Can rural churches and ministers play a significant role in the growth of Christianity in America? If history is an indicator, the answer is a resounding yes.

The most significant economic turmoil in modern history was the Great Depression (1929-1939), which devastated many segments of American Christianity. Historian Mark Noll observed that mainline Protestants faced economic uncertainties and theological uncertainties as liberal theology had begun to replace historic Christian beliefs. Many mainline congregations, schools, and ministries closed or drastically cut back. Institutions funded by endowments that disappeared with the Wall Street crash were running off fumes of the past.

However, a noticeable exception to the decline of religious institutions in the 1930s, evangelical and Pentecostal churches made significant gains. According to Noll, these “sectarian” churches “knew better how to redeem the times.”[1]

Religious censuses conducted by the United States Government in 1926 and 1936 revealed that the number of Assemblies of God (AG) churches almost quadrupled, and membership tripled during that ten-year period.[2] Significantly, much of that growth occurred in rural America.

An analysis of these statistics reveal some helpful insights about rural ministry. The government defined an “urban” area as a city or other incorporated area with a population of at least 2,500 people. Rural areas were defined as those areas not classified as urban.

1. Rural church membership grew significantly despite a mass migration away from rural areas. Total rural church membership grew at a higher rate (360%) than urban church membership (280%) from 1926 to 1936. When other social institutions struggled, rural churches helped provide stability and spiritual solutions in communities during social upheaval. Tough times can provide great ministry opportunities.
2. Pentecostals left rural areas in the Midwest and South, migrating to the West and North, and started congregations in almost every major city. In the providence of God, the painful social dislocation of the 1930s helped bring about the rapid spread of Pentecostalism. Like pollen scattered by a strong wind, Pentecostal refugees from rural areas planted churches wherever they happened to land.
3. Rural churches tended to be smaller than urban churches. In 1926, rural churches averaged 45 members, and urban churches
   averaged 100 members. This is not surprising, as fewer people live in rural areas.
4. The growth of God’s Kingdom does not necessarily mean that individual churches get larger. The number of AG members and churches grew at an astounding rate (tripling and almost quadrupling) from 1926 to 1936. However, the average size of churches shrank slightly; rural churches declined from 45 to 36 members, and urban churches declined from 100 to 86 during that ten-year period. Aggressive church planting and evangelism helped expand the Church, but this does not always translate into bigger numbers for the local church, as people leave existing churches to start new ones. It remains essential to be “Kingdom-minded,” prioritizing the Church and not solely on the local congregation.
5. Bible colleges helped lay the foundation for the expansion of the AG. Of today’s seven largest Assemblies of God colleges and universities, four started during the Great Depression: North Central University (1930), Northwest University (1934), Southeastern
   University (1935), and Valley Forge Christian College (1939). Students from these schools dispersed; some held high-profile evangelistic campaigns, but most started small. Countless rural outstations and Vacation Bible Schools took root and developed into churches.
6. Women ministers contributed to a significant portion of the growth in the 1930s. In North Dakota, women pioneered 29% of all AG
   churches and outstations through 1940.[3] Established congregations generally sought male pastors, leaving women with less desirable ministry opportunities. Many early young women ministers traveled in pairs. Typically, one preached, and the other led singing. The prospect of seeing female clerics often attracted crowds of curious onlookers in new Pentecostal fields. Women ministers proved their mettle by venturing into tough fields and achieved solid results.

Faced with the social chaos and financial uncertainty of the Great Depression, it would have been understandable if AG leaders had not invested in church planting, missions, and education. However, the difficult times reminded believers of the ripe harvest fields and Christ’s imminent second coming. AG pastors and members viewed the economic crisis as an opportunity to engage in ardent prayer and great personal sacrifice to advance the Kingdom of God.

These strong attitudes among rural pastors and members helped to lead the growth of the AG during the nation’s greatest economic upheaval.

[1] Mark A. Noll, A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992), 432.

[2] Bureau of the Census, Religious Bodies: 1926, Summary and Detailed Tables, vol. 2 (Washington, DC: United States Government Printing
Office, 1930), 60; Bureau of the Census, Religious Bodies: 1936, Summary and Detailed Tables, vol. 2 (Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1941), 63.

[3] Darrin J. Rodgers, Northern Harvest: Pentecostalism in North Dakota (Bismarck, ND: North Dakota District Council of the AG, 2003), 42.

The post Advancing During Economic Trouble – A History of Rural Churches Fueling AG Growth in Hard Times appeared first on Rural Advancement.

Foster Beckstrand grew up in a pastor’s home where he learned about small-town ministry and pastoring the church and community. Foster’s siblings all became actively involved in church; three of the six children currently serve in pastoral ministry. Their family provided a model for developing young people for ministry.

Foster and Kelly pastor a small congregation in Dazey, North Dakota, a town of 78 people. Multiplying leaders for ministry has been a vital part of Foster and Kelly’s lives. Three youth in the church have entered into pastoral ministry during the 25 years they have served in Dazey. Beckstrand believes pastors serve a crucial role in encouraging young people to consider God’s call and follow the Lord into pastoral ministry.

When students become involved in church and ministry, they have opportunities for God to call them into a place of service. The Beckstrands have mentored students in their church, and Kelly trained and launched them to assist in children’s church. They also introduced students to serving by having them teach children in Sunday School and other leadership roles.

They encourage involvement in the church’s life, which helps young people observe and experience ministry. Parental involvement and excitement about ministry created a ripple effect for students.

The Fine Arts teen talent program in the Assemblies of God provides an opportunity for students to use their gifts and explore ministry through experience. As a Fine Arts coach, Kelly assists students in preparation for the program by using their talent in the church services. The Beckstrands also schedule ministry in area churches, using the presentations of students who advanced to the national competition, providing ministry opportunities and a time for students to sense God’s call.

Two childless couples from the church have invested in the students’ lives. The blessing of being a small church allowed couples to invest in students and influence them for ministry. Foster Beckstrand observed, “A small church can provide encouragement and a culture of a commitment to serve Christ.” Small beginnings can have significant impact.

The post Small Beginning, Big Impact appeared first on Rural Advancement.

In the fall of 2021, while serving on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s Youth Pastor Leadership Team to facilitate an evangelistic outreach, I worked with leaders from many denominations, including Laura from The Cathedral in Rapid City, SD.

We quickly became friends, and that spring. I attended several Masses and a Good Friday service with her. At a service, Father Brian emphasized evangelism and missional living; he concluded with a prayer for God to call ministers from their congregation.

The church weekly prayed a prayer of vocation, written by the diocese’s bishop, beseeching God to increase those going into ministry, which other regional churches also prayed every Mass.

A section states, “Look upon us with favor and choose from our homes those who are needed for your work. Send your Spirit to strengthen us and give us open hearts and minds ready to say ’Yes’ when You call.”

In the prayer, the parishioners asked God to choose ministers from their homes, that they would be willing, and that the church families would encourage people to follow God’s call.

Each time I went to Mass with Laura and heard the congregants pray in unison, it impressed me that they followed what Jesus told all the Church to do.

He instructed His disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into His fields” (Luke 10:2 NLT). The ESV further emphasizes to “pray earnestly.”

This command to the disciples continues today as the harvest is still great, and the harvesters are still few. The church must follow the Lord’s command to pray.

Jesus’ instruction to “pray earnestly,” as God remains the Lord of the harvest, applies today. He makes a way to preserve the harvest, which includes church participation. “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (Jam. 5:16).

Prayer has great power and produces more than personal efforts alone can. God chose prayer as a vehicle to impact the harvest. Notice that He does not have the church pray for equipment or buildings but for workers. God moves through Spirit-filled laborers, and the church needs to pray for them to accomplish the harvest.

The Cathedral implemented Jesus’ command in a tangible and practical form as the church prayed together during each service. This practice accomplished several vital aspects; it taught people to follow Jesus’ command to pray for Him to call more people by regularly expressing this need. And secondly, it provided an opportunity to respond to the Spirit’s direction by setting an expectation to say “Yes” to His bidding.

As workers age, the church must continue to listen to the Lord of the harvest. Each church can follow this example by making space to pray weekly for laborers and create opportunities for earnest, Spirit-empowered prayer. Pray earnestly and prepare for God to speak.

Jesus continued in Luke, “Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.” God commissions us into the battle of harvest, won by intercession for the worker. As the church prays, the Spirit calls, saying “go,” and Jesus and His church send out (Acts 13:1-3).

The post The Lord of the Harvest – Obedience Sparks Prayer appeared first on Rural Advancement.

Organizations can find a crucial indicator for the future in the leaders they identify, equip, and launch today. How do we develop leaders, providing for a bright future? God puts His hand on leaders and makes them aware of His work. Leadership development begins with the identification or recognition of God’s call.

John Mott wrote more than 100 years ago, “It is inconceivable that God Himself has neglected to do His part in actually calling enough men [and women] to accomplish His will—and surely it is His will that the Church of Christ be ably led” (Mott 1908, 187-188). God calls people from every walk of life, every tribe and tongue to serve in His great mission.

