The Rural Think Tank
…It's Different Out Here.
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
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 …