One of the great temptations of a church planter is to use his/her city to bless the church. You take their people, resources, facilities etc, and use them to build a church. We really want Connections to be the opposite. I tell our launch team often that we are here to be a blessing to the area, not simply the other way around.
Today I met with Meridian's Chief of police to ask him his thoughts about the city. It was extremely generous of him to share his time with me. Before I even started asking questions, he was gushing about how great Meridian is (and I completely agree). The school systems, the crime rate, the small town feel (and small town traffic) are all things that initially drew us in this direction.
He said one of the greatest needs in the city is finding events for youth during the winter. Summer holds so many activities, but winter can get long and hold fewer engaging opportunities. Also, like most other cities, Meridian has a number of underprivileged families that need help and, probably, some financial mentoring.
This is our second interview within the circle of Meridian leaders and we're learning a great deal. Once we're finished, we hope to have a clear vision of how Connections can best serve the great area. If you're reading this in Meridian and you have ideas about how to help out, we'd love your feedback.
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