Many Americans are sick of numbers. The government is always tossing numbers at us to either impress us with the great job they're doing or scare the daylights out of us so we'll be willing to pay more. At any rate, culture has become cynical, maybe even allergic, to the bean counting stuff. I mean, the church growth movement died a very quiet death, RIP, and how many people we have in Sunday School each week isn't the first question asked at pastor's conferences anymore. For the most part.
Worse, leaders, not any of us Baptist clergy types, of course, use unsubstantiated stats to help us rally support or defray criticism. So, on occasions, rarely I'm sure in our churches, the axiom printed above is true. We can spin statistics to say whatever we want them to say. Shoot, you could also say that 51.207% of all statistics are not made up on the spot, leaving the impression that a majority of stats used are totally accurate. Still, there are plenty of suspicions about the use of statistics. Sometimes their overuse produces negative reactions that hinder rather than facilitate any forward progress or movement.
How can a church assess the local community without volumes of demographics or pages of statistical analysis? Surely there are more personal, hands-on methods to measure the pulse of the neighborhood. Notebooks and files of charts and graphs have useful information, no doubt. At the same time, they are mere paper, what a polling or survey group has compiled, usually census data arranged for more specific use. There's often little feel to them, numerical equivalents without life.
Several activities can put some flesh and bones on the discovery process.
[1] Prayer walk the community. This will familiarize you with geographical layout of the neighborhood, traffic patters, location of strategic community places, and give you a first-glance look at the area around you. You may even meet some people in the process of praying for them.
[2] Volunteer with the nearest school in your community. The children in your area attend the elementary, middle, and high schools close to you. Every school needs dependable volunteers to assist in the class rooms, cafeteria, office, print shops, library, and other specialty areas. You can learn a lot about your community by helping those in the educational system.
[3] Pay attention to the school bus stops in your community. On the way to work, or while you're prayer walking the streets, make note of the number of youngsters, and their ages, who are waiting to ride school buses each morning. The youth and vitality of the community will rest in how many students live, play, and attend school there.
[4] Visit the local community center or recreational facility. You will be able to sense the heartbeat of your area by observing little league ball games, family rituals, any other sports events, specialized training, crime watch groups, or anything that draws the people together throughout the year. If there isn't one, maybe there should be.
[5] Go to the nearest Wal-Mart Store on Friday night. Commerce is a reflection of every thriving community. They local big box store may give you some feel for the people who shop nearby. It's an interesting evening of people watching if nothing else. I mean, the People of Wal-Mart is a phenomenon in itself. But, in this visit, don't let the extremes misinform you. Look at the people, the products in the store, and parking lot patterns, and you'll learn a lot about your community.
There are many ways to get the feel for the world around us. Opening our eyes is certainly a start. Compiling demographics and statistics works in some places. In others there may need to be more personal observation and analysis. There are biblical precedents for just paying attention to our surroundings as a means of engaging the people in it.
Throughout the Book of Acts Dr. Luke wrote about the travels and missionary work of the apostles, including much of the minsitry of Paul. In each city they spoke to the inhabitants based on their observations. In one example, Paul went to Athens. His spirit was troubled because he "saw that the city was full of idols" (Acts 17:16). When he preached at the Areopagus he said, "Men of Athens, I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar which was inscribed: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD" (Acts 17:22-23). His ministry to them was based on his observations of their city. You see, looking around is a good way to know the world around us.
Sometimes the numbers don't add up. That's when we just need to open our eyes.
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