The bottom line is...
There are more people unchurched people in Ohio than there are churches to fill their spiritual needs.
THE FACTS:
- Ohio has over 11,500,000 residents. Fifty percent of these residents are not affiliated with any church at all.
- In most of Ohio's cities on a typical Sunday morning, more people are at home or someplace other than a house of worship.>
- In many of Ohio's cities, if every church building of every denomination had two worship services, and if each of these services was 100% filled to capacity, more people would still be somewhere else other than a church service on Sunday morning.
THE HISTORY:
In the United States in the year 1900, there were 27 Christian churches for every 10,000 people. By 1950 the number of churches per 10,000 people was down to 17. Ohio also matches this trend. As the population is rapidly growing and multiplying we are not keeping up with the number of churches necessary to meet the needs! There is now one Southern Baptist Church in Ohio for every 16,400 people.
THE REASONS
- It is Biblical - it is the New Testament way of extending the Gospel.
- The next generation will need churches.
- Different types of churches with various styles of worship will attract different types of people to the Gospel.
- New churches are needed for the rapidly growing immigrant population.
- Fewer churches can only make the gospel more easily ignored.
- New churches tend to grow faster than many existing churches.
- New churches can actually stimulate and help existing churches.
- New churches develop new leadership.
- If we don't do it, who will?
- Starting new churches is one of the most effective ways of bringing unbelievers to Christ and discipling them in a given geographical area.