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I was stationed at Ft. Bragg while in the military and will be coming back to the area to plant a church.
Right now, we're doing a "church planting residency" at Vintage21 church in Raleigh. We've been trying to figure out where around Ft. Bragg to plant and I thought I'd pose the question here.
Our hope is to reach out to military families, but not to ignore the cities they live in. We want to plant a church that is culturally relevant and theologically conservative.
Any insight/opinions? The area has changed a lot since I got out of the military in 2006 (just before BRAC changes took place).
Anyone from Southern Pines or Fayetteville care to give their opinion? I realize the cities are very far apart, but those are the two areas we're talking about. Do you go to church? What type of church would you go to? What frustrates you about churches in the area? What do you like about churches in the area?
I hope we can keep the conversation civil. If church isn't your thing, that's fine.
Clearly, with Fayetteville you will have the biggest numbers of military families in your "market."
Southern Pines has a lot of military families but they from a narrower part of the spectrum. Rank-wise they'll be more along the lines of officers and more senior NCO's. Unit-wise, let's just say you won't see a lot of guys from the 82nd here.
Theologically conservative? There's plenty of that around here among the general church going population. How that applies to the slice of the military that lives here is not something I know about.
I don't go to church much. What frustrates me about the churches in the area? Probably what frustrates a lot of people. This is a small town and I know many people. Usually, the most "un-Christian" people that I deal with the other six days a week are the ones sitting on the front row on Sunday, greeting you at the door, leading Bible study classes, and holding leadership positions at the church. Of course, most people in church are not hypocrites to that extent, but all too often the lay leadership is among the worst of the worst. I refuse to be a part of their charade. I know I'm not perfect but I don't pretend that praying on my knees on Sunday makes up for forcing others to theirs the other six days of the week.
There is no lack of churches big and small in the area.
We even have more churches than tattoo parlors and strip clubs ;although the Fayetteville haters won't believe it.
I would probably say the the area that is growing the fastest would be the I-87 corridor from Spring Lake to Sanford.
That might be a good area to focus on.
In my families case we were in the area for years before we found a Church where we felt at home. It turned out to be the Korean Presbyterian Church of Fayetteville. We aren't Korean, but they have a small but growing English ministry and all the members made us really feel at home. If you can develop that kind of environment you will do well. We have brought many new members to our church because of how we were treated.
Do you go to church? What type of church would you go to? What frustrates you about churches in the area? What do you like about churches in the area?
Just to provide some background, The main CD profile of Fayetteville shows that only 34.8% of people are affiliated with a church, compared to 50.2% of the national average. See far down the page: //www.city-data.com/city/Fayett...-Carolina.html
The profile of another military town, Jacksonville, shows even less church affiliation. Have you analyzed why people are not affiliating? Is it just that they are young, and don't have families yet? Is it the transient lifestyle? Are they disappointed with traditional churches?
I agree with the others that there seem to plenty of churches already. What I hope you concentrate on is making a place where people of all races feel comfortable worshiping together.
There are all ready plenty of church's in the area. We couldn't find one we liked, along with a lot of other long time church goers who were from out of state, because most of people in the area are jerks in general. Nothing like the south where you have actual church's where at least the majority of people act kind to one another. People in that area seem to have a dislike for each other. There is never a hello when you walk into a store, and if you greet as you walk in, you might prepare yourself for a chewing out for acting so happy.
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