For one thing, there is a proliferation of churches of almost every persuasion inside the city limits with a population of just less than 700, so in theory there is plenty of church “capacity” if a resident is inclined toward corporate worship on Sunday morning. By Rev. Joe Fort’s observation approximately 75 folks were in the Baptist Church across the street from Lott U.M.C. at 10:30 – this is representative over 10% of the towns population. I walked a block over from Lott U.M.C. and discovered St. Mary’s Catholic Church with about the same attendance levels. So, between these 2 churches were garnered pretty much the average church attendance for any given community - 20% of the population. Does that mean that there are no ‘leftovers’ available for Lott U.M.C?
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
What the Numbers Mean - Part 1
Last week I promised to follow up on how the demographic statistics actually portray the Lott community. From the numbers we know that it’s a small town in a rural county. We also learned that it is economically depressed but that is hardly surprising as Falls County per capita income is 22.6% below the poverty line. We also know that with lower-than-average taxes, housing, and living cost Lott is a very affordable place to live. But what else does the town have to offer?
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2 comments:
First, I don't think we want to settle for "average".
Second, while the town may have 700, the surrounding community is larger. Third, I am sure that there are more who need God in their daily lives that we can reach. And, last, I just heard the other day that the best Methodists were ex-Baptists.
You make some very good points, Brother Pat!
Regarding your first point: To reinterate an excerpt from my post on May 15, "My hat is off in salute to the vision of our district leadership..." These sentiments are expressed partly for the vision of not just abandoning our faltering churches to die a slow death as has been practiced in the past. But additionally, for implementing innovative and inclusive means of addressing the issue, like inviting the CLMs to take a role in the revival of this church.
In essence, the manner in which Lott U.M.C. is currently being embraced by our district leadership is anything but average, or "business-as-usual." I feel confident that the steering team, once formed, will mirror this commitment to excellance in the execution of their duties, as well.
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