The Rural Think Tank
…It's Different Out Here.
Church life, health, leadership, and ministry in rural and small congregations.
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 …
This post was originally published at my other blog, MinistryPlace.net I had a first in ministry today. A cat as a visitor to the congregation. The church I am serving is across the street from a home with several kids and a few cats. Often when I come on Sunday morning, there is a black and …
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 …
Isaiah 60:1-7 The Future Glory of Israel 1 [b] Arise, shine, for your light has come,and [c] the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,and thick darkness the peoples;but the Lord will arise upon you,and his glory will be seen upon you.3 [d] And nations shall come to your light,and kings to the brightness of your rising.4 [e] Lift up your eyes all around, and see;they all gather together, they come …
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 …
Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones speaks directly to rural churches facing decline, aging congregations, and the question of whether God can still bring life to places that feel forgotten. Sources MinistryPlace.net Rural Think Tank
When the Foundation Needs Repair Hebrews 12:1-4 — “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our …
This post was originally published on my other blog, MinistryPlace.Net Numbers 13:31-33 31 Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” 32 So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had …