How well do we know our town?

In preparation for this week's adult Sunday School class, Arnold sent around this message... follow the links to lots of interesting information about our town... as Arnold says, what are the implications of this information for understanding our own mission "in the context in which God has placed us"...?

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Our church wants to make reaching out and engaging our community a priority. To continue to do that well, we need to understand both the changes, statistical trends and history of our town. (E.g., I'm almost a Stouffville "old-timer" -- 37% of the community arrived after we did in 2006). Where are the needs? What would be Good News to this community undergoing such a major change-over?

To this end I've made some significant additions to the Wikipedia entry for Whitchurch-Stouffville, with links to many very interesting and important sources (some sample links below). Please take the time to read this entry and come prepared next Sunday to share your experience/wisdom about the context in which God has placed us (and let me know what could/should be added, changed, etc.).

Have a good week,

Arnold
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If you want to do more reading, here are some sources I found helpful (esp. because they are now all online!):

* Jean Barkey et al, Whitchurch Township (Erin, ON: Boston Mills, 1993).
* Jean Barkey, Stouffville, 1877-1977: A Pictorial History of a Prosperous Ontario Community (Stouffville, ON: Stouffville Historical Committee, 1977).
* Isabel Champion, ed., Markham: 1793-1900 (Markham, ON: Markham Historical Society, 1979), 289-296.
* C.P. Mulvany, et al, Stouffville, History of Toronto and County of York, Ontario (Toronto: C.B. Robinson, 1885), 202f.
* Canadian Council on Learning, Composite Learning Index 2010 Profile: Whitchurch-Stouffville, "Smart Cities," Macleans May 31, 2010.
* 2006 Stats Canada Community Highlights for Whitchurch-Stouffville (compare also 1991 and 1996 profile).
* Cf. the detailed 1878 maps, Township of Markham and Township of Whitchurch, Illustrated historical atlas of the county of York and the township of West Gwillimbury & town of Bradford in the county of Simcoe, Ont. (Toronto : Miles & Co., 1878).