Recently, the U. S. Census Bureau sent out the following information in their “Facts for Features-Super Bowl XLVI.”  You may find this resource HERE.

New York (Giants)

• New York is ranked first on the list of the nation’s most populous cities. The population of New York in 2010 was 8,175,133.
• 33.4% of New York residents 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2010; 79.6% had at least graduated from high school. The respective national figures were 28.2% and 85.6%. The percentage in New York who have graduated from high school did not differ significantly from the percentage for Indianapolis.
• 38.7 minutes is the average amount of time it took New York residents to get to work — 22.7 percent of the city’s workers drove to work alone, 5.0 percent carpooled and 55.7 percent took public transportation. Nationally, it took workers an average of 25.3 minutes to get to work. The percentage of New York workers who drove to work alone and the percentage taking public transportation were significantly different from the national average and Indianapolis.
• 49.2% is the percentage of New York residents 5 and older who spoke a language other than English at home. The national average was 20.6 percent.
• $48,743 is the median household income for New York. The national median was $50,046. The figure for New York was not statistically different from the national average.
• $504,500 is the median home value of owner-occupied homes in New York. The national median was $179,900. The figure for New York differed significantly from that for Indianapolis.

Boston (New England Patriots)

• Boston ranked 22nd on the list of the nation’s most populous cities. The population of Boston in 2010 was 617,594. The Patriots actually play in suburban Foxborough, Mass., which had a 2010 Censuspopulation of 16,865.
• 44.3% is the number of Boston residents 25 and older who had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2010; 85.8 percent had at least graduated from high school. The respective national figures were 28.2 percent and 85.6 percent. The percentage in Boston who had at least a bachelor’s degree was significantly higher from the percentage for Indianapolis.
• 28.4 minutes is the average amount of time it took Boston residents to get to work — 38.3 percent of the city’s workers drove to work alone, 7.3 percent carpooled and 32.8 percent took public transportation. Nationally, it took workers an average of 25.3 minutes to get to work. The percentage of Boston workers who drove to work alone and the percentage taking public transportation were significantly different from the national average and Indianapolis.
• 35.5% is the number of Boston residents 5 and older who spoke a language other than English at home. The national average was 20.6 percent.
• $49,893 is the median household income for Boston. The national median was $50,046. The figure for Boston was not statistically different from the national average.
• $369,600 is the median home value of owner-occupied homes in Boston. The national median was $179,900. The figure for Boston is significantly different from that for Indianapolis.

Indianapolis (host city)

• Indianapolis was ranked 12th on the list of the nation’s most populous cities. The population of Indianapolis in 2010 was 820,445.
• 26.7% of Indianapolis residents 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2010; 83.8 percent had at least graduated from high school. The respective national figures were 28.2 percent and 85.6 percent.
• 22.2 minutes was the average amount of time it took Indianapolis residents to get to work — 82.6 percent of the city’s workers drove to work alone, 9.2 percent carpooled and 1.8 percent took public transportation. Nationally, it took workers an average of 25.3 minutes to get to work.
• 12.7% of Indianapolis residents 5 and older spoke a language other than English at home. The national average was 20 percent.
• $38,502 is the median household income for Indianapolis. The national median was $50,046. The figure for Indianapolis is statistically different than the national average.
• $118,100 is the median home value of owner-occupied homes in Indianapolis. The national median was $179,900.

And among the people, a great battle is taking place.  This one is not on the gridiron.  It is a battle of supernatural proportions that has practical realities in the lives of these city dwellers, both today and for eternity (Eph 6:12).

Regarding the percentage of Evangelicals in these cities and the evangelical church to population ratios, here’s what we find:

Metro New York:

2.3% Evangelical

2478 Evangelical Churches

1 Evangelical Church for every 8517 people

Metro Boston:

2.5% Evangelical

778 Evangelical Churches

1 Evangelical Church for every 7786 people

Metro Indianapolis (host city):

16% Evangelical

743 Evangelical Churches

1 Evangelical Church for every 2163 people

I pray that these numbers will sink into your heart as you ponder them, and as you are exposed to all things Super Bowl over the next several days.

Pastors, take these numbers and share them with your church this Sunday morning.  Challenge the people  to consider how as a church you should respond to the mission of God in such North American contexts.  Develop a plan to put feet on the challenge, and act upon it.

These are the numbers on a few of the battlefields.

