SUBSCRIBE TODAY:
iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • Spotify
Things are changing demographically in the United States, specifically rural America. Beginning in 2013, the decline rate in rural areas began to decrease. In 2017, not only did the decline rate decrease but those arriving in rural and small towns exceeded those exiting. Today’s episode addresses how rural and small town churches can attract these new neighbors.
Highlights:
- They can feel like family.
- They are often integral parts of the community.
- They can be agile.
- They are often volunteer-centric.
- They can be tenacious.
Resources mentioned in today’s podcast:
-
-
Revitalize & Replant is sponsored by the North American Mission Board and ChurchReplanters.com. More than 10% of churches in North America are at risk of closing and the North American Mission Board is committed to reversing this trend by decreasing the death rate of existing churches while simultaneously increasing the birth rate of new churches. To learn more about what it means to become a replanting pastor or to explore resources for replanting and revitalization in your own church, visit ChurchReplanters.com.Submit Your Question:
Do you have a question about church revitalization or replanting for us to use on the podcast? Visit the podcast page to submit your question. If we use it on the show, you’ll get a copy of Autopsy of a Deceased Church and Reclaiming Glory.
-
As I navigate my 10th year of ministry in my rural church I agree with these observations. Although the “volunteer spirit” can be both good and bad as a Parish ages. The love to assist but don’t have the energy to volunteer as much as they did in the past. The other downside is, as the Parish ages out or the people change and the skills/callings of the members changes there can be an issue with “no one to run the flower guild”.
One other item which is important and that you touched on briefly is their charity and welcoming of new ministers, as long as the new minister honors them. My church is my first call ever and to say that my preaching was bad at the beginning was an understatement – not the content but the delivery. Because I was committed to their health and their sense of being part of their community they gave feedback and helped me navigate my preaching practices. By their charity they have come to experience the truth of God’s message in ways that I could never tell them.
The original “agile” was AGIL and referred to social systems (i.e., purposeful people-groups composed of 2 or more members—like local New Testament churches—existing for a specific reason and consciously seeking to sustain their own existences at least, if achieving no other stated mission). One of their key functions daily is assimilation—but breaking into existing small groups (cliques—not necessarily ill-intended) can be very difficult and discouraging. So, a focus should be on starting new groups as people join/become involved. To do so is motivating for those folk especially—another important function of purposeful people-groups like churches. (A stay-at-home project: try to find one page of the Bible NOT talking about social systems :-} ).