He calls men and women to ministry from places no one would expect. Samuel did not immediately recognize David as the next king because he did not look for a boy caring for the sheep.

Yet, God did not choose the older brothers, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (I Sam. 16:7).

Many would not look favorably on the people Jesus called as disciples: Matthew, a tax collector; Peter and John, fishermen; or Simon, a political zealot. Some would not have given Paul ministry opportunities because of his persecution of the church.

Pray for God’s direction to identify people for ministry. His future church leaders may attend your church. What mechanisms do you have to identify those called to pastoral ministry? Mott instructed, “There is something wrong if, in a long pastorate, a minister does not have, as a result of his life and work, young men consecrating themselves to the Christian ministry” (Mott, 142). God’s call to the work of the ministry includes the challenge of identifying and mobilizing others He is calling.

Steps to identifying people for ministry include: (1) preach often on God’s call to ministry, (2) observe those with a special anointing, (3) talk to them about ministry, and (4) challenge them to explore the possibility God has set them aside to serve the Lord and His Church.

Some will only respond to the call if they have encouragement. Dave Ferguson (2017) calls that process the ICNU conversation, I see the
grace of God in you, affirm God’s call. Then, ask them to pray about ministry; this process should become a common occurrence.

Equipping those called to ministry plays a crucial role in developing leaders. Many who sense a call from God do not know what to do next. When a pastor observes someone with a call, they can instruct and help that person experience the practical side of ministry. The learning process provides opportunities for hospital visits, outreach ministries, preaching, nursing home services, visitations thus accelerating development of these leaders.

Pastors and churches need to facilitate growth by encouraging formal education. Encourage Bible School attendance in a learning community dedicated to training for ministry. A scholarship or monthly gift could allow them to complete their education with little or no debt. Pastors should explore partnering in the cost of education so these leaders can promptly enter the ministry.

God calls in various seasons of life and from other careers, even those with family and other responsibilities. Others may study online or through district schools of ministry, requiring a commitment to provide practical experience in the local church.

The final phase launches the person into a place of ministry. Some pastors push leaders to remain in the home church, encouraging new
leaders to stay in the “spiritual house.” The greatest statement of successful ministry occurs when the church launches leaders to fulfill the Missio Dei. Successful multiplication releases leaders beyond Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and the farthest regions of the earth (Acts 1:8).

The post Christ Called-Minister Mobilized appeared first on Rural Advancement.

Nadine and I just finished spending two days in Akegera National Park in Rwanda with our son, daughter-in-law, and two granddaughters. We experienced many game sightings including close views of giraffes, zebras, baboons, monkeys, waterbuck, impalas, hippos, topi, crocodiles, elephants (a bit too close when a large male blocked the road and aggressively swung his trunk), and a lion lying on the road immediately in front of us earlier in the day. More distant views of eland, white rhinoceros, warthogs, and cape buffalo added to the delightful experience. Our son and daughter-in-law observed, “We saw more animals up-close than in eight previous visits to the park.” They had only sighted elephants in five of their visits and never the number we saw, noting the unusual blessing of closely viewing so many animals. The location of our final picnic lunch, where a large grass-filled meadow joined the savannah, found sizable groups of topi, cape buffalo, giraffe, zebra, impala, and two ambling warthogs. Over two days, the drives through the park gave a wonderful and relaxing environment, viewing God’s amazing creation and experiencing His refreshment.

We do not know why we experienced such a blessing of seeing so many animals up close, but we thank the Lord for such a wonderful and refreshing time. It followed a season of what seemed like weeks of work crammed into the final days before our departure. Life compressed a great deal of labor as we graded master’s level theses, concluded an interim pastorate, promoted Trinity at a district council, and then drove a distance to catch the flight to Rwanda. The sheer volume of work left us physically and emotionally exhausted. Life’s seasons can include both harrowing amounts of work and wonderful times of refreshing from the Lord. Rural ministry may seem more difficult than refreshing if we do not continually look for blessings. We often find either fulfillment or disappointment in where we place our focus.

When writing his joyous epistle from a Roman prison, the Apostle Paul reminds the church in Philippi about the necessity of focusing our thoughts and hopes in the right places. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things (Phil. 4:8).” The joy in rural ministry comes from embracing Paul’s encouragement on the placement of our focus and what we choose to remember.

Nadine and I recently recalled a difficult season of negative events early in our marriage. In a matter of months, our first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, Nadine’s 14-year-old brother died in an auto accident, and her parents’ separation turned into divorce. If these challenging events had become the focus of our lives and a centerpiece in our memories, we could have continually recounted the pain and challenge, instead of the dream of launching into a life of ministry. David G. Benner (2002, 53) challenged, “Praying we can know God’s presence in difficult circumstances is praying for new eyes to see where He is, not where we expect him to be.” God’s promise of His continual presence includes times of difficulty and joy. We often find the beauty of His presence in places we did not expect.

Several seasons of ministry have included occasions that required extra dependence on God’s strength and power (Zech. 4:6). Our experiences in walking through the valley of the shadow of death represent companionship with the Good Shepherd in hardship and His presence in green pastures and still waters (Ps. 23). We now temper those early disappointments with hundreds of positive memories of raising seven children, 17 amazing grandchildren, four decades of wonderful friendships, and a rich, full life of ministry. The early seasons of pain cannot compare to the joy from years of positive ministry.

Paul Davidson taught Bible classes at Trinity Bible College, which we attended four decades ago. He mastered profound, yet simple communication that brought biblical truth to practical living. He would often say, “Remember ‘it came to pass,’ it didn’t come to stay,” taking an often-stated phrase in scripture a bit out of context to make a point. Life’s temporary difficulties do not represent all that we will face. The challenges become a minor inconvenience when keeping eternity in focus because they “came to pass,” and do not compare to the joys that follow (Heb. 12:20).

Rural ministry brings challenges and hardship that can either cloud our thoughts or provide an opportunity to see the goodness, mercy, and grace God continually extends. When focusing on the true, noble, just, pure, lovely, good reports, virtuous, and praiseworthy (Phil. 4:8), ministry yields a myriad of experiences that produce great joy. Meditating on these things allows the joy of life’s journey to reflect the goodness of God through every circumstance. The temporary experiences of this life do not compare to the good God brings, both in this life and the life to come.

Benner, David G. 2002. Sacred Companions: The Gift of Spiritual Friendship and Direction. Downer Grove: VIP Publishers.

The post Finding Joy in the Journey appeared first on Rural Advancement.

The story of Gideon should not have ended in victory! History belongs to those who raise mighty armies and crush the enemy through superior strategy and overwhelming force. It belongs to Roman legions or Mongol hordes of countless seasoned veterans fighting for their glorious causes. The biblical retelling of Gideon’s story defied these realities. Instead, 32,000 troops became 300, and swords remained sheathed as ram’s horns, clay pots, and torches morphed into instruments of war that crushed the Midianites in a decisive blow. In the end, the only sword raised was that of each opposing soldier against his own neighbor. The hero of the story, emerging victorious from the battle was not Gideon, but the God who used such underwhelming force and unconventional strategy to win the day for his people.

I recently spoke with pastor Dwight Dozier, a 45-year veteran of pastoral ministry, who served for 20 years in Great Bend, Kansas. It took barely twenty seconds for his passion for making disciples and empowering local churches to bring fresh ministry inspiration. Over the course of his tenure in Great Bend and in the state of Kansas in general, his church has exhausted the definition of what it means to build the church. In the beginning, it resembled financial aid to struggling churches, or helping with building projects and material resources in neighboring churches and communities. As assistance progressed, the financial support continued, but scores of people acting as the hands and feet of Jesus in several counties in the heart of rural Kansas took center stage.

The wave of church planters and ministry teams began when a deacon turned vocational pastor, gave up a good-paying job and committed to a twelve-month internship designed to prepare him for pastoral ministry. Church leaders surrounded him and embraced the goal to equip him to minister effectively and love the community well. Fifteen have passed since the pastor’s initial installment, and the church he pastors continues to thrive. In a church where closure seemed imminent and lacking leadership, one disciple of Christ has now produced many.

Thirty miles away from Great Bend lies another small community of Ness City, with a story that continues the grace of the Lord. In this particular town, a church struggled with a retiring pastor, under ten active members, and a tired building. Simultaneously in Great Bend, a missionary couple returned from the foreign field and embraced a pastoral call from God to plant churches, starting with loving this neighboring community of Ness City. Through a replant and partnership with the church in Great Bend, the church in Ness City today defies the darker chapters of its history and has found growth and new life under the faithful leadership of ministers who chose to be disciples first and leaders second. Neighboring rural communities, La Crosse and Sterling, both follow similar trajectories as healthy disciples begin forming healthy communities of faith.

As we spoke of the work the Lord accomplished through Dozer’s church, we discussed keys that helped accomplish all of this growth. In the next 20 minutes, Dozer expounded on the subject of discipleship in his church. The most impressive point in the conversation, Dozer never addressed the commonly held points of trendy discipleship literature. His discipleship methods held no secret recipe, or five step formula, or even a particularly innovative model that could revolutionize the Gospel as we know it. Instead, I heard an honest heart for discipleship. Not discipleship with good intentions, or a great slogan, or a theologically complex vision statement, but instead, the kind of discipleship that honed belief, fostered community, and inspired action.

