There’s a lot of positives to say about living in Rochester! Starting a church in Rochester is a great choice!
Here are some fast facts about church planting in Rochester, NY
- City of 1.1 million people in the 5 county area
- Best City for Commuters (20 minute commute everywhere)
- #1 Most Livable Bargain Market
- Best Place to Buy a Home
- 2nd largest economy in New York!
- 2nd largest concentration of wealth in NY
- 4th Most Affordable City in the country
- Rated the 5th Best City for Families
- Top 10 in the nation for residents logging volunteer hours
- One of America’s most innovative cities
(Gathered by Innovative Recruiting Solutions; www.innovativersi.com)
Thinking of church planting in Rochester? It’s a great choice! Rochester is an amazing city that has a smaller family feel to it, with a big city culture and strong diversity as well. You can get almost anywhere in Rochester in 20 minutes (so no waiting in big traffic) and there is everything here that you can imagine and plenty of opportunities to meet people and get involved in city life.
When you begin to explore the city, you realize that there all of these different areas, with distinct people and unique opportunities to start a church. The area of Corn Hill is the earliest neighborhood in Rochester and an amazing place to live (cornhill.org), while the East end offers downtown living and entertainment. Rochester is home to many growing suburbs as well located on the east and west side. Then there is Henrietta, home to R.I.T, and University of Rochester and Monroe Community College – where there are many college students to connect with. People are eager to connect with something meaningful in their life, and to move away from religion to a faith that makes sense.
The people are hard-working people who love their country and love their families. It’s not uncommon to find generations of the same family all still living here in Rochester, so the opportunities for Gospel centered churches are very good. With less than 10% of evangelical presence in the city, the need for churches that can share the Gospel of Jesus, make disciples, and be life-giving churches is very high. Most people are open and searching about their faith, and have never heard of the compelling freedom following Jesus is all about. Church planting in Rochester offers a unique opportunity to connect with a highly educated, family centered, hard working people who are searching for answers and the truth to understanding and serving Jesus with their lives.
Church planting in Rochester, New York