Woody Posted August 22, 2009 Posted August 22, 2009 Well .... I think that is the technical term for it. My pastor is working with the local Baptist pastor to determine the make up and needs of the local community around our church. This is what they have discovered so far: Our area is 94% White. All other racial groups represent 6%. The population is declining and expected to continue to decline The largest group are the 'Boomers' (age 49 to 66) 86% have completed high school. Average income - $63,346 per year. The divorce rate is 34% higher in this area compared to the national average. 30% are Catholics 8% are Baptists 0.2% are Seventh day Adventist Continued ... Quote May we be one so that the world may be won. Christian from the cradle to the grave I believe in Hematology.
Woody Posted August 22, 2009 Author Posted August 22, 2009 The population's needs are described as: Maintaining personal health ... 46.5% Day to Day Financial worries ... 26.1% Finding Employment ..............12.1% Finding affordable housing .......10.2% Providing adequate food ..........9.5% Finding child care ...............6.5% Dealing with Alcohol /Drug Abuse ...17.3% Dealing with Teen problems .........17.3% Aging parent care ..................16.2% Abuse issues .......................10.7% Crime and Safety issues ............23.7% Social Injustice ...................11.5% Achieving Long-term $$$ security ...49.9% Achieving a fulfilling marriage ....22.9% Developing parenting skills.........13.3% Dealing with stress ................31.9% Finding Spiritual teaching .........10.5% Finding life direction .............13.6% Well the list goes on and on. But it sounds like there are lots of needs. Any ideas for outreach ministries? Quote May we be one so that the world may be won. Christian from the cradle to the grave I believe in Hematology.
Members phkrause Posted August 23, 2009 Members Posted August 23, 2009 $63,000 average a year Redwood in the midwest is pretty high, isn't it. pk Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Woody Posted August 23, 2009 Author Posted August 23, 2009 Yes pk I would agree. But perhaps it has something to do with the age group that is living here.?? I don't know. There are also a low representation of minorities and illegal aliens. Hope that doesn't start a firestorm. Quote May we be one so that the world may be won. Christian from the cradle to the grave I believe in Hematology.
carolaa Posted August 24, 2009 Posted August 24, 2009 Are you wanting something specific? Because it looks fairly obvious that cooking schools and financial seminars would fill the top needs. If you have a gym or a large plot of land, you could start a sports program, like basketball or soccer or a workout class, which would also help with stress and teen problems. It looks like concern about crime is significant - invite the police to hold Neighborhood Watch meetings in your church. Have a Neighborhood Night Out at your church - lots of ideas can be found online for that. Marriage and parenting seminars are another idea. That's really great that you are looking at demographics. Too often churches try to offer stuff the community is not interested in and feel no need for. If they don't sense their need, they will not respond. Jesus' example is to tune in to people's needs and meet them. Quote
Zeta Posted August 24, 2009 Posted August 24, 2009 Redwood, where did you receive your state's population data???? i would love to see those same statistics for my state. Quote Be Blessed.
Woody Posted August 25, 2009 Author Posted August 25, 2009 Are you wanting something specific? Because it looks fairly obvious that cooking schools and financial seminars would fill the top needs. If you have a gym or a large plot of land, you could start a sports program, like basketball or soccer or a workout class, which would also help with stress and teen problems. It looks like concern about crime is significant - invite the police to hold Neighborhood Watch meetings in your church. Have a Neighborhood Night Out at your church - lots of ideas can be found online for that. Marriage and parenting seminars are another idea. That's really great that you are looking at demographics. Too often churches try to offer stuff the community is not interested in and feel no need for. If they don't sense their need, they will not respond. Jesus' example is to tune in to people's needs and meet them. Thanks so much Carolaa. Good suggestions. I will pass them on. Quote May we be one so that the world may be won. Christian from the cradle to the grave I believe in Hematology.
Woody Posted August 25, 2009 Author Posted August 25, 2009 Redwood, where did you receive your state's population data????i would love to see those same statistics for my state. They came from some software that the Baptist pastor had. Very informative. I don't know if he would have the softwear for your state. Quote May we be one so that the world may be won. Christian from the cradle to the grave I believe in Hematology.
Woody Posted August 26, 2009 Author Posted August 26, 2009 Yes. I think they are interesting and quite valuable for the church to understand the community where they function. Quote May we be one so that the world may be won. Christian from the cradle to the grave I believe in Hematology.
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