Interweaving church, community and working life is a passion for the cofounder of a London coworking space who recently moved to Cornwall.

Around 10 years ago Nick Johnson, who now lives in NImage shows Nick Johnson looking at the camera.ewquay, felt the call to quit his city job in finance to work with small businesses. During this time, he experienced the isolation that comes with lone working and so cofounded ARK alongside Gavin Turnbull.

ARK began in a Victorian building leased by King’s Cross Church (KXC) in London. At the time, the church didn’t have a building so ARK was established to provide an office for the church, host mid-week activities and reach out to the business community.

With a simple fit-out with trestle tables, basic Wi-Fi and good coffee, it attracted lone workers, freelancers and startups, forming a community.

Nick says: “We developed a social business model, charging businesses enough to be sustainable, but always keeping a social remit to support those who couldn’t afford to work in community.

“Rather than business being a barrier to the gospel, it was a bridge for people to come and walk into a church space where they would never have otherwise.

“It was a business ministry. Our whole ethos was to run things affordably, there were bursaries so there was never a chance someone would get turned away.”

‘A beautiful community’

He adds: “I was deeply moved by this beautiful community. A lot of freelancers and remote workers experience isolation and mental health issues that come with working alone. So, I was so grateful for this community.”

Since starting in 2016, ARK has welcomed more than 500 businesses, supported more than 30 entrepreneurs through its doors. It also gave more than £50k to local project and charities.

They went on to transform a second empty church building into a pop-up art gallery and coffee shop.

Nick said: “It is a bit like a modern-day friars’ model – friars wove together prayer and work, meeting people in the rhythms of daily life, often in the fields surrounding friaries. That’s what we were trying to do – create a face of the Church within working life.”

Now in Cornwall, Nick has a heart to see how ARK’s vision could be reimagined in a new setting.

He said: “I feel particularly called to Newquay, which has its own economic and cultural shifts going on.

“I do think there’s a place for an ARK – particularly among artists and freelancers – but I also don’t want to limit it.

“I would love to see a new expression here that reflects the culture of Cornwall and responds to its needs. I’d love to help others imagine what that could look like in their context.”

Nick, who is a dad of three, attends St Gregory’s, a church that currently meets in a school hall in Newquay. He is currently in training as an ordinand, studying for an MA in Theology with the Church Mission Society (CMS).