Replace the ram’s horns, clay pots, and torches of Gideon with nine months of weekly meetings, accountability partners, and biblical devotions. Imagine a group of people trained to believe in Jesus, develop that belief, and serve their church and community. Picture coffee and conversation as the means that the mundane areas of life become imbued with God’s grace and redeeming power. Now replace Israel’s 32,000 troops with just over 300 men and women who have experienced intentional discipleship over the course of the last decade, and suddenly the victory makes sense. Rural communities touched by Jesus in real and long-lasting ways, and just as in the story of Gideon, God receives all the glory.

Throughout the interview, lessons from Great Bend, Kansas emerged that can serve as guideposts for ministers looking to build the kingdom of God in their rural communities. 

1) Disciple Intentionally, not Organically

Small towns tend to function as informal places, to the extent where it can seem natural to believe that proximity and good intentions provide enough relational growth to create mature disciples. However, Dozer spoke of spending the majority of his ministry missing out on the fruits of true discipleship because he expected it to occur naturally. Instead, he encourages leaders to assume that without intentional directed effort on the part of the leader, discipleship will not take root in a meaningful and consistent way.

2) Raise the Bar

Investments count, as simple as it sounds the old saying rings true in discipleship, “You get what you pay for.” People tend to rise to the level of expectations of discipleship. Whatever the discipleship method, it should require real investment from those discipled, whether in the form of monetary or time commitments. Pastors should expect things like daily devotions, scripture memorization, and the practice of serving inside and outside the church as normal discipleship expressions. In raising the bar, discipleship achieves the normative expectation of transforming the human heart to resemble Jesus.

3) Quit Quitting on Accountability

If someone recorded the launch of every meaningful discipleship program, they would possibly fill a library’s worth of books available for the church; however, stories written for those who followed through with discipleship programs would hardly fill a bookshelf. Whether the pastor needs accountability to follow through with discipleship commitments, or the people need accountability on their discipleship journey, if no one “checks in,” discipleship will eventually cease.

Given the opportunity to charge into battle, one would not pick ram’s horns, clay pots, or torches. They seem like tools that would certainly not accomplish the task. Most would also take all the help available instead of turning away 31,700 people. However, God tends to use common and even ordinary items and people to great effect. Discipleship reflects many similarities as the steady march of Christian people walking with their God, increase in Christlikeness, and affect the world around them. Discipleship occurs during coffee and meals, Bible studies and a devotional life reflecting authentic and accountable communities. Ultimately, it demonstrates a call to recapture the methods and rekindle the passions of the master teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, for the sake of reaching the world with His message.

Discipleship at Encounter Church in Great Bend, Kansas brings a community closer to the Savior that stretches to surrounding communities. Like Gideon, the church of Jesus tends to win great spiritual victories as it follows simple but profound practices that impact far beyond the boundaries of the local church and community.

The post Discipleship, Gideon, and a Rural Kansas Church appeared first on Rural Advancement.

Our family has acquired a few cows over the years that sometimes prove to be more work than the benefit they produce. They do provide a source of interest for me more than my wife, Nadine, or anyone else in our family. They may fit into the description of an old rancher who said, “The cows didn’t make any money last year, but we had the use of them.” We’ve had the use of the cows with a few small benefits along the way and I enjoy the season of calving and most of the time required to care for them. An added benefit comes from cattle work with my grandkids as I watch them learn and grow in their skills. Our oldest grandson recently decided he wants a particular blue roan calf so we made a deal yesterday so he can work for me to pay for the calf. We set a price on the calf, determined his wages and developed a chart where he can put down the hours he works, allowing him to see his progress. Even at 10 years old, his work makes a real difference and genuine help to me even for an hour or the whole day.

I have observed that many people don’t allow children to work with them because they see the slower pace of a child as a bother rather a blessing. It certainly takes more time to work with a small child and when they attempt to help, they create more work. However, the joy of watching them and having them learn with me outweighs the extra work and responsibility. They really begin to make a significant contribution between six and eight years of age and by the age of ten they often accomplish as much as an adult, especially when handling cattle. If I did not allow them to contribute at the early age when they create extra work, I could not enjoy watching them succeed when they reach the age of 10 or soon 15, or 20.

With our grown children I get to reflect on their years of growing up and becoming hard working and faithful adults. In visiting with a son who will soon turn 30 he observed, “I realize now that you and mom did not just work to raise kids, you were raising adults.” A little girl of three recently watched as I walked and prayed through the pews on Sunday morning before church while her mother prepared for the worship team. She began to walk with me and then reached up and took my hand, so we walked through the pews and prayed together. Small times like this become learning experiences about prayer and spiritual formation even at three years of age.

Small and often overlooked formative times serve to build foundations for further growth and development. We can quickly lose the impulse for the young or those new to the faith who desire to join us in our work. If we miss these moments of connection when they slow us down a bit, we will never enjoy watching their growth and maturation. Often, we unintentionally diminish the impulse in the early stages not realizing we set a pattern that affects the next years of service. I have observed the adults who do not allow a child of three or eight or ten to work with them discover they cannot convince the teen of 15 or 18 to work with them. If we fail to capture the impulse at the early age, we discourage the life of productivity over the years to come. We benefit from remembering that we are developing people who will one day succeed us in our journey.

A key to developing those who would serve with us in the many roles of ministry requires us to give opportunity for others to grow with the first impulse.  Many churches struggle to find leaders to fill key roles in the church but may have discouraged the early impulse when God brings those leaders across their path. Leaders don’t look like leaders when we first encounter them. The temptation to see them like the four-year-old who creates more work, causes us to miss the fact that they soon will become the strong person who may someday lead a great program or even succeed us in ministry.

We may describe the process of raising and developing those who will fill the next tier of leadership roles in any organization, as bench strength. Most churches and ministries have not developed bench strength, where the leaders for tomorrow have meaningful roles today, preparing them to serve. This failure comes with a high price when they never engaged or trained to serve those who could fill key roles in the church or other organization. The saying that pastors and churches often make, “We don’t have enough leaders in this church,” may describe lack of engagement and captured energy of those who God has placed in our path.

I have watched this in many professions and especially in churches. We may lose the next generation of leaders in agriculture or the next wave of pastoral leaders for rural ministry if we fail to connect today. We must face the challenging truth, capture the impulse at the early stages today or lose the connection for a lifetime.

I look forward to several dozen hours of partnership with a grandson as he works to pay for a calf. We will mow the yard, haul branches, work cattle, build fence and do some construction. We will have a great time each day, but more importantly he will gain skills to use for the rest of his life and make a valuable contribution to his world. God will bring leaders to your world if you will empower them to accomplish God’s call for their lives.  It may require more work today, but they have potential to contribute great things for the kingdom of God. If we engage and mobilize the leaders God brings today and He will bring leaders in the future.

The post Multiplication Begins With Us appeared first on Rural Advancement.

The Bible gives clear instruction about developing a thankful heart.  We find the words give and thanks used together 73 times in the Bible and 25 times in the New Testament. The repetition of this command gives clear instruction about the attitude believers should cultivate in their personal lives and walk with Christ. The Apostle Paul gave some final instructions in his benediction to the church in Thessalonica,

¹⁶ Rejoice always,

¹⁷ pray without ceasing,

¹⁸ in everything give thanks;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thess.5:16-18)

These three admonitions guide both actions and attitudes of the heart. Believers should make rejoicing a heart discipline. The world looks for bad news and finds reasons to be discouraged and downhearted, but believers look for reasons to rejoice. Every time life brings circumstances where rejoicing becomes a challenge, believers respond in fervent prayer. Pray, really pray, and make it a continuous part of life. Finally give thanks in everything because “this is the will of God.” Does that mean to give thanks during COVID-19, in record cold, unpleasant circumstances, or personal disappointment? The Bible repeatedly gives the command to give thanks in every situation.

I learned a song during my early years in church that reminds believers to look to the Lord with a thankful heart, “Count Your Blessings.”[1] The singing often paused in the chorus with the phrase, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one.” It almost seemed that the pause gave time to reflect about the blessings God had given with ability to recall His goodness. Then the song picked up with the line with a joyful tempo, “Count your many blessings see what God has done.” Counting blessings helps the heart to become thankful and consider all the good that God has done. Johnson Oatman, Jr. (2016) wrote this and many hymns out of his trusted relationship with God. His father was a good singer, but Johnson did not share the musical gift of his father. “At the age of 36, he discovered he had a hidden talent and could write hymns. He wrote songs almost daily, with an average of 200 songs a year and over 5,000 hymns” (Matthews 2016).  This Methodist minister gave a valuable instruction on keeping a thankful heart through the gift God gave him and the songs that he wrote.