(See HERE for information on the research behind these numbers.)

I plan to share some more information regarding these cities in the next post.

Gone are the days of missions being geographically defined.  We presently live in an age where the lines are blurred between domestic and international.  What happens at home does not stay at home, and what happens abroad influences the rest of the world.

While the challenges of globalization and international migration are great, the Great Commission opportunities are even greater.  Here is a glimpse of what is happening in our world as the Lord continues to open doors for the advancement of the gospel.  Check out the full report (linked above) for more details.

• Africa Regional Overview: About 30 million Africans have migrated internationally.  In 2010, most of the sub-Saharan migration was intraregional and employment-related (64%).  However, 90% of migrants from North Africa travel to countries outside of the region. The majority of Africa’s migrants live in Europe, and about half of all of Africa’s migrants live outside the continent.

• Americas Regional Overview: Over 1 million people were displaced after the earthquake in Haiti. The United States is still the top country of destination.  In 2010, about 43 million foreign nationals (13.5% of total U.S. pop) were hosted by the United States.   The Hispanic population in the United States increased from 35.3 million in 2000 to 50.5 million by 2010.

• Asia Regional Overview: Extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, storms and earthquakes caused the displacement of millions of people in Asia. Both the Philippines and Pakistan put forward new laws to protect their citizens working abroad.  In 2010, half of the top 10 emigration countries were from this region–Bangladesh, China, India, Pakistan and the Philippines.  A significant number of regional migrations occurred to Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong SAR, and the Republic of Korea.  Thailand was a major destination for migrants from Cambodia.  Remittances played an important role in economic development in this region. 2010 remittances were estimated to be $170 billion (USD).

• Europe Regional Overview: Europe has experienced slow recovery from the economic downturn and unemployment remains high. This has resulted in new emigration flows. Many people left Ireland in 2010 seeking employment elsewhere. Net emigration from Ireland reached about 60,000 in 2010, the highest level since 1989.  Governments in the region are discussing tighter border controls.  EU states worked to establish a safe and orderly return of Pakistanis staying illegally in such territories.

• Middle East Regional Overview: The Middle East has experienced significant recovery from the economic downturn due to high oil prices. A large number of immigrants take up the low skilled jobs in this region. These immigrants come from countries such as the Philippines, Nepal and India.  The foreign labor force is very diverse with workers originating from Africa, South America, and the Far East.  International migrants account for 87% of the population of Qatar, 70% of the population of the U.A.E., and 69% of the population of Kuwait.  In Saudi Arabia (2010), 4.7 million foreign workers outnumbered the 4.3 million Saudi nationals in their labor market.  It is estimated that 30.2 million Iraqi nationals (15% of the total pop) remain displaced as a result of the conflict in the region.

• Oceania Regional Overview: Of the 35 million people living in Oceania, 16.8% of the population are international migrants.  Large numbers of migrants from Asia and neighboring countries in Oceania are locating to Australia.  Australia and New Zealand are the main destinations within the region for migrants from Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia.  New Zealand has been attempting to attract more highly skilled migrants, particularly young people.

The total 2010 global stock of migrants was 214 million people.  This number was up from 191 million in 2005.   Whenever internal migrants are taken into account (740 million), about 1 billion people in the world today are migrants, or about 1 in 7 of the total global population.

The issue of migration is one of the most significant issues facing the Church today.  While the migration of peoples comes with numerous challenges, it also provides amazing opportunities for gospel advancement.

Today’s post is the first of two related to the “World Migration Report 2011.”  Contained within this work was a list of international migration trends.  Here are the five which are important to keep in mind and are affecting the movement of peoples.

I. Political transitions in the Middle East and North Africa

There have been many political uprisings throughout the Middle East and North Africa in 2011. These uprisings have been anywhere from  peaceful to very violent.  Along with the uprisings came mass movements of peoples. Many Asians returned to their home countries and North Africans returned home.

II. Increase in natural disasters and displaced people

In 2010, there was an unusual increase in natural disasters. In that year, over 42 million people were displaced due to sudden-onset natural disasters.  There were unusually heavy floods in Pakistan, China, and India, earthquakes in Chile, Japan and Haiti.

III. Overall numbers of refugees and asylum-seekers remain stable

In 2010, it was estimated that there were 15.4 million refugees and 845,800 asylum-seekers across the globe.  The total number of refugees increased only slightly in 2010, but the number of new asylum claims decreased. The number of refugees is expected to increase as a result of the instability in North Africa in 2011.

