Americans are mobile people. In 2008, an estimated 10 million people moved from county to county in the United States. In today’s post, I have linked you to some interactive maps related to domestic migrations.
In the first map, you will find 2007 data represented, as well as the ability to examine the population flows for your state and region all the way back to 1975.
The second map represents 2008 data. In this map (special thanks to Justin Long for bringing this one to my attention), you are able to interact on a county-by-county basis, as well as examine some of the major cities.
Click on your county to see how many people moved out and to where, and how many moved in and from where. This is a fascinating interactive map. If you really want to get a good look at urban domestic migration, click on one of the city names in the bottom left, or on a county that contains a leading city.
So, play around with these maps, especially the one containing the 2008 county data.
Here are three main concepts that I hope you grasp:
1) A large number of Americans are highly mobile. And while some move only short distances from where they presently live, a good number of them migrate to distant counties.
2) Prepare your members for possible moves. What are you doing to prepare your church members for the time when they may move across the country? Have you been teaching them the importance of joining another church of like faith after their move? How will your church hold them accountable and follow up with them after the move? Will your church be proactive and provide your mobile members a list of other churches–that you know are doctrinally sound–near their new locations?
3) There is a Great Commission potential in these maps. Reaching people in your counties is a bridge into other counties across the country–locations in which you and the majority of your church members may never enter. Are you teaching and modeling before your people how to be on mission where they presently live? Do they have within their hearts the Kingdom Imagination that will result in being on mission wherever they may move in the future? Can you begin to encourage and equip your people in church planting so they may develop such missionary teams if they move in the future?
Thanks for sharing these maps. In addition to what you’ve already mentioned, the high mobility of Americans underscores:
1) The need to emphasize making disciples over establishing churches. The later is vitally important but half your congregation could move within 5-10 years.
2) The continuing relevance of national denominations. If the majority of churches in a denomination have a reasonable similarity in belief and doctrine then it radically speeds up the process of finding a new church family in a new location.
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