**NORTH DAKOTA** Have you heard???????@@@@

Originally Posted by Pragmatist

If you haven't lived there, you really can't understand. It's a different mindset and it's very difficult to start a church.

And let me know how many volunteer to "go in there and revitalize and energize them" and if you find someone, see how long they stay.

I agree with this. It is a different group of people and mindset than California, for example. You really have to be there to understand, as I have been in the past.

There are many reasons people do not want to go there, among them are:

- Lack of jobs
- Horrible Climate
- Lack of Large Cities
- Large Distances between churches (sometimes hours to the closest church)

Originally Posted by Thad

It's probably best to send in men to get things started and then let the natives plant churches.

I agree, but it is difficult to get people to come that type of area. The Canadian Plains tried for years to get people to go to different cities with limited success.

Originally Posted by Thad

Pentecostalive ???? any thoughts ?

Sounds good on paper...... However, it is easier said than done.

[Pragmatist]

Originally Posted by Thad

Aren't they mostly of German descent? I heard that most are Lutheran and very traditional.

The other ethnic group is native american indians and they live on reservations.

Generally speaking, the people that settled there have a pioneer mindset. They are very self-reliant and resent anyone telling them what they should do. Case in point, SD was the very last state to pass a mandatory seat belt law. They saw it as too much government interference.

[Thad]

Originally Posted by pentecostisalive

Sounds good on paper...... However, it is easier said than done.

I can only imagine really. i think you are right, we have no idea.

why are the people so hard to reach there? what kind of people are they ?

[Pragmatist]

Originally Posted by pentecostisalive

I agree with this. It is a different group of people and mindset than California, for example. You really have to be there to understand, as I have been in the past.

There are many reasons people do not want to go there, among them are:

- Lack of jobs
- Horrible Climate
- Lack of Large Cities
- Large Distances between churches (sometimes hours to the closest church)

And the jobs that are available are usually minimum wage. Complete culture shock for outsiders.

[Thad]

Originally Posted by Pragmatist

Generally speaking, the people that settled there have a pioneer mindset. They are very self-reliant and resent anyone telling them what they should do. Case in point, SD was the very last state to pass a mandatory seat belt law. They saw it as too much government interference.

So they almost have a libertarian mindset??
we had a upc minister's family from S.D come and visit our church this Summer. they work with the reservations/indians. you could tell they was not use to CA culture but seemed to be soaking it up lol

[Carpenter]

I have personally met those in the Walters family and those in ND and I will vouge they are some of the finest people I have ever met!

This of course has little or nothing to do with the point of this thread.

[Carpenter]

Originally Posted by Pragmatist

Generally speaking, the people that settled there have a pioneer mindset. They are very self-reliant and resent anyone telling them what they should do. Case in point, SD was the very last state to pass a mandatory seat belt law. They saw it as too much government interference.

Ah, but when you look at the circle of friends of those in the ND UPC, you will find they are most certainly of the ultra-conservative stripe...at least their well known friends are...did someone say you are known by the company you keep?

Tremendous people nonetheless.

[Pragmatist]

Originally Posted by Thad

So they almost have a Libertarian mindset??

Yes. It's hard enough to convince them they have a need for God in their lives, let alone the list of extra Biblical rules that many churches teach.