists, especially if network meetings already exist. If not: contact the initiative leader in Amsterdam-Noord, who can connect you with others in your district as well as establish a link with local government: jurjen@accl.amsterdam.

6) Read what external organizations have to offer

• Tearfund Foundation has put a lot of thought into this and translated lessons from the Church in the Global South to the context of the Netherlands: tearfund.nl/metbeidebenenindebuurt

• City Movements also has materials available: citymovements.nl

• And the national PKN can provide you with tailored information: protestantsekerk.nl/kerk-in-de-buurt

• The book Center Church by Tim Keller offers a wealth of information regarding contextualization (adapting to your environment while preserving the Gospel message) and serving your fellow citizens in word and deed.