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specificity . These churches were originally started to serve a very precise area , selfidentified by the residents as a unique and distinctive community . When residents were asked where they lived , they had a clear geographical response .
Sometimes the area was a subdivision , with a specific name . In other neighborhoods , the identifying geographical marker was a major employer .
Neighborhood churches were started in a community for the community . Their purpose was clear . Their geographical mission field was precisely defined .
Neighborhood churches have not fared well for the past few decades . It is not uncommon to blame their decline on larger churches , specifically megachurches . But the wounds were largely selfinflicted . Some neighborhood churches became magnet churches based on a denominational distinction rather than a geographical location . Instead of adapting to a changing population , church members moved out of the neighborhood and drove
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