Planting Churches among the City's Poor - Volume 1

P ART III: P LANTING U RBAN C HURCHES • 415

4. What is the predominant perception of the various minority groups towards their community and their life within it? 5. Is there ill-will between the majority culture and minorities within the community? If so, how has this ill-will been expressed? 6. What evidences of injustice, segregation, mistreatment, and/or discrimination can be found in the life of the community (e.g., in the schools, hospitals, places of entertainment, etc.)? 7. Do equal opportunities exist for housing, police protection, employment, and leadership within community posts? 8. What churches, organizations, or community centers do minorities within the community frequent and congregate? 9. How does the media depict the minority population within the community? 1. How does the community envision its own religious identity? 2. What are the major religious affiliations within the community (e.g., Christian, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, etc.)? How many belong to each affiliation, how long has the tradition been present within the community, and who are the respective leaders of each tradition within the community? 3. What percentage of the community attends some type of religious event regularly on daily, weekly, monthly, or annually? 4. What is the predominant religious group in the community? 5. What kind and number of Christian churches (Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox) exist in the area? 6. How much does cultic or sectarian behavior influence the residents of the community (i.e., Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Black Muslims, etc.)? 7. How does the community celebrate major religious holidays/ events/festivals? 8. Who are the key religious figures in the community? What is the nature of the relationship and dialogue among them? 9. What kind of missionizing and religious outreach activities are currently taking place within the community? 10. To what degree is religious life and affiliation associated with cultural, racial, economic, or lifestyle lines of the greater secular community?

XIII. What Is the Religious Character and Expression within the Community?