State of the City Project
The State of the City project exists to: identify the current demographic norms and trends of the Omaha Metro; reveal neighborhood history, values, and cultural tensions; discover the evangelistic/missional effectiveness of local churches; equip church leaders to be more informed, better connected, and fully engaged in evangelism efforts; and, provide strategic opportunities to address two to three of the unacceptable realities facing our city.
This project seeks to provide both a compelling picture of tomorrow (what can be true of the Metro ten years from now) along with a comprehensive understanding of what is true or real today. Our desire is that these two pictures, the present and the future, would motivate a collaborative work amongst Jesus’ church to see the realities of His kingdom come true here in the Metro as they are in heaven.
State of the City Five-Fold Initiative:
Demographic Research: To identify current data that describes the composition of the population in the Omaha Metro, such as age, race, gender, income, migration patterns and population growth. We will also seek to identify past, current, and future trends that might inform Within Reach’s future strategic plans and emphases.
Barna Cities State of the City & Church: Barna partners with cities to help leaders be more informed, better connected and fully engaged. They equip churches with improved research and an expanded set of resources for effectively engaging their people and surrounding community as they carry out the Jesus-mission.
For more, visit stateofthecity.gloo.us.
City Example: State of Columbus Report
Neighborhood Assessments with Seed to Oaks: Seed to Oaks helps cities understand the story of our neighborhoods and residents including their history, community values, demographics, spiritual landscape, cultural tensions, and strategic opportunities. This step-by-step assessment will help the Within Reach network understand the genuine needs and dreams within our city so that our collaborative efforts are effective.
For more, visit https://seedtooaks.com/neighborhood-360/
State of Evangelism Report: This report seeks to learn the current state of evangelism in our city’s local churches, inspire and equip local churches in effective evangelism, and mobilize local churches to advance the mission and message of Jesus more effectively.
Outcomes: One of the primary goals of this project is to help leaders identify a series of outcomes that describe the unacceptable realities in our city along with solutions for how we might collaboratively address them in the years to come. Our desire is to see people encounter Jesus’ goodness and for the Metro to be filled with the realities of His kingdom. Understanding that reports are only as good as the realizations and realities they produce, our desire is to see the fruit of transformed lives, neighborhoods, and communities grow out of the collective efforts of this endeavor.
To learn more about playing a role in the State of the City project, click here.