God has provided multiple reasons for giving thanks for Nadine and me so far this year. The first was an uninvited guest who took up residence in our barn. A large gray striped cat showed up soon after Christmas. I enjoy animals, but cats find their place lower on the list of animals I enjoy. Dogs, horses, even cows have a higher ranking than cats, however we needed a cat. Our barn has a high level of attraction for unwanted guest of mice. The difficulty of controlling the mice that searched for a permanent residence in our barn persisted as a continued challenge. The hay, livestock, and dogfood seemed to have a magnetic pull on the mice, and they continued to appear.  We utilized every known type of trap, rodent bait, and deterrent, reducing the population for a short time, but they quickly returned. The shock of mice scurrying across a horse stall or running up the wall by the feed bin proved too much for Nadine. She finally said, “I can’t go into the barn.”

We tried to rehome cats to the haymow of the barn, but the family dogs scared them off or they just left on their own accord. The other deterrents all failed, then came the unexpected gift from the Lord, of a gray striped cat that loves to be petted and has taken up residence in the loft. The neighbors didn’t claim her, and she appears to have claimed us or at least our barn. Our granddaughter, Priscilla and I named her Cat-rina because she was a cat and needed a girl’s name. The Lord sent Catrina to us and we are thankful. The cat food she eats costs little compared to the benefit of a barn free from mice. I have never seen her chase a mouse or carry a mouse, but somehow her presence made the barn an unwelcome home for mice. I have not seen a mouse in weeks when before that was a daily occurrence. Nadine can now walk into the barn without the shock of a mouse darting past and frightening her. We give thanks to God for Catrina.

Got granted us another great blessing just this month with a car new to us. Our Buick Lucerne served us so incredibly well; it has 474,860 miles on it, and we have done little except routine maintenance. God made the Lucerne like the sandals of the children of Israel in the wilderness where they did not wear out; however, it was beginning to show the wear of nearly a half million miles (Deut. 29:5). I first began driving the car with 6,000 miles on it and it remained a faithful vehicle used for our family and the work of the Lord. The car God gave to us has just over 100,000 miles which makes it nearly new to us. We thank the Lord for His provision in this journey.

We began a training called Church Dynamics last year that provides a series of church leadership resources to help rural churches refocus. A recent highlight occurred during a Church Dynamics class addressing the topic of spiritual fervency. An older lady held a baby for a couple who lead youth ministry in a church that attended, allowing her mom and dad to participate in the meeting. During a break she explained, “This baby has a reflux problem, and she needs prayer.” We prayed for the four-month-old little girl asking the senior pastor to lead, anointing with oil and praying according to scripture as others gathered around the couple and the baby (James 5:14-15). We received word several days later that the baby and mom slept all night for the first time. She could eat without discomfort and the Great Physician had indeed healed this precious child. We feel such gratitude for the hand of the Lord working in the lives of His people.

Believers find encouragement and comfort when following biblical instruction and choosing to spend time counting each blessing. Much of the culture surrounding our society focuses on the problems, believers must focus on the goodness of the Lord and His blessings. Find reasons to rejoice, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks. Healthy faith takes note of these key habits, gives opportunity for cultivating these disciplines, and teaches others to “count your blessings and name them one by one,” finding joy and surprises in all the good God has done.

[1] Johnson Oatman Jr. wrote this song early in his time of writing gospel songs and eventually wrote approximately 200 songs a year for a total of nearly 5,000 songs. Oatman served as a Methodist minister but observers noted that he did not have strong preaching skills and served in fill in ministry positions.

The post Developing a Thankful Heart appeared first on Rural Advancement.

June of this year represents a significant time for me because it completes four decades of active ministry. A number of changes have taken place in the church of Jesus Christ and in my life and family over this forty-year span. I am not quite ready to confess with the Psalmist, David, when he said, “I was young but now I am old,” (Ps 37:25) but I now enjoy the senior discounts when offered to me. Through the years of ministry, I have observed the guidance believers attributed to the Holy Spirit and have noticed that sometimes the Holy Spirit directed people in wonderful ways and other times the voice they heard may have come from their own passions and desires. God gives a consistent, repeated instruction to the churches in Revelations 2-3 and that instruction applies to the church through the ages, “He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev. 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13,3:22). Believers and churches should listen to the voice of the Spirit for direction and guidance.

Some often ask, “What is the Spirit saying to you?” and that question should remain a primary concern of the church. A good place to begin the search for the direction of the Holy Spirit should be the book of Acts, which gives insight into the practices of the apostles and the response of the early church to the Spirit’s direction. We find the phrase, “the Spirit said,” three times in the book of Acts. Acts chapter 8 records the account of the Spirit’s instruction of Philip to meet the Ethiopian eunuch. Acts 10, gives the story of Peter and the Spirit’s command to go the house of Cornelius. Finally, Acts 13 notes the Spirit told the church to send Saul and Barnabas who were commissioned for their missionary journeys. These passages give insight to the normative direction of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus gave important instructions before His ascension. “Do not leave Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4) and He further explained, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Jesus made the timeless Spirit/witness connection that the book of Acts applies, demonstrates, and teaches to the church. The Holy Spirit primarily works to fulfill the mission of God, (missio Dei), and calls the church to share the message, (the gospel or good news) in every place. Followers of Christ should consider this as normative behavior and expect personal and corporate witness of the good news that Jesus Christ came to seek and save the lost.

Acts 8:26-40 provides the account of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch and gives insight into the guiding voice of the Holy Spirit. Philip received direction as he traveled on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza and he saw a man reading while traveling in a chariot. While observing this man, “The Spirit said, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’ So, Philip ran to him…” The first instruction of the Spirit to “go” gives a missional voice that continues throughout the book of Acts. The man responded to the gospel and requested Philip baptize him in response to his confession of faith in Jesus. This passage notes two keys that continue in Luke’s account in Acts. First, the missional command of the Spirit, and second, the immediate response of Philip.

Jesus foretold this work of the Spirit “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.  And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:26-27).  Philip’s ministry fulfilled the teaching of Jesus and gave a normative expression of the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit superintendents this work of witness as Jesus foretold in Acts 1:8 and the normative work of the Holy Spirit to fulfill the mission of God.

God’s missionary nature, found in the Old Testament and the gospels, became central in the book of Acts. The lives of all believers should exemplify the work, the gifts, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Expounding on the gifts and fruit of the Spirit goes beyond the scope of this brief discussion on the missional voice of the Holy Spirit, however these should persist as normative in the life of every believer.

The missional voice of the Spirit continues in the account of Peter and God’s call to go to the house of Cornelius. Peter does not expect to hear what the voice of the Holy Spirit speaks during this time of prayer as Luke records,

¹¹ and he saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. ¹² In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. ¹³ And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” ¹⁴ But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” ¹⁵ And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” ¹⁶ This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.   Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen, the Holy Spirit gives a missional command. “¹⁹ And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. ²⁰ Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.”

Peter obeys the voice of the Spirit and a significant shift in the advancement of the gospel takes place when Cornelius and those in his house respond to the gospel message and God pours out His Spirit on a non-Jewish community. The Spirit leads the church as a community of witnesses empowering the church to share the gospel. The Spirit speaks to both Philip and Peter to “go.” The missional voice of the Holy Spirit, the open doors that followed represents God’s normative work through the Holy Spirit.

Luke records the words, “the Spirit said,” for the third time with the launching of Saul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey; “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’  Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off” (Acts 13:2-3). The Spirit not only instructs individuals to go but He commands to the church to send. This prophetic sending launched the missionary journeys that greatly expanded the church. The church in Antioch became a sending church through the direction of the Holy Spirit.

The passages in Acts that use the phrase, “the Spirit said,” communicate a missional voice in the instructions of the Holy Spirit. The person and work of the Holy Spirit continues to carry out the mission of God in the world. While not a comprehensive discussion of the Spirit speaking to individuals or to the church, the three passages recording “the Spirit said” provide instruction for listening to the Spirit today. The Spirit continues to speak to believers saying, “go,” and He continues to instruct the church to “send.” Believers should make this a primary prayer, “Holy Spirit, where should I go as a witness and who should I help to send?” As this becomes a priority, the church continues to respond to the missional voice of the Holy Spirit.

The post The Missional Voice Of The Spirit appeared first on Rural Advancement.

Many pastors and church leaders find themselves in a different situation than they expected for their lives and ministry. Some rural pastors have begun expressing their personal discouragement with the events of Covid-19, politics and disappointment with the response some members have shown toward faith and church. For some, the shine has come off the joy of ministry, giving pastors thoughts of leaving ministry. What most thought would be a few weeks of social distancing and extra precautions in March of 2020 now stretches into 2021 with no conclusion in sight. No class or seminar could have fully prepared church leaders for the events of recent months. Uncertainty that most thought would pass quickly and move back to normal now has become a new normal.

How do Christ followers navigate the dark paths of the unknown? What should guide and temper our response to the things we do not understand, do not like, and in the natural realm, cannot change? What can we use to provide a compass to find our way through the maze of months and even years of uncertainty? Those who follow Christ have some things that remain constant even in tumultuous seasons. Believers and leaders live under the lordship of Christ and the authority of scripture and in that understanding, find anchors to remain steadfast providing beacons for our paths.

