It's every priest's dream. A decade of unprecedented growth in Union County brought new members in droves to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and other area houses of worship. The problem was solved in November when parishioners gathered in a new sanctuary that can seat 540 people. Area ministers estimate that in the past decade, as many as three dozen of the county's 80 Christian churches have built or expanded buildings. The needs of the people who are moving in here are different than the needs of those who lived here just 14 or 15 years ago,'' said Ed Bialon, minister at Marysville Church of Christ.
Church growth is one indication that Union County is attracting newcomers from the Columbus area.
In a six-day package, The Dispatch examines population growth in central Ohio and its effect on everyday life. The city now boasts 15,942 residents, a 65 percent gain since 1990. Mill Valley and the Woods at Mill Valley signaled the beginning of the Marysville residential building boom in the early 1990s. The two subdivisions include more than 750 homes. His Sunday services now attract about 230 people.