IV. Migration and the global economic crisis: some signs of recovery

The global economic crisis affected countries in different ways.  Some countries are experiencing an increase of migrants (e.g., Canada, Germany, United States) and others a decrease (e.g., United Kingdom).  Overall, the changes in the labor markets and migration patterns caused by the crisis were relatively short-lived.

V. The relevance of human trafficking

The number of trafficked persons around the globe has remained high and was estimated at 12.3 million in 2010.  Across the globe, almost 2 out of 1,000 people are victims of trafficking.  In Asia and the Pacific this ratio jumps to 3 out of 1,000 people.  There are indications that the international community is taking a more serious perspective of this issue.

Go back to that post and look at the chart on the top countries of origin.  China and India are the two largest sending nations.  Turkey, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, and Taiwan also make the top ten list.  Many of the top twenty-five countries have experienced large percent increases of students sent within the past year.

But, do we see the hand of the Lord in such movements?

Many of the least reached and unreached peoples of the world are coming to our communities to study, learn American cultures, and make friendships.  Unfortunately, many churches in the United States are not aware of such wonderful migrations.  While the greatest needs for the gospel are by far outside of the United States, the sad reality is that while many of us struggle to figure out ways to get into other nations, we fail to recognize the Sovereign Lord at work in our own communities.

We often pass the peoples we are trying to reach at 35,000 feet somewhere over the Pacific.  They fly past us at 530 miles per hour on their way to our neighborhoods.  They are willingly coming to our communities while we’re struggling to get into theirs.

We are called to go into all the world and make disciples.  We are supposed to continue to go into all the world to the least reached and unreached.  Again, the greatest need is absolutely “over there.”

However, what kind of theology and missiology supports going “over there” and fails to advocate going “down the street”?

What kind of stewards are we if we are willing to spend large amounts of money, time, and energy on reaching people groups–at great risk–and are not willing to connect with someone from that same group who wants to have tea or coffee with us at the local shop?

The Great Commission knows no geographical boundaries.  The churches, networks, and denominations that will be the most effective in making disciples of all nations in a highly globalized twenty-first century world are those who strategically integrate all of their missional activities.  They will bring together the domestic and international realms.

And there is no better place to start than by loving and serving those wonderful students who have come to study in our backyards.

The North American Mission Board notes that some have estimated that 92% of the 6 million (in 2004 the Culture Catalog estimated 95% of ~5 million) Native Peoples living in the United States and Canada are not followers of Jesus Christ.  Even after all of these centuries of missions to the Native Peoples only 8% are believers.

Let’s keep these numbers in mind as we look at the numbers below.

While these original peoples are now a minority among the North American population, they are peoples loved by God and in need of His hope.  They are growing in number, generally young, and mainly residing in urban areas.

There has been some recent interest in the missiological community related to Native Peoples.  The September-October 2010 edition of Mission Frontiers was dedicated to understanding and ministering to Native Americans.  And over the years at NorthAmericanMissions.org, I  have provided a growing category of links to assist in better understanding the Native Peoples of North America.

Each year the U. S. Census Bureau produces a report titled, “Facts for Features,” containing statistics on the American Indian and Alaska Native population.  The  information below came from their report received on November 1, 2011.

• According to the 2010 Census, the nation’s population of American Indians and Alaska Natives is 5.2 million. Of this total, 2.9 million were American Indian and Alaska Native only, and 2.3 million were American Indian and Alaska Native in combination with one or more other races.
• The projected population of American Indians and Alaska Natives, including those of more than one race, on July 1, 2050 is 8.6 million.
• There was an increase in the nation’s American Indian and Alaska Native population of 1.1 million between the 2000 Census and 2010 Census. This is an increase of 26.7 percent during this period compared with the overall population growth of 9.7 percent.
• The American Indian and Alaska Native population in California as of the 2010 Census was 723,225 . California was followed by Oklahoma (482,760) and Arizona (353,386).
• According to the 2010 Census there are 15 states with more than 100,000 American Indian and Alaska Native residents. These states were California, Oklahoma, Arizona, Texas, New York, New Mexico, Washington, North Carolina, Florida, Michigan, Alaska, Oregon, Colorado, Minnesota, and Illinois.
• As of the 2010 Census, 19.5% of the proportion of Alaska’s population identified as American Indian and Alaska Native, the highest rate for this race group of any state. Alaska was followed by Oklahoma (12.9 percent), New Mexico (10.7 percent) and South Dakota (10.1 percent).
• The median age as of April 1, 2010 was 29, for those who are American Indian and Alaska Native, and no other race. This compares with a median age of 37.2 for the population as a whole.

