ACTION STEP 5

Charting the urban lifestyle of people in your locality needs a professional survey. But a quick quiz among the congregation might be revealing - even allowing that the congregation is unlikely to be representative the population as a whole.

Ask two simple questions:

1. How far are you prepared to travel for

a) work b) your groceries c) school d) an evening out e) a sporting or recreational activity? (People should also indicate where? in each case).

The results can be plotted diagrammatically on a map. Housing changing hands more frequently than in the past is a sign of urbanisation.

Some possible surprises:

a) Rural folk may prove to be more urban than some townspeople.

b) Some urban areas may be very self-contained (as villages used to be) but they are often deprived in other ways.

c) If you live in a settled and relatively self-contained community, thank God but don’t expect it to last!