Many rural churches have buildings designed for congregations three times their current size. The sanctuary seats 300. Forty people worship there on Sunday. The building costs $18,000 a year to heat, insure, and maintain. And…
Faithful presence is not a theology of low expectations. It is a theology of honest ones. The concept starts with a simple observation: not every church is called to grow. Some churches are called to…
Most church health tools are built for churches that are not yours. They assume a staff, a budget, and a context that rural and small churches do not have. They measure things that do not…
When a rural church is struggling, three words come up repeatedly: replanting, revitalization, and restart. They are often used interchangeably. They should not be. Each describes a different level of intervention, a different set of…
Many churches think of leadership transition in only one category: get someone in the pulpit until the next pastor arrives. Sometimes that is enough for a short season. But sometimes a congregation needs more than…
Understanding the rural brain drain The rural brain drain describes a pattern that has reshaped small communities across the country. Young people leave for college, for careers, for military service, or simply for a different…
Why technology matters for rural ministry Rural communities face real barriers to connection. Distance, limited broadband, and small populations make it harder to reach people with the gospel using traditional methods alone. But technology, used…
The Heartland Is Not a Mission Field Somewhere Else When most people think about evangelism, they think about distant places. Foreign countries. Urban centers. Places where the gospel has never been heard. And those places…
This message was given at Morey Chapel Church of Christ on 3/14/21, based out of Ezekiel 37. It encourages you to consider your identity. Sources MinistryPlace.net Rural Think Tank
This message was given 2/21/2021 at Morey Chapel Church of Christ in Westville, IL. Sources MinistryPlace.net Rural Think Tank