Reservations

• As of 2010, there were 334 federally recognized reservations. 
• 22% of American Indians and Alaska Natives lived in American Indian areas or Alaska Native Village Statistical Areas.

Tribes

• There are 565 federally-recognized Indian tribes.
• In the 2010 Census, the following tribes had 100,000 or more responses for the American Indian and Alaska Native alone-or-in-any combination population were Cherokee (819,105), Navajo (332,129), Choctaw (195,764), Mexican American Indian (175,494), Chippewa (170,742), Sioux (170,110), Apache (111,810), and Blackfeet (105,304).

Families

• There were 557,185 American Indian and Alaska Native families in 2010. Of these, 57 percent were married-couple families, including those with children.
• The median age at first marriage for American Indian and Alaska Native men and women, respectively (in 2010) was 29.6 and 26.8 years old (for those between 15 and 54 years of age).

Housing

• 54% of American Indian and Alaska Native householders owned their own home in 2010.  (overall population is 65%).

Languages

• 28%  of American Indians and Alaska Natives 5 and older spoke a language other than English at home, compared with 21 percent for the nation as a whole.
• 73% of the residents of the Navajo Nation Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, Arizona-New Mexico-Utah, age 5 and older, speak a language other than English at home.

Again, only 8% after centuries of labors.  What can we learn from our history?  What will it take to see 9%?

And a few of you pastors need to consider sending future church planting teams there.

Now, if you track with my writings, you are probably asking yourself why I am urging a few churches to consider sending future teams to such a place.  While the county does not have a recommended Evangelical church to population ratio of 1:1000 (urban context), it is very close (and not too far off from the rural recommendation of 1:500).  Also, it is striking within the 10-20% Evangelical range.

So, why Williston, North Dakota?

Last night, I caught an amazing report on Rock Center with Brian Williams.  The 9 min. 22 sec. story–which you can see HERE–profiled the small North Dakota community that is now a boom-town.

An exceptionally massive amount of oil has been discovered around Williston.  New technology is allowing it to be extracted.  This is a major game-changer, not just for the city, but for the country as well.

While jobs are hard to find in other parts of the United States, the demand for workers in Williston is far exceeding the number of people available.  Thousands of well-paying jobs need to be filled immediately.

And if last night’s report is accurate, then Williston must brace itself for a massive influx of people and businesses over the next several years.  Life in this small community will never be the same.  This is one reason future teams are needed.

Whenever something of this magnitude occurs, the need increases for gospel advancement into such areas.  And I fear that our brothers and sisters making up those 17 churches will quickly become overwhelmed–if they are not already.

Here is another reason for church planting teams:  Consider for a moment the growth of the darkness.  Whenever the population of well-paid men (living in “man camps”) grows dramatically in a community with little post-work opportunities to overcome boredom, you can imagine the results.  The media reports that crime is on the rise in Williston, doctors are witnessing an increase of chlamydia cases, and strippers are making $2000-3000 per night.  Here is one article recently published in the Wall Street Journal.  Other recent reports are out there; I’ll let you do the searching.

Where the darkness is great, oftentimes, the receptivity to the light is greater.  Our Lord has been known to breakthrough the thickness of blatant wickedness, despair, and hopelessness, to most glorify Himself.  But, someone has to share this great news of His love.

It is amazing how fossil fuel fuels the need for missional opportunities.

Keep an eye on this community.  Pray for our brothers and sisters serving there.  Pray for laborers to go, love, and serve the people as this town expands.

If you are looking for a place to serve, have you considered any of the following cities?  I’m sure they could use a church planter or two.

What is already taking place in these 20 cities is and will continue to influence global missions for years to come.  The historical forces are already in motion.  Now is not the time to flee the city, but to connect with the people there–and to connect them to the gospel.  Now is not the time for the Church in the West to allow our Majority World brothers and sisters to fend for themselves, but to connect with them and enter into healthy gospel partnerships for the multiplication of disciples, leaders, and churches.

If you are talking missions in the 21st century, then you had better start spending a good amount of time talking urban.

