Part of the reason for Paul's success was that he kept his finger upon the heartbeat of the culture and adapted his methodology to fit the people that he was serving. While the number of trends and cultural issues confronting the church rapidly and continually changes, there are six that play an important role in defining and influencing the manner in which the church serves its people and its community. The mobility of people. People are constantly on the move. Where farmers once tilled only the land that was in close proximity to their home, now it is common for them to travel thirty to forty miles to reach segments of their farm.
Ranchers have summer and winter ranges in different states to benefit from various climates.
People in small towns will drive to larger cities for their shopping, socializing, and church activities. People in the city will by-pass a number of solid, evangelical churches of varying sizes and denomination to attend the church of their choice. The effect of this movement means that the church, even in the rural areas, cannot assume that people will attend just because their doors are open. The church needs to carefully examine who it desires to reach, what it is doing to attract people, and how it will keep them once they start coming. Multiple social centers.