Who Are Your Neighbours?

There are lots of demographic resources, such as your Local Council’s website or Informed Decisions (www.id.com.au) which have community snapshots available, which can help you build a better picture of your parish or church suburb. I have blogged about them before however I have been recently convicted about how much time I spend researching outreach opportunities and/or getting to know my community via the web. (helpful thing to do, but shouldn’t be the only way it happens)

My encouragement to you is instead of sitting behind a computer to work out who your neighbours are, check out the demographics for yourself. Wander around your local community and see with your own eyes the people you are trying to reach.

Take off every couple of weeks to sit on a park bench, in a café or to just stroll the streets – and watch your community walk by. Go at different times and days in the week and as you scan the faces, shops, business and activity ask these questions:

• What are the businesses that thrive?

• Are there lots of the same services available?

• What does your local council focus efforts on?

• What other community services cater for people in your area?

• Where do the people spend most of their leisure time?

• How strong is the sense of common identity?

• Are they young, old, workers, wealthy, unemployed?

• What do they value?

• What is my church doing to reach them with the good news of Jesus?