The Rural Think Tank
…It's Different Out Here.
How Technology Has Made the World Smaller Technology has made the world smaller, making it easier to get the message of Christ across the world in ways that we never would have imagined twenty — or even ten — years ago. A church that meets in a building with forty seats on Sunday can reach …
In the latest episode of the Rural Think Tank Podcast, I discuss the history and purpose of the Rural Think Tank.
It’s Friday by SM Lockridge – It’s Friday….Jesus is praying Peter’s a sleeping Judas is betraying But Sunday’s comin’ It’s Friday….Jesus is praying Peter’s a sleeping Judas is betraying But Sunday’s comin’ It’s Friday ….Pilate’s struggling The council is conspiring The crowd is vilifying They don’t even know That Sunday’s comin’ It’s Friday….The disciples are …
The Bible was written in farm country We live in a world where context is vital to our understanding. One of the reasons our society struggles with parts of the Bible is that it is set in an agrarian context. Jesus and Paul used that backdrop and crafted wonderful illustrations. Lets look at a few …
This post was originally published on MinistryPlace.net. What a shoe store can teach the church Sometimes you learn life lessons in the strangest places. I learned a lesson about church consulting at a Red Wing Shoe Store. There are some high standards for selling shoes that have the Red Wing logo. And those standards have …
Why Welcoming New Staff Matters If you live in a community of any size, there is a decent probability that one of the churches will have hired new or replacement staff members. Uprooting and moving a family two miles or two thousand miles is a big deal. How can the believers in your local community …
One invitation changed a family tree It all starts with a young coal miner named John Kuhnert. He had a young family at home, and not a lot of resources. John and his brothers went fishing using a technique called hogging or noodling, grabbing large catfish out of sunken logs during spawning season. One day, …
Why church safety matters There are some questions that those of us in church leadership should be asking ourselves. We live in a dangerous world. As shepherds, we must help protect our flock from physical danger in addition to guarding from spiritual wolves. Church safety is not about fear. It is about stewardship. Ten questions …
This post was originally published on my other blog, MinistryPlace.net I know, I used a buzzword. Whether you are in Church Growth, Business, Marketing, SEO, or Fantasy Sports, the word “Metrics” carrries a heavy connotation. Its one of measuring and evaluting everything for the sake of making things better. In a lot of rural churches, this would be a …
