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Ministering to Win One Million Souls for Jesus
Right Here in Hampton Roads, Virginia
Year after year, approximately 40 percent of Americans tell pollsters that they attend
church every week. (National Opinion Research Center: 38%; Institute for Social
Research’s World Values: 44%; Barna: 41%; National Election Studies: 40%; Gallup:
41%.)
However, Kirk Hadaway a minister for research and evaluation at the United Church of
Christ’s Board for Homeland Ministries conducted a similar survey and found that only
20 percent of the Protestants were attending church. Furthermore, instead of 50
percent of Catholics attending church, he found 28 percent. In other words, actual
church attendance according to his findings was about half the rate indicated by
national public opinion polls.
Sociologist Stanley Presser at the University of Michigan—co-authored a study
entitled: “Data Collection Mode and Social Desirability Bias in Self-Reported Religious
Attendance,” and his research showed that the actual percentage of Americans
attending church to be about 26%.
And there are even more studies showing similar results.
So what does all this mean to us?
According to the latest census results for 2010, Hampton Roads has 4 of the top 5
most populous cities in the state (Newport News, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and
Norfolk). The 2010 population breakdown by city is as follows:
(quickfacts.census.gov):
222,209 people live in Chesapeake
137,436 people live in Hampton
180,719 people live in Newport News
242,803 people live in Norfolk
12,150 people live in Poquoson
95,535 people live in Portsmouth
84,585 people live in Suffolk
437,994 people live in Virginia Beach
14,068 people live in Williamsburg ...
That’s a total of 1,427,499 people living in Hampton Roads.
What does that mean in terms of evangelism or fulfilling the great
commission?
Well, if you use the broad statistical averages of the first group of pollsters, you find
that approximately 856,500 people aren’t attending any church on a weekly basis.
But if you use the refined statistics of the second group of polls, you will find that
approximately 1,056,349 people are not attending church weekly in Hampton Roads.
Over one million people... Every week.
One million people in Hampton Roads have
no ongoing, loving relationship with the
Father. One million people aren’t
worshipping, aren’t praising, aren’t tithing,
aren’t seeking to know Him better every
week. One million people just here in
Hampton Roads aren’t prepared to receive
salvation.
Praise God for missionaries, but our calling,
our work is right here in Hampton Roads.
The mission of the Church Guide is to
transform Hampton Roads to the Kingdom of God.
Now you might ask, “can a little ole’ Christian newspaper change and transform an
entire region for Christ?” Of course it can, with God’s help.
But how much quicker and how much greater can that change be when other
Christians get involved … Christian churches, Christian schools, Christian businesses,
Christian ministries.
WE (that’s you and The Church Guide) have one million souls to reach. They ARE
NOT in the church.
They ARE in the workplace. They ARE in the hospitals. They ARE in the restaurants.
They ARE in the shopping centers. They are in the places that the Church Guide is
reaching out with an invitation to come to know God. The Church Guide gives them
hope. It gives them an invitation to attend a local church and to pursue a relationship
with the Lord. It gives ALL the glory to God.
God has given us authority and dominion over Hampton Roads to pursue His work and
build His Kingdom. With your help, your support, your contributions, your advertising,
your inspirational messages and feedback, we can more quickly make a difference.
Ray Boetcher
Publisher
Click For Teaching & Training
Click For Teaching & Training
The Kindling
for His Ever
Consuming
LOVE
CLICK TO READ
Ministering to Win One Million Souls for Jesus
Right Here in Hampton Roads, Virginia
Year after year, approximately 40 percent of Americans tell pollsters that they attend
church every week. (National Opinion Research Center: 38%; Institute for Social
Research’s World Values: 44%; Barna: 41%; National Election Studies: 40%; Gallup:
41%.)
However, Kirk Hadaway a minister for research and evaluation at the United Church of
Christ’s Board for Homeland Ministries conducted a similar survey and found that only
20 percent of the Protestants were attending church. Furthermore, instead of 50
percent of Catholics attending church, he found 28 percent. In other words, actual
church attendance according to his findings was about half the rate indicated by
national public opinion polls.
Sociologist Stanley Presser at the University of Michigan—co-authored a study
entitled: “Data Collection Mode and Social Desirability Bias in Self-Reported Religious
Attendance,” and his research showed that the actual percentage of Americans
attending church to be about 26%.
And there are even more studies showing similar results.
So what does all this mean to us?
According to the latest census results for 2010, Hampton Roads has 4 of the top 5
most populous cities in the state (Newport News, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and
Norfolk). The 2010 population breakdown by city is as follows:
(quickfacts.census.gov):
222,209 people live in Chesapeake
137,436 people live in Hampton
180,719 people live in Newport News
242,803 people live in Norfolk
12,150 people live in Poquoson
95,535 people live in Portsmouth
84,585 people live in Suffolk
437,994 people live in Virginia Beach
14,068 people live in Williamsburg ...
That’s a total of 1,427,499 people living in Hampton Roads.
What does that mean in terms of evangelism or fulfilling the great
commission?
Well, if you use the broad statistical averages of the first group of pollsters, you find
that approximately 856,500 people aren’t attending any church on a weekly basis.
But if you use the refined statistics of the second group of polls, you will find that
approximately 1,056,349 people are not attending church weekly in Hampton Roads.
Over one million people... Every week.
One million people in Hampton Roads have
no ongoing, loving relationship with the
Father. One million people aren’t
worshipping, aren’t praising, aren’t tithing,
aren’t seeking to know Him better every
week. One million people just here in
Hampton Roads aren’t prepared to receive
salvation.
Praise God for missionaries, but our calling,
our work is right here in Hampton Roads.
The mission of the Church Guide is to
transform Hampton Roads to the Kingdom of God.
Now you might ask, “can a little ole’ Christian newspaper change and transform an
entire region for Christ?” Of course it can, with God’s help.
But how much quicker and how much greater can that change be when other
Christians get involved … Christian churches, Christian schools, Christian businesses,
Christian ministries.
WE (that’s you and The Church Guide) have one million souls to reach. They ARE
NOT in the church.
They ARE in the workplace. They ARE in the hospitals. They ARE in the restaurants.
They ARE in the shopping centers. They are in the places that the Church Guide is
reaching out with an invitation to come to know God. The Church Guide gives them
hope. It gives them an invitation to attend a local church and to pursue a relationship
with the Lord. It gives ALL the glory to God.
God has given us authority and dominion over Hampton Roads to pursue His work and
build His Kingdom. With your help, your support, your contributions, your advertising,
your inspirational messages and feedback, we can more quickly make a difference.
Ray Boetcher
Publisher
Click For Teaching & Training
Click For Teaching & Training
The Kindling
for His Ever
Consuming
LOVE
CLICK TO READ
