This came to me yesterday I was in the City building to pay our utilities while there I spoke to the Mayor, City Clerk, Building Inspector. I go to the Library two of our saints work there and I know all of them. The folks at the grocery store, drug store, dollar store, hardware store all know us personally. A visiting missionary was coming to speak at the church last night he forgot the way and stopped and asked directions the person he asked just got in his car and led him to the church. I have saints working at both funeral homes. The church has been here 48 years and I have been here 13 years so everyone knows us. We are the only Oneness church in our small town of course our city is yet listed as an unchurched city. I am indeed thankful for where I am. Our church has maintained a good name in this city.
I grew up in a town of 2000 in Southern Illinois. So when God sent us to Adamsville, TN (pop. 1500) I felt right at home. We were there for over twenty years. However, now that I live in Jackson, it would be kind of hard to move back to a small town. Jackson isn't huge by any means, but everything is so convenient. We actually have places to go after 8 PM, which we didn't have for many years.
But I understand the family feel in a small town; there are advantages.
Brother E, you are doubly blessed. First to be in a small town and second to be in an "unchurched" town.
my small home town which i would really love to be able to move back to, has more "churches" than you can throw a stick at.
4 UPCI churches (if you count Shady Grove which is 5 miles out) then 2 ALJC and at least 5 independants. at least 4 of these are splits off another, 1 is a former pastor that has gone charismatic. one of the independants is NEW! He just felt the Lord call him to town that already has at least 10 apostolic churchs.
there are only 13,000 in town.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
Brother E, you are doubly blessed. First to be in a small town and second to be in an "unchurched" town.
my small home town which i would really love to be able to move back to, has more "churches" than you can throw a stick at.
4 UPCI churches (if you count Shady Grove which is 5 miles out) then 2 ALJC and at least 5 independants. at least 4 of these are splits off another, 1 is a former pastor that has gone charismatic. one of the independants is NEW! He just felt the Lord call him to town that already has at least 10 apostolic churchs.
there are only 13,000 in town.
Shady Grove is that in the Dallas Area, and is that a former UPC work?
When you live somewhere that has less people you tend to live closer to the maker creating. I love the fact when I step outside there no city street lights shinning above me just the moon or the star to light my way, no siren or neighbors yelling, braking dogs, just the coyotes, frogs, crickets to sign me asleep. I love my view of the mountains and the wild life in my own front yard, we've had bears, white tail deers, mt lions, Elk even moose. I rather take in these beauty then see buildings and trash and drink fresh water from my own well then recycled water treated with chlorine. I prefer dirt under my feet over concert and growing my vegetables and hunting for meat, and walking down to the river to fish, or pick wild berries, then buy foods that been over processed and shot full or cancer causing hormones that have no nutritional values . When you live next to the things God made, living for Him a lot easier, I do not believe man was ever meant to live like rats on top of one another~
Small town living has its advantages and disadvantages. I am 10 min from Indianapolis…gotta go through 10 min of cornfields to get to Indy, but it is that close. I stay here because it is a safe suburb with the convenience of a big city.
Our suburb is about 18 thousand now…sometimes I think it is getting too large though. Being raised in a minister’s home afforded me the opportunity to know many people as lots of people have Apostolic roots and familiar with the church… even if they never attended church. The city has really grown over the last 15 years or so… but there is still so many that have roots in the church.
I was at a store in Indianapolis about 10 years ago and left my drivers license after writing a check. The store manager couldn’t mail the license because of policy and didn’t have a phone number for me… so they decided to call the Police Department of the suburb I live in for help… hoping that I reported them lost.
The manager of the Store was quite impressed when I picked them up… he told me that the police said “Lisa Taylor is Rev So-and-so’s daughter… we will call him and let him know. Even though I was married w/different name, I was still identified and that was helpful.
Down side of small town living is everyone knows too much about people and whatever they do in life… I’m still taken back at the people you meet in Walmart who you’ve not seen in years, but they sure know what you’ve been up to in the last 5-10 years. Or the clerk at my utility office who keeps track of my personal life over the last 16 years…thanks to a local newspaper that still reports small details of the local courts.
Life is good in small town living but can be a pain in the backside at times too…. I keep saying I am going to move someday… probably when my kids are gone.
I am indeed thankful for where I am. Our church has maintained a good name in this city.
Hybrid Mode
