GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA
Gainesville is a city in northern Florida. Gainesville is home to Florida's largest and oldest university, and is one of the state's centers of education, medicine, cultural events and athletics. The University of Florida and UF Health Hospital at UF are the leading employers in Gainesville and provide jobs for around 27,000 residents of surrounding counties. Known for its preservation of historic buildings and the beauty of its natural surroundings, Gainesville's numerous parks, museums and lakes provide entertainment to thousands of visitors. Because of its beautiful landscape and urban "forest," Gainesville is one of the most attractive cities in Florida.
Gainesville has a population of approximately 134,000 people, it is the 14th largest city in Florida and the 204th largest city in the United States. Gainesville is currently growing at a rate of 0.25% annually. 65.41% of the population are white, 21.76% Black or African American, 7.20% Asian, 3.92% two or more races, 1.28% other race and 0.43% Native American.
57.9% of the people in Gainesville do not claim any religious affiliation. Research has found that although religious beliefs and practice have been declining at a rapid pace for people of all ages, the drop-off has been most pronounced among people ages 18 to 38. Some of them are turning to convenient, low-commitment substitutes for faith and fellowship like astrology, spiritualism, yoga and self-care. Almost 20% of individuals in that age group agreed that friends are missing from their worship community.
Another notable problem in Gainesville is that it has a 26.8% poverty rate. Few American cities have income distribution as skewed as Gainesville, Florida. The wealthiest 20% of households control 54% of the region's annual income. On the other end of the income spectrum, the poorest 20% of households generate just 1.9% of the region's total income, the smallest share by the bottom fifth of earners among metros reviewed. This means that the richest fifth of households earns about 29 times more in aggregate than the poorest fifth of Gainesville households. Nearly 15% of the region's households earn less than $10,000 per year, well above the national share of households in extreme poverty.
It is our hope and prayer that ACTIVATE CHURCH will join in on the work that the other existing churches are making to reach and meet the needs of the city. We seek to be a life-giving church focusing on discipleship, building community and relationships and help people move towards their purpose, a place where anyone regardless of their background or status can feel welcome and belong.
Gainesville has a population of approximately 134,000 people, it is the 14th largest city in Florida and the 204th largest city in the United States. Gainesville is currently growing at a rate of 0.25% annually. 65.41% of the population are white, 21.76% Black or African American, 7.20% Asian, 3.92% two or more races, 1.28% other race and 0.43% Native American.
57.9% of the people in Gainesville do not claim any religious affiliation. Research has found that although religious beliefs and practice have been declining at a rapid pace for people of all ages, the drop-off has been most pronounced among people ages 18 to 38. Some of them are turning to convenient, low-commitment substitutes for faith and fellowship like astrology, spiritualism, yoga and self-care. Almost 20% of individuals in that age group agreed that friends are missing from their worship community.
Another notable problem in Gainesville is that it has a 26.8% poverty rate. Few American cities have income distribution as skewed as Gainesville, Florida. The wealthiest 20% of households control 54% of the region's annual income. On the other end of the income spectrum, the poorest 20% of households generate just 1.9% of the region's total income, the smallest share by the bottom fifth of earners among metros reviewed. This means that the richest fifth of households earns about 29 times more in aggregate than the poorest fifth of Gainesville households. Nearly 15% of the region's households earn less than $10,000 per year, well above the national share of households in extreme poverty.
It is our hope and prayer that ACTIVATE CHURCH will join in on the work that the other existing churches are making to reach and meet the needs of the city. We seek to be a life-giving church focusing on discipleship, building community and relationships and help people move towards their purpose, a place where anyone regardless of their background or status can feel welcome and belong.