God is good and He remains in control. Nothing in the season of uncertainty altars the goodness of God. We agree with Joseph when he said to his brothers, “God meant it for good” (Gen. 50:20). God’s goodness does not change during a pandemic or other areas of social, relational, or physical challenge. God works good in a fallen and broken world and He continues to work good even now. “Oh, give thanks to the Lord for He is good, and His mercy endures forever” (Psa. 136:1). Pandemics and political challenge do not alter the nature and goodness of God.

We must continue to fulfill the mission of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. Nothing in the past year changes the call for believers to continue the mission God called them to fulfill. The church of Jesus Christ has always thrived through difficulty and it will continue in this season. The light of the gospel shines brightest in dark hours and it must continue to shine through each of us. People need the message of a Savior now in this season and God’s call to point them to His Son, who is the only one who can save, continues as our premium priority (John. 3:16).

The Lordship of Christ should never resurface as a question for a believer because surrender at salvation settled that fact. We must address the question of how to live out His lordship in present circumstances. A certainty remains, believers must continue to live out His love for each other and love for our world. We must be known by our love for one another as John the Beloved noted, “He who does not love does not know God” (1 John 4:8). Scripture does not require us to agree with our brother; however, we must love them and love our neighbors who may be far from God (Matt. 12:31). Those who live under the lordship of Christ continue to live and walk, in love.

The revealed word of God serves as “a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path” (Ps 119:105). Scriptures teach us how to respond in challenging seasons. The Bible gives clear instruction, although living out that instruction serves as a challenge. The New Testament continually reminds believers to live out life’s journey ‘in Christ.’ Current circumstances call for a biblical response in the daily lives as the people of God

This can only be achieved through the power of the Holy Spirit. We must all pray, “Lord help me to walk and live through the empowering work of the Holy Spirit.” He points people to the Savior, Jesus Christ and helps us to bear the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self-control, and faithfulness. The Holy Spirit serves as the helper who enables believers to live out vibrant faith in a hostile and broken world.

Finally, prayer helps us in our meditation, conversation, and action, engaging the only one who has the ultimate power. Prayer in the Spirit becomes a lifeline for believers to remain encouraged and strengthened (Jude 20). Paul encourages believers in uncertain circumstances to pray in the Spirit (Rom. 8:26-27; Eph. 6:18-20). Praying in the Spirit provides an active way to address a world where we do not even know how to pray and refocuses our attention on the Omniscient One, who knows the future, provides comfort, and gives direction for individuals and the church. Congregational and individual prayer provides strength as renewed joy, peace, and faith arise in the face of uncertainty.

Where do go in the seasons of uncertainty? We find our way forward by following the ancient paths. We find peace and direction with the security of following the ancient words in scripture and the knowledge that the scripture repeats multiple times, “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Heb. 13:5-6, Deut. 31:6-8, I Chron. 28:20, Is 41:10-13, Ps 55:22, Matt. 28:20).  People of faith from Genesis to the current hour have leaned into the life of faith. We pray your faith will increase and the challenges of today will strengthen you and your ministry. Take courage, do not quit, God is for you and you will make it through this season!

Questions for Reflection

1. How can I encourage myself in the LORD?
2. Who should I contact to encourage them?
3. How should I pray in this season?

The post Navigating the Unknown: From the Directors appeared first on Rural Advancement.

If you were to ask me what these rural multisites have in common, I could list two distinct things I know about them. The first is that these towns and community centers can be found geographically in western South Dakota. The second is that each of them is the site of a rural church or community center, planted and parented by Bethel Church located in Rapid City, SD. These churches have popped up during the ministry tenure of Gerad Strong, who pastored Bethel Church from 2012-2020.

As I sat down with Pastor Gerad for a phone interview, it quickly became apparent that he had created healthy and growing churches in rural contexts. As much as this result caught my attention, I was captivated more so by the principles that produced this success. While not every church can succeed at producing feasible multisites, they all can generate healthy culture and impact their community. Once this became clear, we shifted our discussion to these principles, namely the celebration of change, the shift from a scarcity mindset to an outreach mindset, and the raising of leaders from within the local church.

1) The Celebration of Change.

Change can often seem like a curse word in churches. From Pastor Gerad’s point of view, change is a comprehensive retooling of what one believes about church and how one acts on that belief. During his tenure as pastor, he tackled challenge after challenge. He worked tirelessly to involve more lay people in ministry, to free up his time as a pastor to follow God’s vision, and to properly balance church boards and internal church concerns with community outreach. In some respects, many of these challenges are felt in rural churches across America, especially by the pastors who serve in them.

The question becomes simple: “What do you celebrate?” Pastor Gerad insisted that in order to change the DNA of the church, different things have to be celebrated. Instead of celebrating goals that only existing believers would cherish, he instead decided to celebrate the pivotal moments where unbelievers entered the church. Whether it was a community outreach or a new salvation or water baptism, Gerad became convinced that churches reproduce what they celebrate.

Sometimes growth is as simple as a fresh perspective. For a portion of his time at Bethel, Gerad also joined the sheriff’s department. This experience in the community led to a humbling moment of clarity. One of the heaviest thoughts that came to him was whether or not his community would notice if their church suddenly disappeared. If the answer was no, it meant the church was not doing enough to show true love to those around them. The second thing he realized was that Christians who have attended church for a long time (as well as the pastors that lead them), often spend time arguing about things that do not truly matter. While it may seem important to speak of the internal affairs of the church, it is, in Gerad’s opinion, much more important to look out toward the unbeliever and see what can be done to reach them.

2) The Shift from a Scarcity Mindset to an Outreach Mindset.

Gerad grew passionate as he discussed the need for a drastic shift in mindset within rural churches, pastors, and people. Many rural communities have, at one time or another, been affected by a deeply rooted sense of lack. Accompanying this is an impending sense that resources must be looked after or even hoarded because eventually they will not be there anymore. Gerad gave a solid rebuke to this mindset, instead calling for a reckless generosity on the part of churches, or at the very least a willingness to invest in outreach even if it does not yield immediate financial returns.

As pastors, this can be incredibly challenging to hear, and even harder to lead others into. However, once a shift in mentality takes place, a church begins to invest resources into the people of the community. From Gerad’s perspective, these churches experience God’s blessing and frequently see their community begin to open up to the Gospel.

3) The Raising Up of Leaders Within the Church.

Gerad spoke of developing leaders and it became apparent that he was both experienced in this area and an excited spectator who simply enjoyed watching people answer God’s call. Pastor Gerad truly listened to God’s heart for calling people, and in doing so found within himself a burden to disciple them well and prepare them for ministry. He began to ask himself and his church how they were fostering and cultivating the call of God in their local congregations. This culture eventually produced churches that are spreading the Gospel over an entire region of South Dakota. Even more surprisingly, or perhaps not surprisingly at all, this culture eventually gave rise to Gerad’s own replacement as lead pastor.

Keith Culver, who recently took over as lead pastor, represents the comprehensive journey of leadership development provided by Bethel Church. While sitting under the leadership of Bethel Church, Keith became aware of the call of God on his life. He then proceeded to share this call with Pastor Gerad, expressing desire for more training. During this time, he became the main campus pastor for the growing church and was in that role for seven years before expressing a desire to be a lead pastor. Gerad worked with him, giving him more and more opportunity and insight into leadership within the church, intending to send him out as a lead pastor. However, when Gerad received the call of God to minister elsewhere, it became clear to him, and eventually Keith, that God had been preparing him to take over as lead pastor at Bethel Church.

Keith’s story is inspiring because it holds lessons for us as rural pastors. We must be concerned enough about the call to ministry that we invite people to hear God’s call through our regular church meetings. We must weave the call of God into how we preach and teach. The challenge for us as ministers is to allow space for the Holy Spirit to call people directly into God’s service. Keith’s story teaches us the importance of leadership development. The call of God in a lay person must be matched with our intentionality to fan that call into flame and equip them to succeed. Finally, we must be willing to send people out if need be, knowing that God will take care of our own church even as we send people out.

Some rural pastors could not feasibly do multisite church, especially if the next closest “community” is nothing more than a herd of cows grazing over the next hill. However, every rural pastor can learn to embrace change, shift from a scarcity mindset, and develop leaders locally. It is precisely this fact—that this goal is entirely within the grasp of the rural church—that has caused Pastor Gerad Strong to so persistently practice these principles in his context. The combination of change, abundance mindset, and leadership development allowed a partnership that launched rural ministries in the western South Dakota communities of Edgemont, Sturgis, Summerset, Wall, and Cornerstone Rescue Mission. God is looking to instill in us the same persistence and intentionality, as we do our best to faithfully serve Him. As we practice these principles, God will continue bringing people to Himself through the rural church.

Questions for Reflection:

• What are some roadblocks in your church to meaningful change?
• What is a good first step you can practically take to overcome these roadblocks?
• What is one thing your church could better celebrate in order to reach the lost?
• How much does your church invest in outreach financially? Are there ways to increase or better utilize these available funds?
• What are you doing on a regular “Sunday Morning Service” to cultivate the call of God in believer’s lives?

