For the children there are swimming meets, little league, junior soccer, Boy Scouts and Camp Fire Girls. Now churches struggle to get even their own members to attend special events. Getting the unchurched to attend seems impossible. No longer is the church a social center for the community. Consequently, it is having to rethink how it will conduct its evangelistic programs in order to attract new people.
Poverty is no longer just an inter-city problem.
The percent of families below the poverty line is approximately the same in rural and non-metropolitan areas as it is in the central city. However, there is a marked difference in the percent of poor families who receive welfare. Fifty percent of inter-city families below the poverty line receive assistance compared only to thirty percent of people residing in rural areas.2 As a result, in smaller communities more emphasis is placed upon community assistance than federal programs. The church needs to be sensitive to the economic needs of people and be willing to assist people as a way of gaining an audience for sharing the gospel of Christ. Social action is not just for the inter-city church, it is for the rural church as well.