A few years ago I asked the North American Mission Board (NAMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention to conduct a demographic study of the area around our church. I wanted to know more about the people in our community so we could develop a strategy to better reach those who need Jesus Christ. NAMB sent me information on the people living within a 3-mile radius, a 6-mile radius, and a 12-mile radius. The report is on file in my office if you want a copy. Just contact me there during regular business hours. We have conducted more recent studies from other sources and found the estimates to be similar.
The report showed that within six miles of our church there is an estimated population of 225,707 people! Does that not astound you? It blows my mind when I think of how many people live around our church. We asked NAMB to estimate how many of these people are without a saving relationship with Christ. They responded:
What percentage of the population do you consider to be lost? Obviously, this question cannot be answered precisely; however, educated guesses based on church membership and presence of evangelical churches suggest that 3 of 4 persons do not have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
I am in tears as I write this blog post. I am heartbroken when I realize that 3 out of 4 of our neighbors do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. That means 180,566 people within 6 miles of Fort Caroline Baptist Church are on their way to an etermity separated from God! Please read that last sentence again slowly. Let the horror of that fact sink in to your soul.
If that is not what our church members are talking about today, rather than lights, and music or they way people dress, then we have missed the Father's heart. And be sure, God has commissioned each one of us and our congregation to do everything within our power to present the Gospel to these people in a relevant, yes, contemporary way! So to be satisfied with 1,000 people on campus for Easter services, and only 700 or so on a regular Sunday is not acceptable. We are not making a dent in the lostness of this community! And to be satisfied with business as usual is not acceptable.
NAMB also revealed that within 3 miles of our church 82.4% of people are under the age of 55 years old. I am often accused of just trying to reach the "young" people. No! I am trying to reach our neighbors! It is that simple.
I am pleading with God to transform the mindset of our congregation, begining with the pastor, so we will see ourselves first as missionaries to this community rather than "members" of an organization. People are going to Hell too quickly for the church to keep moving so slowly in doing what it takes to reach them with a Gospel witness. I am asking our people to sacrifice their preferences at times to be the church that God wants us to be in this community at this time. I am asking you to join me, to help me, and to support me as I lead this church as best I know how. Young or old, traditional or contemporary, we are in this together.
“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” (1 Corinthians 9:19–23, ESV)
