I came across a very interesting review yesterday of the book The Next Hundred Million: America by 2050. This book argues that the population of America will continue to grow and that people will be looking for more elbow room resulting in the growth of suburbs and the heartland. This view of the future growth of the heartland is intriguing to me for several reasons.
First, pastoring a church in rural northeastern Colorado, in a town of 2000, I wonder if our small town will be one of the growth centers over the next 40 years. Our town is known for being rather progressive and forward thinking. We have quite a few wonderful amenities for such a small town. There is talk of growth in wind energy which is labeled as one of the driving forces of growth in the heartland. Could it be that another 400 people will move to Wray in the next 40 years?
Second, if our town does grow, is our church positioning ourselves to capitalize on this possibility? I believe our church is uniquely positioned for this possibility. We have experienced quite a bit of growth over the last couple of years. In June 2008 we averaged 63 adults in worship. June 2010 we averaged 107. That's a 58% increase in 2 years! The question now is how do we sustain this growth over the next 2 years?
Finally, if it isn't our town that grows but another nearby, what role could our church play in reaching those who Jesus misses most? Could our church develop a video campus in a nearby town? Is this something Go would want us to consider doing?
Overall, I'm encouraged with the possible growth that some anticipate for the heartland. These could prove to be exciting times to be a pastor in a small town!
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Grace and peace,
Steve
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