Staggering Statistics

Yesterday at church we had several meetings that had to do with reaching our community and knowing our community. We have a great guy on staff (Joey Mayfield) who helps us know our community better by looking at the statistics. He showed me some crazy statistics about our community yesterday that i want to share mainly as a reminder to myself what my mission field looks like. Pray with me that Christ would be proclaimed to these students.

Bethel Demographics

Lake County 2010 Statistics

   Total Population- 496,005

             Under 18- 127,273

 Age 10 to 14- 5,704 in Lake Co
   15 minutes from Bethel- 10,805

 Age 15 to 19- 6,118 in Lake Co
   15 minutes from Bethel- 11,467

Local School District Enrollment -

          School-                Middle School                 High School

          Crown Point              1778                               2633

          Merrillville                 1663                               2396

          Lake Central             2456                               3225

          Valparaiso                1467                               2114

          Lowell                       869                                1276

          Wheeler                    416                                545

          Totals                      8649                             12189

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

(Matthew 9:35-36; Matthew 9:37-38 ESV)