State of the City Report

I recently stumbled on a decade-old article from Harvard University, on public narrative as a triangulation of three stories. The story of self, the story of now, and the story of us. As leaders and participants in our churches, we all have a unique and important story. Every church has its own history; theological, relational, and missiological. The story of self is perhaps the easiest to tell because it is the most accessible. The story of now is also within reach. As cultural commentators and leaders within a time and context, we have our own sense of the changing tides of culture and social sensibilities. At times, the story of now is a challenge to the gospel and our prayers for the kingdom to come, at times it is a boon. But always this story is being conceived and conveyed around us. Finally, and perhaps the farthest from our reach and our experience is the story of us. Jesus forever tied the fulfillment of his mission and our deepest longings to the story of us. That is to say, the story of his people, his church in a unified, trusting, loving relationship with itself as a witness to the veracity of the gospel, the revelation of God in Jesus, and the potency of the kingdom he promises. We are, all of us, a part of the body of Christ in our region. We are, all of us, the people of God. We are, all of us, the church in the Tampa Bay area. And this ontological reality is not altered by our own misgivings, shortcomings, or lack of connection. In my view, deeper relationships between the churches in our cities, resulting in greater collaboration, is a goal as big as any we can conceive. Precisely because in the search for that elusive goal Jesus is somehow gloried. Still, for the story of us to be a triumphal story, we will need a shared goal beyond unity itself. We will need to become more interested in our common cause than in our differences. It is there, in the hope for our cities, and the yearning for faith and justice, that we find a cause too big for any one of us. If we can take an honest look at the story of now; the state of our cities and their myriad of needs, and the story of self; the strength and assets of our individual churches, we may find new imagination for the story of us. We have compiled this report as a starting point for dialogue around the place we live, the people we love, and the collective potential we unknowingly carry. There is always more data to explore, and this is certainly not exhaustive, but we wanted to compile some key figures that help us to see, with better clarity, the place we have been called to love and lead. The data is focused on three counties (Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco) identifying some key demographics, needs, the positioning of the church, and some possibilities for greater collaboration.

You can see the full report here: STATE OF THE CITY REPORT