The Rural Think Tank
…It's Different Out Here.
Rural Think Tank podcast episodes. Audio content covering rural church leadership, ministry challenges, and interviews with practitioners serving in small-town America.
This episode looks at some of the things you encounter in rural ministry that they do not teach you about in college or seminary. Links to things I mention in this episode: The Rural Think Tank – http://ruralthinktank.com Rural Youth Ministry 2nd Edition Book at Amazon – http://bit.do/rym2 Supporting this podcast – https://anchor.fm/ruralthinktank Sources MinistryPlace.net Rural Think Tank
This is a message given 11/24/2019 at Bloomingdale Friends Church, in Bloomingdale, Indiana. EPIC fails: Bible Edition. Part II We will be looking at how God used people in spite of their personalities, backgrounds and failures. Week 2 – Fear, Doubt and Past Shame – We will be looking at Moses, Thomas, Gideon, Peter (Again!), Paul, …
This is a message given 11/17/2019 at Bloomingdale Friends Church, in Bloomingdale, Indiana. EPIC fails: Bible Edition. Part I We will be looking at how God used people in spite of their personalities, backgrounds and failures. Week 1 – Lust, Pride and, Lies – We will be looking at King David, Baalam, Samson, Peter, Jacob and …
This episode talks about two new economic trends in rural america that we need to pay attention to as we serve our communities. Links to things I mention in this episode: The Rural Think Tank – http://ruralthinktank.com The Rural Housing Crunch https://www.apnews.com/cdc232bebb5f4f8d93ed42de09e809ac https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2019/03/25/rural-america-faces-a-housing-cost-crunch https://shelterforce.org/2019/08/26/the-rental-housing-crisis-is-a-rural-issue-too/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/housings-hidden-crisis-rural-americans-struggling-to-pay-the-rent/ https://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2019/0705/Rural-America-faces-housing-shortage.-How-one-town-is-addressing-it The Cost of Used Cars is not what it used …
This episode talks about the need to keep safe the data and identity information that is commonly used within a church. Specifically, steps that can be taken in a Rural/Small Church environment to keep the data from the wrong hands. Small churches can be big targets. Links to things I mention in this episode: The …
This episode talks about changing media consumption habits and how they affect the ways that we present the message of the Gospel through our ministries. Links to things I mention in this episode: The Rural Think Tank – http://ruralthinktank.com RightNow Media –http://rightnowmedia.com FaithlifeTV – https://faithlifetv.com/ Rural Youth Ministry 2nd Edition Book at Amazon – http://bit.do/rym2 Supporting this podcast …
This episode talks about the need to keep safe the data and identity information that is commonly used within a church. Specifically, steps that can be taken in a Rural/Small Church environment to keep the data from the wrong hands. Small churches can be big targets. Links to things I mention in this episode: The …
Why do you do what you do in your church? It’s a hard question to answer sometimes. Other times, the answer is clear – “Because that’s the way we’ve ALWAYS done it”. This episode discusses streamlining both worship services and ministry programming. Links to things I mention in this episode: The Rural Think Tank – http://ruralthinktank.com …
The Training Gap in Rural Ministry Rural pastors face a unique challenge: they are expected to be experts in everything — preaching, counseling, administration, technology, youth ministry, senior care, and community outreach — but they often have access to training in none of these areas. Traditional seminary education is expensive, time-consuming, and often designed for …
This podcast episode looks at the “graying” of our rural and small congregations (Episodes 3 and 6 are also related here). I discuss changing the perspective of how you do ministry when you have a predominately senior adult congregation. We look at not what seniors can’t do, but what they can do. Links to things …