A while back, I did a Google Map search for Christian churches in some of the counties of Cherokee Presbytery where we do not have a Presbyterian church. I was rather startled to discover how very many churches there are in our area. Click on this link to see the results (the red dots are churches — you can zoom in to see more details). Clearly, our region is NOT under-churched!
But, we ARE under-kingdom-ed!
- 15.7% of our states population lives in poverty;
- There are 27,000 homeless persons in our state (half of which are children)
- The High school graduation rate is only 67.8%
- Racism and racial justice continue to be areas of concern
It would appear that the fruits of the Spirit and signs of the Kingdom are under-represented even though divine worship is being maintained. While the gospel is clearly being proclaimed, it is not being made manifest in the world.
These statistics cause me to believe that there is a great need for the Presbyterian Church in our region. We Presbyterians are really good at incarnational and social justice ministries. We feed the hungry and work to eliminate the causes of poverty. We have a long history of educational ministries (colleges, Sunday schools, GED and tutoring programs) and we support free public education for all. We build/repair houses, heal the sick and the brokenhearted, and we advocate for full access to clean water and healthcare (physical, spiritual and emotional).
Perhaps we need to think less about adding new members, and more about generating missions and ministries that will allow our neighbors taste the Kingdom of God and develop such a hunger for more that they seek to know and follow the One who is our Host.
Thoughts & Images from the Heart 