Moving north of Lethbridge, but still well south of Calgary, we encounter the growing suburb community of Okotoks.
This is a bedroom community of Calgary, but only for the last 20 years or so. Before that it was just another small prairie ranching/farming village. Since Calgary really started exploding, it has become something close enough that people who don’t want to live in the “big city” began to find it desireable. In 1981 it was a town of 3800 people. In 2006 it broke 17 thousand.
According to Outreach Canada, this is a location that needs churches. The proportion of evangelical churches to population is up around 3000, and the target for Canada is 2000.
Pros:
- Adjacent to Calgary, just outside the metro area. Means easy access to passing the vision of more churches in Calgary.
- Smaller, less urban centre.
- Southern, so milder weather as compared to cities in central Alberta.
- Closer to transportation routes – Calgary Airport, Banff, Trans-Canada, family if we want.
- More familiar culture – similar to what we have lived in for the last 10 years (though not necessary where we want to live.)
Cons:
- Bedroom Community means:
- Commuter culture – less time for things like Church
- Perhaps less shopping options because everyone goes to the city.
- Don’t like the Calgary Flames, or the Stampeders.
Tags: church planting, locations, Okotoks
