"A PERSPECTIVE ON OUR COMMUNITY - THOUGHTS ABOUT NEW CITY SERVICES, INDUSTRIES, BUSINESSES, AND CHURCHES"

Small town life is great. Although I grew up a "city boy" in the heart of St. Louis, Missouri (Go, Cardinals!), I have been in small towns in Arkansas since the age of 13. (First in Paragould, then Walnut Ridge, Arkadelphia, Sparkman, Murfreesboro, Malvern, and now England.) I tell people that I am "a Missourian by birth but and Arkansawyer by the grace of God." (I've become such a lover of "The Natural State" that I even prefer the term "Arkansawyer" to "Arkansan." However, there are few drawbacks about small town life ... the most discouraging is that of decline ... population, businesses, industries, and churches. Our town is not what is what fifty years ago. Once filled storefronts are vacant. Shells of factories are in decay. Church attendance is not what it used to be. England is one of those towns "too close" to the Little Rock / North Little Rock metro area. Natives in our town drive to LR/NLR to work, shop, eat, and, yes, to go to church. Very few people have moved into England while many have left. (In my six years, over twenty families have moved away from our community and our church. Not nearly that many have joined in that time.) We haven't experienced the growth that towns west and north of LR/NLR have - Conway, Cabot, Bryant, Benton. We are closer to LR/NLR than those cities. England is only 20 miles from the LR airport. There's only about 18 miles of good two-lane highway with extra-wide paved shoulders (for the farm equipment). The rest of the road is interstate. Our town is one of the most overlooked communities in central Arkansas. Why? Here's the reality check: Yes, we lack a Wal-Mart. And yes, our school system is small (but good). And, yes, the scenery is flat and the mosquitos can be pesky. But here's the optimistic check: The wide open spaces, friendly folks, and closeness to the LR/NLR metro area make up for any negatives.

Enough of the negatives. The good news is ... our community is growing! Our new community recreation center is going up not too far from our home (pictures 1, 2, and 2a below). Recently, I attended the dedication of our newest industry, "England Oil Field Service," that is now hiring (pictures 3 and 3a below). Last year, our new community fishing pond was dedicated (picture 4 below). And, even our church is sprucing up ... last year we built and dedicated our new foyer addition of Bride's Room, Church Library, and restrooms (picture 5 below). It's the first step of a three-part long range building plan. Many in our church believe that England does has a future.

Some people believe that our town and our church will never "be what it used to be." I don't want either of them to be "what they used to be" ... I want both to be better than ever. We can either sigh for the past or plan for the future. Either way, it affects how we live in the present. I choose to plan and hope instead of wish and regret. I choose to not only live in England, but to support it's businesses and institutions as well. To paraphrase a popular song ... "You may say that I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one; I hope someday you'll join us And we will be as one." Let's support England!

Eventually, the urban sprawl will come our way. It may still be a generation away ... but it will come. One builder is planning to erect a gated community. The future may get here sooner that we think.

This is just one pastor's perspective. I hope that our church members and our town citizens share it.