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The Rural Think Tank

…It's Different Out Here.

Category: Life

A Christian Phone Company Is Launching. That Should Make Us Ask Better Questions.

June 8, 2026 by Tracy Kiger

Radiant Mobile may meet a real need for Christian families, but its launch raises bigger questions about filtering, discipleship, Christian branding, and church loyalty incentives.

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The Rural Brain Drain: Nurturing Small Communities in the Face of Migration

June 8, 2026 by brentlacydotcom

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 life. Many do not come back. Over time, this outward migration reduces the number of working-age adults, professionals, and leaders …

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Embracing Technology: Reaching Rural Communities with the Gospel

June 8, 2026 by brentlacydotcom

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 thoughtfully, can extend the reach of a small church in ways that were not possible a generation ago. This is …

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Reaching Hearts in the Heartland: Spreading the Gospel in Rural Communities

June 8, 2026 by brentlacydotcom

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 matter. The Great Commission is global, and the church must be global in its vision. But there is a mission …

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Rural Thinktank Podcast Episode 50: Which entry are you paying attention to?

June 8, 2026 by brentlacydotcom

This message is from 3/28/21 at Morey Chapel Church of Christ near Westville, Illinois. It takes a look at the Triumphal Entry of Jesus on Palm Sunday, plcing it in hisorical context of other things occurring at the same time. What are you paying attention to?

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Rural Thinktank Episode 49: What’s Your Story?

June 8, 2026 by brentlacydotcom

This message is from 3/21/21 at Morey Chapel Church of Christ near Westville, Illinois.     

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Rural Thinktank Podcast Episode 47: Does it look like the Neighborhood?

June 8, 2026 by brentlacydotcom

This message was given 2/21/2021 at Morey Chapel Church of Christ in Westville, IL. 

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Rural Thinktank Podcast Episode 33: Maintaining the business reputation of a church

June 8, 2026 by brentlacydotcom

This podcast episode addresses the question – Can how a church conducts business in the community help or hinder it’s witness and reputation? The answer may not be as clearcut as you think…  If you have thoughts/input/questions, go to ruralthinktank.com and hit the contact button or go to anchor.fm/ruralthinktank and leave a voice message.

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Rural Thinktank Episode 26 : More thoughts on Church Safety

June 8, 2026 by brentlacydotcom

This episode contains information localized to the US/North America, due to laws that are present here.  There may be content that you might disagree with in this episode, but please hear me out and listen. This Episode was recorded in mid-December 2019, before the last round of church/synagogue violence in the US. The discussions that …

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Rural Thinktank Podcast Episode 16: Changing Media Consumption and Rural Ministry

June 8, 2026 by brentlacydotcom

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 …

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