The post Rural Multisite in South Dakota: A Celebration of Change appeared first on Rural Advancement.

I love rural churches and the calling of rural pastors. The redemptive communities they lead often set standards of faith and provide numerous elements of encouragement and hope for the community. The rural and smaller churches often times face challenges of available resources, trained leadership, or even the availability for attending various training opportunities in light of the necessity of bi-vocational career requirements, family necessities, and church budgets.

For fifteen years, I have preached weekly in different ministry settings ranging from small rural churches, to multicultural urban churches, to services abroad with multiple translations. Over the course of the journey I gained a few insights into how churches function—both in flourishing settings and overlooked aspects of ministry. These experiences and perspectives reveal a few key points that may benefit local churches and fill voids. This motivated me to write a book to address these and other areas dealing with the first impressions a first-time guest receives when visiting your church. This book, Setting the Atmosphere for the Day of Worship, encourages excellence in everything, so all who are open to the Lord’s work in their lives can sense His magnificent, tangible presence. Few resources address practical matters for rural ministry, especially pertaining to the practical elements so the following paragraphs will highlight a sampling of areas where churches should work for effective engagement.

Making Guests Feel Welcome

Welcoming and convenient facilities should mark the guest’s first impression of the outside and inside atmosphere. Searching for a spiritually fitting home, potential members consider details such as parking, signage, physical accommodations, and the flow of services. After serving in multiple churches, I noticed churches seem to struggle with key details. Remember, a church is always communicating a message, thought, or idea with or without the church’s knowledge. When the church communicates a message founded in love and excellence, guests see the love and care of Christ more than the accommodations and great signage; visitors notice practical things.

“Finding a way to reach your audience and knowing your audience is imperative to growing a healthy church, mentoring, and discipling God’s people.”

– Girdler, Setting the Atmosphere for the Day of Worship 

First time guests interpret church differently than the local church family. Usually, the church guest, the first-time attender, or the well-meaning searcher looking for a church home finds the weaknesses and observes “the little things” that are not so little. These areas become deciding factors for guests return visits or further consider of the church as a viable and spiritually fitting home for their family. Guests determine within the first 2 to 8 minutes whether they will return. That indicates that the church has less than 10 minutes to show them warm hospitality.  If guests arrive 15 minutes prior to the service, they likely decided about returning prior to the first song and prior to the first word of the message.

Communicate Clearly

Be prepared to explain everything you do and the reason(s) you do it (the what and the why) each week. Expect guests and prepare for them, which includes preparing the regular congregation for the weekly explanations that many find redundant or unnecessary. Keep in mind what the first-time guests need to hear this explained. Have the congregation become accustomed to repeated explanations so guest have the privilege of comfortable assimilation.

“I made a conscious effort that anytime one of our services included anything [anyone] would be curious about I comfortably went to the pulpit and read God’s Word on the subject matter.”

– Girdler, Setting the Atmosphere for the Day of Worship

Guest often having questions about the accepted forms in the practice of communion. Some guests grew up in denominational settings that served “closed communion,” which required membership in that particular understanding of church to participate in their communion service. (Closed communion is not my theological stance nor my personal preference. I want to welcome all of Christ’s family.) However, leaders need to keep in mind that guests come from varying ecclesiastical backgrounds and they need to know and understand your process: “Am I allowed to participate?” “When should I eat the bread and drink the juice?” “How will communion be served?” “What are acceptable standards?” As respectful guest, they do not want to do anything out of order or embarrassing. So, help them know acceptable practices.

Love the Whole Community

The church can use many ways to demonstrate Christ’s love to the community. Special needs ministries often remain one of the least developed and yet most remarkable ministry opportunities churches that desire to make a difference in their community. Many within traveling distance of your church face the unique challenges of special needs, and few churches offer any ministry, welcome, or lend a hand for their needs. It may take training and a high level of commitment, but recognize what you can and should provide care for this beautiful segment of society who cannot attend church, do not attend church, or do not feel welcomed in church. Adjust the width of the church hallways, doorways, bathrooms, and sidewalks for handicap accessibility, which makes a difference and says, “We care.”

Jesus came to earth for three reasons. One reason, Jesus demonstrated the nature of the Father and debunked misconceptions of God. A second reason, Jesus taught how to love people. A third reason, Jesus became our substitute for sin, so that all who come to Him can receive His gift of salvation. His ministry showed truth and grace and met people in their circumstances. He challenged them to change from the inside out, to draw closer to Him, while learning how to love people! Is your church atmosphere sending that message? Remember, the local church lives to glorify God and to touch the community. So, every church must evaluate their vision, mission, cultural intelligence, demographic, and community love language. Your church can begin to set the tone on Sundays, which leads the church to correct the atmosphere for the desired message you send to guests.

“Too many churches and leaders depend on talent and forget the power of prayer.”

– Girdler, Setting the Atmosphere for the Day of Worship

Nothing can work up, sing up, and shout up, or raise up the presence of God. Scripture teaches He is powerful, sovereign, and, genuinely interested in the eternal and the everyday aspects of every individual on earth. The Bible says He inhabits the praises of His people (Ps. 22:3). This essential matter, His presence, becomes evident to all who worship, seek, or even casually observe as first-time guests. The importance of the Church is not derived from what we do as leaders, our projects, or our strategies. We discover the importance of the Church in God doing His work in our lives and in the lives and hearts of all who attend for worship. Understanding that primary principle should cause leaders to offer our best for the Lord. The goal of excellence should glorify the Lord and His magnificent presence tangibly sensed and received by all open to His work.

I encourage every pastor to set the atmosphere for day of worship. You, the church family, and all the guests will be glad you did.

Purchase Joseph Girdler’s full book here, “Setting the Atmosphere for the Day of Worship” on Amazon.

The post Setting the Atmosphere for the Day of Worship appeared first on Rural Advancement.

Defining success in youth ministry can be like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall. At times, success is who can unwrap a Christmas gift the fastest while wearing crab claws. Other times, success is seeing how far someone can throw a marshmallow and still land it in someone’s mouth. Taking miscellaneous candy bars and shaping them into a replica of the Titanic or the Golden Gate Bridge is sometimes a measure of success in youth ministry. The way I see it, success all depends on how and what you measure, and the tragedy of rural youth ministry is that our metrics are usually wrong.

Nobody likes to feel like a failure. While no one likely calls youth pastors and volunteers failures openly, I am willing to guess that the struggle of feeling like a failure is there. It can be seen by how and what we measure. Many youth groups are measured in weekly attendance, with some churches reaching 10, 20, 50, or 100 students on average. Some are measured in number of leaders, with large churches frequently leading the pack in recruiting college students, event chaperones, and small group leaders. A look at the numbers can give an unfair tilt toward urban centers, because rural churches simply cannot measure up to a megachurch whose weekly attendance is more than the population of their entire county.

I stepped into a rural youth ministry context where my first youth group meeting consisted of two students. I was brand new to the role and naturally apprehensive about such a low showing. The next week there were four and a few weeks later we managed 8. I lamented the slow progress to a more seasoned rural youth pastor, who jokingly said I should write a book on how to double a youth ministry every week. It may have been wrapped in humor, but what stuck with me was the drastic change in perspective. In comparing myself unfairly to large churches or youth ministries, I was failing to value the growth happening in front of me. In this third part of our look at rural youth ministry, I want to challenge us to see youth ministry with a new measure of success, one that is instantly achievable regardless of context, youth group size, or community population:

Love the student in front of you.

It is simple, short, and easy to remember. Additionally, this statement speaks of infinite possibilities because it is inherently easy to start doing. One does not always need the perceived pastoral gifting of growing something to staggering numerical heights or preaching sermons full of witty and relevant exposition. Instead, the metric can be as simple and sustainable as loving the student in front of you. The best part is, this metric is perfectly suited for rural contexts.

In a brief breakdown of this principle, I hope we can come away with tangible ways that volunteers and youth pastors in rural settings can love the student in front of them. I hope this becomes a rallying cry for a new perspective on rural ministry. And I sincerely hope this helps pastors and volunteers value their experience in a rural setting and the immense potential it has for kingdom impact. The first perspective shift we need to see is this:

1) Rural youth ministry has fewer blind spots.

Small towns are perfect for loving the student in front of you, simply because students are always in front of you. When I lived in a larger town, I could subconsciously avoid difficult students. We lived in different parts of town, or had different social circles, or they went to a different high school than the one at which I frequently ministered. In a small town, it is considered lucky to have more than one grocery store, or even to have a grocery store at all. In this setting difficult students, parents, families, and situations are never far away. What an extraordinary opportunity God has given rural youth pastors and volunteers to lead the way in loving students. If love can be defined as continually choosing to act in kindness, grace, and good will towards another, small towns offer endless opportunities to do just that.

2) Every small-town student has an advocate, except the ones who don’t.

Small towns are full of students who are lifted up and propelled into a successful future by school administrators, teachers, coaches, civil service workers, and other key community members. Whether they are academically gifted or the star quarterback, these students do not lack for people to support them. However, small towns also have dozens and dozens of students who lack that support. I believe rural pastors and volunteers are uniquely called and equipped to fill that role of advocate, loving students that would otherwise succumb to a system of resignation and failure to thrive as they enter adulthood. Again, these situations exist not as a challenge, but as an extraordinary opportunity waiting to be seized by rural youth pastors and volunteers.

3) Each small-town leader can join in calling David in from the field.

A dear friend of mine made it her mission in youth ministry to find students from obscure places and disciple them into achieving God’s calling on their life. She believed that small towns were full of David-like students waiting for volunteers and youth pastors who refuse to overlook those from humble origins. This model rings true over and over again. Rural youth ministry cannot be about getting a youth group of hundreds or thousands because the population denies this possibility. However, it can be about committing to loving and discipling individuals living in overlooked corners of the world.

One thing I am confident of is that other youth pastors will always ask about how many students attend your youth group weekly. Inevitably, some rural youth pastors and leaders will sheepishly respond with small numbers and quickly excuse themselves from the conversation or change the subject. However, as 1 Corinthians 12:31 puts it, God wants to show us “a still more excellent way” (ESV). Success can be many things, but I would hope that rural youth pastors decide that loving one student is enough. History will display in vivid detail the contributions of rural students to the advancement of God’s kingdom for the cause of His glory. I am confident of this because it has already taken place. Our Christian history is filled with revivalists and reformers who were the product of dedicated disciplers who lived in obscure places.

To put it practically, take a student out to lunch. Show up at the one activity they are a part of, even if they ride the bench. Meet with one student for a Bible study every week simply because they really want to be there. Talk about how glad you are to see them instead of how sad you are that more did not come. Invest creatively, continually, and consistently. Commit to the one, and give of yourself to see them succeed. This model makes small town students into disciples, and disciples of Jesus can change the world.

To read more of Joseph Epley’s series, “Principles for Rural Youth Ministry” click the links below:

Part One: “Principles for Rural Youth Ministry: Making Blind Eyes See”

Part Two: “Principles of Rural Ministry: See a Need Meet a Need”

The post Principles for Rural Youth Ministry Part 3: Crab Claws and Candy Ships appeared first on Rural Advancement.

Small towns are a lot like cars. When maintained properly, they can last for years. The trick with cars is to give proper attention to each moving part at the right time. It is to see the needs of the vehicle and be proactive in meeting those needs. It is also important to make sure too much attention is not given to one area over another. To give you a mental picture, imagine pouring engine oil into the car until it overflows into a puddle on the floor, ignoring a flat tire while oil cascades down the driveway, wasted.

Like cars, small towns are made up of dozens of moving parts. Local businesses, non-profits, community recreational entities, and school systems all operate and overlap simultaneously. In the midst of this complex web of community elements, we find rural churches and rural youth ministries, which can often feel overwhelmed or unsure of how to best impact students. In this part of our rural youth ministry series, I want to address how to properly care for our small towns, how to look at the whole picture of our various rural communities and find which spot needs attention. In doing so, I hope our youth ministries can succeed in reaching students by meeting real needs in their communities.

If you fit the profile of most rural volunteers or paid youth staff I have met, you frequently juggle several obligations, family needs, jobs, titles, roles, and functions within your small town. You may find yourself having limited nights to spend doing youth ministry while you are busy working with the PTA, or sitting on local boards, or doing half a dozen other tasks that are integral to small town life. Upon moving to my small community of 1,700 people, I distinctly remember wondering how I was going to handle having so much extra time on my hands. Not long after that, I unintentionally found myself with more to do than I could have imagined and had little time to spare.

In the midst of this rural hustle and bustle, one question then becomes paramount: How do we best reach the students of our community? There are often not enough resources to spare to allow the task to be done inefficiently, and not enough energy to justify trying every new strategy or doing endless events in an attempt to reach people. In addition to this strain on resources, it can be incredibly overwhelming to contemplate doing more, leading to a bit of resignation as we wrestle with our limitations or abilities to minister to students. Another common temptation is to settle for “good enough”, and while we may be accomplishing something, we can often miss out on greater impact.

In the interest of keeping things practical, I want to focus on a few principles of car maintenance that will also keep our ministries running well, and will help us be a working and contributing part of our greater community.

1) Do some scheduled maintenance.

We know that cars require scheduled maintenance (regular oil checks, tire checks, and certain parts that need replaced every 50,000 miles or so), and sudden maintenance, which arises when something breaks. While both are important, for the sake of planning, it is easier to focus on scheduled maintenance than it is to predict problems.

That said, I think many of us need to analyze our small town. Let’s look at the whole picture, and figure out which part needs more attention. Often, small towns are doing many things exceptionally well, and as “part of the team”, we have the opportunity to find areas people are not already taking care of. You may find that sports programs and local scout troops are handling after school activities pretty well. You may discover that your town’s businesses have partnered to handle homecoming week at the high school. You may notice that the schools and a few non-profits are working quietly in the background to produce scholarships for students.

In the course of your analysis, you may also find that no one is partnering with the school on an after-prom party for students, or that no one is helping teens and families with basic needs. You might discover that many students need tutoring and there is no one around to provide a consistent service. You may learn that there is a shortage of substitute teachers that are able to personally step in and help address this need. Getting the whole picture of our town helps us see gaps. These gaps become tangible ways we can meet needs in our communities, which then become opportunities to reach students with the gospel.

2) Figure out what needs the most attention.

We hope this is never the case, but sometimes cars have multiple needs, with multiple lights flashing on the dash highlighting areas of need. Sometimes, it is best to figure out what needs the most attention and do that first. In the same way, after we have identified needs in our community, we begin the process of figuring out which one is the most important for us and our youth ministry to tackle. Jesus had a knack for this. He lived His life with an awareness of the big picture of humanity’s greatest needs, but frequently moved from town to town and person to person by listening to the Father’s specific leading. Mark 1:35-39 describes one such moment where Jesus withdrew, prayed, and followed God’s leading in how to best meet the needs around Him and fulfill God’s will for His life. In the same way, we must become intimately acquainted with prayer in order to clearly see how to proceed.

3) Get the job done!

Once we have a clear understanding of an issue, and a specific direction on what area to tackle first, our next job is to get it done! When working on cars, there are definite moments where a “one-hour job” turns into a whole afternoon of frustrated trips to an auto parts store or many false starts that create a sense of frustration. However, getting the car running and keeping it running is a big enough motivator to navigate the frustration. The main questions are: What do we need to do to get the job done? What resources do we need to gather? Whose wisdom do we need to lean on? How willing are we to keep trying even with a couple setbacks? Is the need big enough to demand your time and effort? The answers to these questions are key in determining how we will do youth ministry successfully in our communities.

Small towns are a lot like cars. They have a lot of moving parts that demand attention. Instead of covering an area that is already being maintained or spending our energy on areas where needs are being met, we can better utilize our limited time and resources by finding an unmet need and filling it. Meeting one community need effectively opens the door for new relationships with students. These relationships then provide open doors for the gospel. It is my hope that by taking care of one overlooked area in our communities, we can have a greater impact on students in the long run.

To read part one of Joe Epley’s series, “Principles for Rural Youth Ministry” click here: “Principles for Rural Youth Ministry: Making Blind Eyes See.” For part three, “Principles for Rural Youth Ministry: Crab Claws and Candy Ships.”

The post Principles for Rural Youth Ministry Part 2: See a Need, Meet a Need appeared first on Rural Advancement.

It is impossible to read scripture without seeing how often God seems to enjoy using young people from obscure places to accomplish his will in the world. In the center of major biblical narratives, we see the likes of Joseph, David, Jeremiah, Daniel, Mary, and Timothy, and the incredible ways in which God used them. A shared trait among these Biblical heroes is their humble origins, with all of them heralding from lonely fields, nomadic tents, and far corners of countries that served as footnotes in greater empires.

I am convinced that God still uses young people from obscure places. As rural youth pastors and volunteers, we are tasked with discipling these potential world changers. My hope in writing this series is to contribute a perspective, one that has for the majority of my ministry been molded by the lessons learned from rural youth ministry.

I currently live in Southeastern Montana, in a rural community of 1,700 people situated on the edge of the state map. Prior to this, I spent the majority of my life growing up and ministering in the biggest city our state has to offer. Following the call of God, I was led to take a job in Baker, Montana. After zooming in on Google Maps to enlarge this new-to-me speck of a populated area and saying a quick prayer, I embarked on a journey into rural ministry that was truly eye-opening.

The goal of this introduction is not to set me up in an idealized narrative in which I instantly adapt to rural life, overcome challenges, and find successful ministry to teens. That wouldn’t be accurate. When reflecting on my adjustment to rural ministry, I tend to identify with the man blind from birth found in John 9. His story reveals that he has never had sight, and until God miraculously opens his eyes, he has absolutely no awareness of the world outside of his senses of hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Once Jesus gives this man sight, he becomes an evangelist for the cause, even challenging the Sanhedrin to follow Jesus in discipleship.

