Not too long ago, in a recent report published by Barna Research, Flint is the 17th most “churchless” city in the country. Forty-five percent of her residents do not worship or belong to a church. The good news, in a sense, is that 55%, therefore, do worship. If for no other reason, belonging to a church (especially one with ties to the Christian faith) usually means a higher standard of morality, a better work ethic, closer family ties, etc.
The bad news, however, is that 45% of her residents do not worship anywhere. Do not draw the wrong conclusion. That does not mean these 45% are atheists. Actually, only about one-quarter of them are. The rest believe in God and about half of them believe in the divine nature of Jesus.
Think about the cities in the Bible: Babel, Sodom, Jericho, Jerusalem, Nineveh, Tyre, Sidon, Bethsaida, Capernaum, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae, Athens, Rome. God loves the city.
As the human race populates, demographers estimate by the year 2600, there will be one human per square yard. More and more people will be living in cities.
In Luke 19:41, Luke writes simply that Jesus “saw the city” of Jerusalem. When Jesus looks at Flint (and her communities), He sees a face, a name, a life. Heaven is not compared to a countryside but it is compared to a city (Hebrews 11:10; Revelation 22:12-14).
“Our fathers stayed their minds on Thee, in village, farm, and plain; Helps us, their crowded, harried kin, no less Thy peace to claim. Give us to know that Thou dost love, each soul that Thou hast made, That size does not diminish grace nor concrete hide Thy gaze” (Roger Greenway).
You can begin a conversation by asking, “Do you worship God anywhere?” Be prepared to answer why you worship Him and why you worship Him the local church of Christ. Follow that brief discussion with an invitation.
Paul Holland
