Sentence:  Churches can be strengthened through this process of co-optation so long as the environs of the church provide a sufficient pool of <WSD>people</WSD> who can fit the pattern of economic integration ; once the pool of recruits diminishes , the congregation is helpless - friendly contacts no longer keep it going . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively