I am fairly new to the New York church scene (10 days!). So far, here are my observations:
1. Unlike Dallas, mega churches are not on every corner. In fact, I have yet to see a single mega church. To the contrary, I doubt most of the churches I have seen could fit more than 100 people. Though I knew Dallas was a bit of an anomaly, it still amazes me how different the rest of the world is. (By the way, if you are thinking of planting a church in Dallas, I recommend you reconsider.)
2. Of the churches I have seen, the vast majority seem to be of the “mainline” category – Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic, etc.
3. I have met three Christians among my fellow employees at my new job. Within 30 seconds of our conversation, all three let me know they were “Hyper Calvinists.”
4. I have had a couple “religious” conversations with other people in the area (though I consider all interactions with all people to be spiritual). Both people were essentially atheistic or agnostic.
5. Since my job is with the federal government, I have kept my ears open for hints as to how the government views “religion.” My initial assessment is that the average government employee up here agrees with Karl Marx, who said that “religion is the opiate of the masses.” In other words, religion is a government-approved drug to help keep people happy. It is not really for those who “have their life together” but for those who need a little help to hobble along, or a little hope to keep them going.
Tomorrow, I will post my initial thoughts about church planting in this area.
Hyper Calvinist should, by logical conclusion, just take their own lives because the end has been determined and there is nothing they can do about it. What a depressing way to look at life!