When winter weather hits, how should your church respond, particularly if you are in a small town? The tips that follow would also serve urban churches well, but these are especially critical in small rural counties.
I want to let you all know about the Praxis Gathering Conference in Philadelphia next month! I’m honored to present at this year’s event, and will have the opportunity to share about neighboring in small town and rural ministry contexts.
I just ditched my entire sermon for tomorrow. Charlottesville demands it. Two hours from where I sit, Nazis, KKK clansmen, anarchists, socialist militants, and southern secessionists have clashed all day in the city of Charlottesville, Virginia. As I watch in horror and sorrow, and pray earnestly for clergy colleagues in the mix, I can’t help but wonder – “What if it was my town?”
In rural ministry, which for many can seem like a wilderness experience, there are unique temptations that persist no matter how many times you’ve battled them. Jesus was tempted in three ways at the outset of his ministry. There are three major temptations that rural ministers and churches face…
If small town churches were their own denominational network, they would be THREE TIMES the size of the largest denomination in the land. Maybe if you’re in the wilderness, its because that’s where God has called you.