Check out the links to the articles on these cities.  While some of them may be unfamiliar to some of us today, I guarantee these cities will become familiar to us tomorrow.

(Just a side note to my North American and European readers…I only see 1 “Western” megacity here.  What does this fact communicate about the future of global influence?  How should this affect missionary strategy?)

THE 10 BIGGEST MEGACITIES OF TODAY

Manila
Shanghai
Delhi
São Paulo
Jakarta
Mumbai
New York City
Mexico City
Seoul
Tokyo

THE 10 FASTEST-GROWING CITIES OF TOMORROW

Lahore, Pakistan
Manila
Shanghai
Kolkata
Lagos, Nigeria
Karachi
Mumbai
Kinshasa, Congo
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Delhi

What thoughts come to mind whenever you read over these two lists?

52% of the world’s international migrant population can be found in ten countries.  Take a look at this table from the Migration Policy Institute.

So, let’s do a little math to guide our missiological musing.

If we take the populations of the U. S., Germany, Canada, France, United Kingdom, and Spain, our total is 80,288,000 people, or about 38% of the world’s international migrant population.  That is a great number of people.  To help put things into perspective–this number is well over the total population found in France, Canada, Spain, or the United Kingdom.  It is a number about a million shy of the total population of Germany.

Why single out these six countries?  Because the restrictions placed upon churches for gospel advancement are very limited.  Opposition is low at both the local and national levels.  Persecution is low.  Access to the peoples is high.  The opportunity is great for showing the love of Christ while helping one’s neighbor.

In addition to finding numerous UPGs in these countries with transnational social networks, we also have numerous Majority World believers as well.  200 years of Western missions have now resulted in numerous Kingdom citizens migrating to these nations, with many being sent from their churches to share the gospel in the West.  Here is an opportunity for churches to partner with and offer training to brothers and sisters from other lands.

Of course, I’m only sharing here the story for a few Western countries.  The story of international migrants grows even larger whenever we take another step back to view the rest of the world….But that is another post for another time.

What are the other Kingdom possibilities you see whenever you look at the table above?  How should we respond to such wonderful opportunities to serve the strangers next door to us?

While U. S. immigration during the first decade of the 21st century was slower than that observed in the 1990s, it was still a fast growth rate.  Also, this first decade brought new characteristics related to migration patterns and immigrant characteristics.  Consider the following findings:

• The foreign-born population in the U.S. reached 40 million in 2010, an increase of 8.8 million since 2000.
• Immigrants to U.S. settling in newer, smaller metro areas & in suburbs within metro areas at a faster rate.
• Immigrant enclaves in U.S. central cities no longer lead the way as the landing places for immigrants.
• By 2010, 51% of immigrants in U.S. lived in the suburbs of large metro areas, up from 48% in 2000.
• 85% of immigrants called the 100 largest metropolitan areas home in 2010 compared to 86% in 2000.
• The five U.S. metropolitan areas with the largest foreign-born populations were New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, and Houston.
• In Los Angeles, San Jose, and Miami, 1 out of every 3 people are foreign-born.
• 21 metropolitan areas gained at least 100,000 immigrants between 2000 and 2010; among those, Baltimore (72%), Orlando (72%), Las Vegas (71%), Atlanta (69%), and Riverside (52%) saw the fastest rates of growth.

This report is filled with a wealth of information that has numerous missiological implications for the Church.  Here is another reminder that the nations of the world have moved into our neighborhoods.  Many of these people are our brothers and sisters in Christ and a powerful Great Commission force for serving the nations of the world.  Do we see them?  Will we partner with them in our global calling?  Many of these people remain in the harvest field–including many who represent some of the world’s least and unreached peoples.  Do we see them?  Will we serve them with both actions and words that they may come to know the One who loves them with an everlasting love?  Will they return to the harvest fields of the world, reaching farther and faster into areas where most of us could never go?

The international migration of the peoples of the world is one of the most significant issues facing the Church today.  Unfortunately, many of us representing the Church in the United States have been asleep as the nations have been moving at a rapid rate.  When will we open our eyes and recognize the divine hand behind such movements and adjust our strategies accordingly?

I’ll leave you with three important tables provided in this report.  Below you will see the foreign-born populations according to their metro areas and suburbs (100 largest areas, more info is found in these tables in the report).  So, here they are….Are you awake?