Image Courtesy of USA Today
It's happening to a city near you.
It's being weaved and consolidated into a huge, vast, sprawling city. Welcome to the Megapolitan era! It is upon us.
I happen to live in the Piedmont Megapolitan. I see it happening right in front of my eyes. From Atlanta, GA up the I-85 corridor through Greenville, SC to Charlotte, NC ... there is a connectedness in many ways ... commerce, infrastructure highways, natural gas, drinking water, hospitals, oil, coalitions, signs, companies, churches, & etc. They are all becoming more interconnected ... because of their grouping in terms of geography.
Think I'm crazy? You should read this book ... Megapolitan America.
What is the ramification for churches in our nation because of this? While the term "Megapolitan" is a new one ... consolidation and leverage are not. Churches are doing more multi-sites, they are merging, they are bonding together ... the idea of grouping together for results is not a new one in church world.
Here are some other questions to ponder with me:
- How will the idea of a Megapolitan impact our churches?
- What opportunities exist for the Church ... if your geography perception is enlarged?
- How will the Church view connectedness going forward (people, communities, & other churches)?
- What happens when "church competition" collapses when a geographical area becomes one?
- How can the Church lead the way in addressing this opportunity?
- How will the Megapolitans idea impact church planting?
Why shouldn't the Church lead in this area? Why would we let the government or business lead this initiative? Churches have a REAL opportunity here.
