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.

These brothers and sisters have been at work across the globe for several decades.  If you are not aware of what they are doing, check out their site and their missions magazine, The Gleaner.

One of the matters that I admire most about this association is their heart’s desire for church multiplication.  In fact, the theme of the event was this topic.

I was delighted to spend some time with Larry Barker, Director of Operations for North America, and Executive Director, John David Smith. These men–as well as others in the association–recognize the importance of healthy theology and missiology to support their strategies and methods.  Here is an association that is taking the lead, setting wise goals, and desiring to keep church planting highly reproducible–even in North America.

Sound, Simple, and Reproducible.  Such is a rarity today–but desperately needed.  May others learn from the saints of BMAA.

During my first presentation, I was able to share with many of their missionaries.  I addressed the topic of three necessary shifts in church planting circles in preparation for any possible church multiplication, particularly in North America: 1) Shift in Definition of Church Planting; 2) Shift to an Apostolic Paradigm; and 3) Shift to Multiplication Strategies.

For the evening plenary session, I was also asked to address church multiplication, but with a general audience in mind.  During this gathering, I discussed that while the Church has no control over God’s sovereignty or the local contexts in which she finds herself, she does have control over her institutional factors that help or hinder possible multiplication.  It was a time for prayerful introspection and change where necessary.  While we read through many passages, we used Acts 16:1-15 as our primary text.

I promised those who attended that I would post both of my presentations on the blog.  Here they are for the taking:

Missionary Presentation

Missions Symposium Plenary

A big word of appreciation goes to the BMAA folks for their hospitality and friendship.  It was great being with you.  Keep pressing on!

Over the last week and a half, I have refrained from blogging and have only spent a few moments on Twitter.  While I have missed sharing with you, I can also say that it has been a nice break from the routine.

This month marks the second year since I started writing at Missiologically Thinking and spending time in the realm-O-Twitter.  The last time I took a leave of absence from writing, someone contacted me asking if I was okay.  I appreciated that.  It was very kind.

So, to avoid causing any concerns, I thought I would also give you an update.

After this post, I’m planning on taking another leave of absence until after January 12.  Oh, I may not be able to resist the Twitter-bug, but blogging will likely be on hold.

I am entering into one of my busiest times of the year.  Over the next two weeks, I will be leading a four-day class/training event for church planters, preparing to teach three classes this coming semester, preparing to speak at a missions conference later this month, making a three-day trip for some meetings in Alabama, and attempting to finish another book all by January 12. But, of course, I’ll still make time to have my coffee.  What?  Do you think I’m crazy?

I would greatly appreciate your prayers. . . . Not for the coffee though.

So, while I am very eager to get back to the blog with several posts already brewing, I’m needing some time off.

My prayers are with you as you begin this new year.  It is my hope and desire that you will grow in your walk with the Lord this year, that you will be intentional about sharing the gospel with others, and that you will be greatly blessed to be a blessing to others.  May the Lord use you in a powerful way this year to advance His Kingdom!

Lord willing, I’ll be in touch in a couple of weeks.  Take care.  And, as always, thank you for your support and encouragement over 2011.  It has been a blessing to me.

A new book is available that you need to add to your library.  Evangelical and Frontier Mission: Perspectives on the Global Progress of the Gospel is edited by two of my friends, Beth Snodderly and Scott Moreau. This work represents a collection of chapters related to missions past, present, and future.

Beth is President of William Carey International University and Southwest Regional Vice President of the Evangelical Missiological Society.  You may find several of her blog posts at the William Carey International Development Journal.   Scott is Professor of Intercultural Studies and Missions at Wheaton College. He is Editor of Evangelical Missions Quarterly and General Editor of the Encountering Mission series (Baker Books).

I recently asked Beth to comment on this work.  Here is the interview.

Can you provide a brief overview of this book?
This book is a collection of case studies in evangelical reflection and praxis in relation to what we see as the continuing frontiers in mission. This means that the collection is not intended to give a full picture of Evangelicals and all of our efforts. Rather, it is a picture highlighting elements of what we as editors consider the most central of the numerous evangelical missional trajectories.  Despite the numerical success of Evangelicals globally over the twentieth century, there are significant challenges ahead. In the final section we are oriented to some of these challenges.

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.

As the Church becomes aware of the blessings that can be found in innovation and technology, She is likely to embrace those blessings for the advancement of the gospel.  For example, the missionary activities of the Apostolic and Early Church were aided by the Roman Road system of their days.  Consider the great help of the steam powered locomotive to the Kingdom.  What about the automobile?

I read an article in The Telegraph that caused me to stop and consider how economic improvement across Asia is likely to lead to greater opportunities for the gospel to spread rapidly and with honor (2 Thes 3:1).  As China and India continue to experience a growing middle class, the demand for air travel continues to increase.  And with demand comes the need for more pilots.  Such was the thrust of the article.

The growth in the demand for people to take advantage of the technology of flight is so great that William Voss, President of Flight Safety Foundation was quoted as stating, “Never in human history have we seen a time when two billion people will enter the middle class and demand air travel. That time is now.”

The number of Asians traveling within their countries and across the globe is likely to grow dramatically in the next several years.  Is the Church ready for such movements?

Yes, the Roman Roads, steam-powered locomotives, and automobiles made travel safer, faster and more efficient.

But is that the extent of their value?  Were they allowed to develop simply so we could get to grandmother’s house in time for Christmas?  Sure they were/are wonderful blessings, but is there a bigger picture?

Do you and your church recognize the impact that a rise in the Asian middle class will have on your ministry?  Do you recognize the wonderful Kingdom opportunities that exist for every new Asian pilot who enters the workforce?

Today, I am releasing my latest e-book Leading Your Church in Church Planting: Taking the First Steps. 

This 62-page work is designed to encourage and provide some guidance for pastors considering such missionary work. While some elements of this book will be of value to pastors who are already leading their churches in church planting, this resource was not written with them in mind.  The content is very basic.  It is written for those approaching the starting line–not those  already in the race.

Chapters include:

• Seven Reasons for Leading Your Church in Church Planting
• The Other Wing of the Airplane
• Some Resources to Get You Started
• Avoiding the Nestea Plunge
• Five Steps for Vision Casting for Multiplication
• Anticipating Objections to Church Planting

Each chapter concludes with questions to assist with developing and taking contextualized action steps.

This work is FREE for the taking.

My only request–if you would please–is that you would be kind enough to subscribe to my blog feed and tell at least three other people about this free resource (tweeting it to your millions of followers will suffice).

I truly appreciate your assistance in spreading the word on this book.

The book is available in pdf, Kindle, and Epub formats.  I prefer the pdf.  At this point in time, Kindle and Epub remove some of the aesthetic value of the book.

So, take it, use it, give it away, make photocopies of it, tweet it, etc.!

GET THE PDF HERE: Leading Your Church in Church Planting: Taking the First Steps

GET THE KINDLE and EPUB VERSIONS HERE: Leading Your Church in Church Planting: Taking the First Steps

If you get a chance, please let me know how you are using this book.  I always look forward to hearing from you guys out there.

If you did not get a copy of the other e-book I gave away last month, you may find it HERE.

Happy Thanksgiving!