location, location, location

I recently came accross some data researched to find out why the unchurched choose a church.
Here are the top 13 reasons why:

90% - Pastor/Preaching
88% - Doctrines
49% - Friendliness of Members
42% - Other Issues
41% - Someone Church Witnessed to Me
38% - Family Member
37% - Sensed God’s Presence/Atmosphere of Church
25% - Relationship Other than Family Member
25% - Sunday School Class
25% - Children’s/Youth Ministry
12% - Other Groups/Ministries
11% - Worship Style/Music
7% - Location

look again at number 13...location. I have heard for years now people say the reason they can't grow a larger or more impactful church is the location of the church. Really? Is that the reason or is lack of vision, work ethic, leadership etc. the real reason?

I know some churches are not in the best of areas whether it be low population, poor area, violence etc. However, in the end, aren't those all excuses? Especially when the excuses we use are the very people Christ died for!

Maybe we have to ask what kind of people do we really want in our churches. I remember coming to Banning (a little over 20,000 + in population at the time) and the church had almost no money, 4 people and a horrible track record as far as pastors were concerned (6 in 10 years). Just for the record, the area was fair!

As I was praying I remember God spoke to me concerning protection and provision and He said "I know your address". In other words He knew where we were, the question was, did we? When I look around So Cal Dist. I see almost all of our churches located where the land was cheap and location undesired. However, it is where we are and we can either make it a reason to sit, leave or get busy reaching the city he planted us in. "They can't come if they don't know where you are" may be true but what more is true is they won't come "because you did't invite them to where you are".

What are you doing to invite the lost to where you are?