| A scribe
wanted to test Jesus, so he questioned him about the interpretation of
the law, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” “Tell me then,”
the scribe pounced, “who is my neighbor?” Jesus responded, according
to the story Luke tells in the tenth chapter of his gospel, with the
parable of the Good Samaritan. Like any parable, this one operates on
several levels of meaning; but one of its meanings is that the
neighbor isn’t always the obvious person: it’s not the one you would
take for granted as a neighbor, or the one who looks like you and
belongs to your “in-group,” or the one you would expect to
connect with. Instead, Jesus says, the neighbor is the one who pays
attention; to recognize who is your neighbor you have to really know
the other person and find out what they need and what you can share with
them; to be a neighbor you have to be willing to step aside from your
own journey and walk awhile in the way the other needs to go.
We at St George’s are beginning a new evangelism and marketing
initiative, in which we are making an effort to reach out to the people
in our neighborhood and be a good neighbor in our corner of St Louis
Park. We are becoming aware of some wonderful opportunities to raise our
visibility and be more present to the immediate community. But, as Jesus
would remind us, being a good neighbor means really paying attention to
the needs and joys of the people close to us. It is important for us to
ask, “Who are our neighbors?”
Thanks to the Diocesan Department of Evangelism and Marketing, we
have access to some very helpful demographic data for the two zip codes
(55416 and 55426) that make up our neighborhood in St Louis Park. These
surveys give us some “snapshots” of the people to whom we can be
neighbors.
In the 55416 area, about 36% of the population is in the 21-39 year
old age range, with another 28% in the 40-49 range, and some 19% under
20. Nearly half the population is married, at 47%, but a fairly large
contingent, 37%, is single and never married. When factors such as
education, income, and lifestyle choices are added in, the largest
segment of the population in this area is what the demographers call “Educated
New Starters.” Some characteristics of this group are that they are
highly educated, often with two graduate degrees in the household; they
have slightly above average household incomes; they tend to rent, rather
than own, their homes; their faith involvement is way below national
averages, as is their belief in God; they are primarily concerned with
issues of companionship, satisfying jobs and careers, finding a life
direction, social injustice, combating racial and ethnic prejudice, and
a healthy environment. When they do look to churches, what they look for
are things like cultural programs, adult theological discussion groups,
sports and camping programs, marriage enrichment opportunities, and
daycare services.
The 55426 area has a slightly different complexion. Its age ranges
are 34% between 21 and 39, 25% 40-49, and 22% under 20. There are more
married households, at 50%, and fewer singles-never-married, at 33%. In
terms of lifestyle segments, the largest single group in this area is
“Suburban Mid-Life.” This group tends to have much higher than
average household incomes, to own their own homes, and to be above
national averages in white-collar occupations and in retirees. When
surveyed, suburban mid-lifers report average or slightly below average
faith involvement; they list their main concerns as childcare, time for
recreation and leisure, retirement opportunities, parenting skills, and
long-term financial security. In churches, they look to find sports and
camping programs, divorce recovery programs, marriage enrichment
opportunities, parent training programs, and participatory music.
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