A coffee for pastors with the Mayor David Miller and County Judge Tom Head took place on Monday, February 5, from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.  at Monterey Church located at 6111 82nd Street, where Barry Stephens is senior minister.

This meeting allowed pastors to 1) hear from the heart of David Miller and Tom Head why they want you and your congregation to pray for our community, and 2) learn details about the city council and county commissioners proclamations for "A HEART for prayer for 2007" in our community which will kick off on Sunday February 18

 

Results of the HEART for Prayer in 2007

 

Hope for the Hopeless  - several advances have been made regarding a city-wide response to the city's homeless and underserved population.  Examples are 1)the first One Stop Shop, collecting in one location, many resources for the homeless and those in need, 2) The continued development of a multi-congregational ministry to the homeless, (now known as We-Can, 3) reorganization of the Board of Directors for Link Ministries with the leadership of David Hayslip and Ron Mercer.4) Church on the Rock is doing outreach in the O.L. Slayton / Bean elementary school area and have been doing that for nearly a year.  They go out each Saturday and distribute food, clean yards, paint houses, whatever the residents in that area need; building relationships and showing God's love for them.  Other neighborhoods are interested in starting because of the impact this ministry has been.  The principals of those schools are VERY receptive to those efforts.  5) Linda DeLeon started "Love Thy Neighbor", an assistance program for those who have potential code violations with their homes.  6) Atmos Energy is expanding its energy efficiency assistance program.  7) The homeless have more resources in Lubbock than in quite some time, but more work needs to be done. 

 

Economic Stewardship - we have had announcements of new businesses opening in Lubbock, even an administrative headquarters for O'Reilly Auto Parts. Unemployment is low. Lubbock’s economy is one of the best in our state.

Economics - Lubbock is far ahead of state and national statistics in several

categories.  Unemployment is among the lowest in the state while job growth

rate is among the best.  Housing starts and home sales are ahead of other

areas.  Cotton crop this year will be in the top 5 best ever in terms of

total bales ginned (even though fewer acres were planted).  New car sales

are good, new business start-ups are strong, and the property tax rate in

Lubbock is the 4th lowest in the state.

For as example, click here for an article from the A-J regarding the economic year 2007 in Lubbock.  Click here for another A-J article date 17 February 2008 outlining the economic blessings upon Lubbock.  Click here to read an article on the remarkable cotton crops from 2004-2007 (2004 was when we began praying for rain.)

 

Authenticity in Relationships - This one is hard to measure.  Sometimes breakdown in relationships is a means of bringing authenticity into relationships. Church leaders have met some tough times, with terminations, even criminal convictions and accusations.  A shaking seems to be going on, to say the least.  There are authentic relationships that are being established in the O.L. Slayton / Bean neighborhoods.

 

Rain - We are currently at 5 inches above normal in precipitation this year.  Even if we have no more rain this year, the record book will show that of the last nearly 100 years on record, this year is exceeded by only 22 other years.  This is the third year in a row for a bumper crop of cotton.  We officially came out of the drought; however, much more rain is needed.  Rain: While is hasn't been the wettest year the timing of the rain has allowed the cotton crop to be one  of the best.  Not sure where 2007 ranks, but it was a wet year yielding a good cotton crop and saving water used to water lawns, etc.

 

Teens - in Sept-Oct 2006, there were 11 area teens killed in traffic accidents. In the same period on 2007, there were no traffic deaths in this same area.  Slight decrease in STD's and teen pregnancies.  Even so, we continue to have a high number of teen pregnancies, STD's in teens, and low-birth weight babies being born to teens.  LISD will soon launch its girls-only school to address some of these issues along with standard education subjects.  Paul Frazier was brought into LISD administration from his position as principle at EHS to head the at-risk

program for LISD teens.