The Need

The spiritual need in Ocean Springs is unmistakable and tangible. There is a darkness that is in dire need of the light of the gospel.

  • 80 percent of the people in Ocean Springs are either un-churched (don’t go; no thought of going; spiritually lost), de-churched (used to go; something happened; not sure if they want to go back; spiritually hurting), or semi-churched (go occasionally; not really involved; spiritually confused).

  • Ocean Springs is a growing city of just under 20,000 people – 0 PCA churches.

  • Ocean Springs has a natural geographical reach of about 45,000 – 0 PCA churches.

  • Ocean Springs is in Jackson County with a population of 130,000 – 1 PCA church.

“It’s been such a painful journey. I have started to pray and to try to talk to God. But I live in Ocean Springs…and I don’t have anyone there that I can talk to about this.”

— Alicia, our waitress, as she was telling us about her tattoos. The one tattoo was for her mother, whom she had lost. And another was for her daughter, whom she had also lost. And another was for her journey of recovery from addiction.