Chart your local area

A mapping site called maps.huge.info can yield some useful data for your church. You can easily find the Postal ZIP codes within a specified radius of your church address, for example.

The radius search is a Google Maps mashup that uses a polygon to approximate a circle and displays ZIP Code area results graphically on the interactive map. You can drag the green radius indicator to change it or you can use the text box to change it.

The results also display brief demographics about the area selected. One example -- a couple of demographics for the ZIP codes found within a 3-mile radius of Avondale Pattillo UMC:

• Year 2008 Households: 69,019 (est.)
• Year 2000 Households: 62,142

The following postal areas were found within that 3-mile radius:

• Avondale Estates
• Clarkston
• Decatur
• Scottdale
• Stone Mountain

"So what?", you say.

Let's be clear ... the more you know about the area around your church and the people who live there, the better you can serve your local community. Use the ZIP Code maps to consider where to "aim" mailouts or decide in which communities to seek to enter event (calendar type) information? Locate emailed newsletters or online calendars that serve the areas within your selected radius. Then contact the publication editor and find out how to get in their pub or on their calendar. This Google mashup can help you better target your external communications.

Trying to decide on a door-to-door evangelism-related effort? Use these maps to spark discussion on which local areas to go into.

Online ZIP Code mapping programs can also visually identify which parts of other ZIP Code areas are near you. Remember, different areas within a ZIP Code may have different demographics than the ZIP Code area as a whole.

Speaking of demographics, combine online demographic data for ZIP codes near your church with knowing what parts of which ZIP Codes are in the radius you wish to primarily serve.

• Selected ZIP Codes by radius (at maps.huge.info)
• Demographic U.S. Census information by ZIP Code (example is Zip Code 30002)
• U.S Census map: Percentage of Black or African-American (for Zip Code 30002)