My own story does not have that quick of a turnaround. The journey from being ignorant of the treasure that is rural youth ministry, to taking on the role of evangelist and advocate for rural communities took longer than one chapter. It is my intention in this series to offer nuts-and-bolts suggestions and principles that have helped me develop a sense of what it means to minister to rural youth. However, before we explore these principles, we must first see differently.

I remember a book I read during my undergraduate studies that seemed straightforward in its subject. It was basically an introduction to missions. The book had the intent of informing the uninformed of what principles guided missionaries as they followed God’s call. I read this book with a dedicated, but distanced understanding. In my mind, this material applied to missionaries, but not me.

Of course, we are all called to evangelize where we are, but in my naïveté, I vastly underestimated how these lessons could shape me. To put it broadly, the work set forth ideas that many missionaries and theologians refer to as indigenous principles. These principles explain why learning language, customs, existing religious beliefs, and cultural values are important for any missionary seeking to engage a foreign culture. After reading this, I can still remember the moment the lightbulb came on: I am not a youth pastor, I am a cross-cultural missionary.

Cross-cultural missionary. That phrase played over and over in my head, and in that moment my philosophy shifted dramatically. I realized that the youth of any generation exist as their own culture. They have a language all their own, developed through slang and social media, and cemented through pop culture. Youth have their own customs, deciding how and when to socialize, and what is proper to do and not do in every new social setting that arrives with rapidly changing technology. Their beliefs have been diversified through the availability of and exposure to new ideas in a technologically connected world. Finally, they have values that are uniquely expressed and driven by powerful forces of a global internet culture.

In this moment, I recognized with sudden appreciation the length to which missionaries go as they become students of the culture they hope to reach. Their dedication challenged me to grow as well. While I was sitting there reading, feeling unfit for the task and daunted by the work ahead, I was challenged by a question from the Holy Spirit: Isn’t it worth it? The answer seems clear. It is worth it. Worth, however, does not guarantee ease.

We are trying to understand a unique culture both in terms of it being rural and youth-oriented. If you’ve read this far, you, too, know it’s worth it. And you likely recognize the difficulty of the task. In my own experience, I’ve found that behind the veil of complex ministry philosophies, we often find simple principles. Here are a few of them that rang true for me.

• Learn the language. The double-edged sword of the internet has created a culture that is at one extreme rapidly changing. This can make it hard to engage with youth where they are at or get in their world. The positive side is that the internet exists as a giant billboard granting insight into what students value, discuss, listen to, and find entertaining. Find out where your students are spending time online and engage with whatever social media platform they are engaging with. It may feel overwhelming, but it is an invaluable window into their lives.
• Let the natives lead the way. Youth value the ability to give input. Although adults are still considered “experts” in their respective fields, when it comes to technology, youth culture, current problems and issues facing their generation, be willing to consider that these teens may know more than us. Yes, there is still a need for oversight, but there is also a very real need for their input. Give students voice in how your ministry operates, how you communicate, what activities you schedule, and what topics you engage with in the pulpit and small groups.
• Read a book. Or a blog. Or a social media post. Or a Facebook group. Or a dozen books. Or an academic study. Listen to a podcast. Or a teenager who is a personal friend. The point is simple, the task is too important not to be equipped. The list of resources is too large to put into the space of this blog, but leverage your network of people to find out what subjects need exploring and what’s being written on the subject. I personally know a pastor who started a youth group and discovered five students struggling with gender identity and sexuality. His first step was to read books on the subject, and I consider his ideas and methods of discipling those students to be far above those who have many more years of experience, but have not been active in learning new things.

Once we can see clearly the task ahead of us, and the value of that task, the nuts and bolts of youth ministry can be explored, which we will do in parts two and three of this blog.

The post Principles for Rural Youth Ministry Part 1: Making Blind Eyes See appeared first on Rural Advancement.

By Gordon Anderson Ph.D.

I once pastored a church that was twice the size of the town it was in. Impressive! 20 people in town, 40 people in church. You might think that such a seemingly small assignment would not hold much promise for significant leadership lessons. Not so. Later in ministry I served in a school where the board was larger than the congregation of that small church, and yet, time after time, I have gone back to come of the most important lessons I have ever learned; lessons learned in that small country church. Here are my three favorites.

1. Leadership is rooted in personal relationships. It is not a program. Early on I learned that people get to know you in a small church. Leadership in this environment is more personal than programmatic. Organizing a large program, event, or organization can look impressive, and can pass for competent leadership. You know, big numbers – big leader. The fact is, drawing a crowd with a creative program is not hard; especially if it has popular appeal, is well-organized, and is well-funded. But in a small church, people care more for the size of the person than they do for the size of the program. While congregants would otherwise not care for just one more program, they will follow, support, and help an honorable leader.
During the early months, that small church undertook the project of adding on to the parsonage. It was a sizeable task for a small congregation. In a board meeting, I (the leader), asked how we were going to raise the money. A seasoned board member softly said, “Don’t you worry about that”. I, (the leader), had the good sense to say nothing more, and nothing more was said. The next week we took a building fund offering, and the entire cost of the project was donated at once. The church gave an amount equal to about one half their annual giving. I was shocked! No program, but all that money. I asked the seasoned board member how it happened. He smiled and said, “Oh, we made a few calls this week”. If I, (the leader), had tried to launch a fund-raising program similar to what you see in other settings, we would have had a program, but not the same kind of personal support. There would have been no personal phone calls, and no big offering. I have found that this simple principle works out the same regardless the size of the ministry assignment. I will take the personal, relational approach any time.

2. People talk, and they are believed. We know people talk, but I had no idea the kind of influence that talk could have. In the long run, what people say about you will become your reputation, whether you like it or not. In that small church I found that my reputation throughout the whole community was determined by a very small group of people. Were they gossips? No! These people had many of friends and relatives, and friends and relatives talk about matters that friends and relatives talk about. As the pastor of that small church, I was the talk of the town. My wife, Dianne, and I had good relationships with that small church. We did our best to live honorably, and the people became fond of us. They told everyone they knew that we were OK. The word spread, and I did not have to launch a PR campaign to develop a good reputation. The people did it for us. (See number one above). Reputation is the sum total of many small conversations, small business dealings, small lists of appointments kept, and small compliments about other people when a criticism could have been offered. There is no such thing as a small thing, and taking care of these small things armed those that would talk with positive matters to talk about. Was it always good and accurate? Not always, but most of the time it was. And for that, we established and maintained a good reputation in that small place. Later, we learned that it is no different in a larger environment as well.

3. Pennies count. After each service in that small church the board counted the offering and gave it to me in a bag, along with a note of the amount. It was my job to deposit the money the next day at our local bank, about 26 miles away. Seldom was the note exactly accurate, but the deposit slip had to be. One Sunday night after church I was conducting the deposit. When I had finished, I stood up and a penny fell to the floor. I picked it up and put it in my pocket. And then I had an enormous feeling of guilt. It was as though God had caught me stealing a thousand dollars. It was late and I was tired. Without thinking I said, “Its only a penny,” but that lame remark didn’t dissolve the guilt at all. Then I said, “I’ll put it in next week’s offering,” but that did not help either. So, I sat down, redid the deposit slip, put it in the bag, and tore up the inaccurate one; the one that was off by just one penny. It did not take long, but the guilt lifted, and I learned one of the most important lessons of my life. There is no such thing as “just a penny.” It was not a penny that fell to the floor. It was a principle. The amount did not matter. As a trusted leader I was handling principles, not pennies. That night I learned something I have carried with me for the entirety of my ministry; those who are faithful with just a little will also be faithful with much, and those who are unfaithful with just a little will be also be unfaithful with much. I thank God for that night in the basement of a small parsonage, in a small church, in a small town.

I hope these three stories might have an impact on you in some way similar to what they have had on me. I have learned many lessons in some 53 years of ministry, but none have had greater impact than the really big lessons I learned in a very small place.

The post Leadership Lessons Learned at A Small Country Church appeared first on Rural Advancement.

By Bill Hennessy, D.Min.

In one drive through the American country, you’ll likely drive past two or three rural churches standing empty and unused. For decades, these churches served entire communities as both worship and community centers.

The steady migration of rural families toward metropolitan areas has convinced some Church strategists that the role of the rural church has ended and that those empty buildings are little more than an example of a historic Americana, better suited to wall art than relevant ministry.

Still, 60 million Americans live outside urban centers. The needs of these rural communities are every bit as real as those of their urban counterparts. According to Benjamin Anderson, a rural Hospital administrator in Colorado, the loss of community in rural areas has created a suicide crisis among Senior Citizens who feel isolated and abandoned. At the same time, addiction issues rampage and compromises younger rural Americans. Much of this crisis stems from the decline of once vibrant churches.

A variety of ministries, podcasts and seminars speak to these ideas on how ministry in rural America can be effective, but new approaches are needed. Let me offer one concept that might have great impact on a number of rural churches.

Imagine a pastoral team made up of two or three people that serve four congregations in a relatively large geographic area. On any given Sunday, the adult pastor speaks in one church while the youth pastor speaks in another. A children’s pastor speaks at the third church and the fourth church is led by an elder or deacon. The next Sunday, the team rotates to their next location. On the occasional fifth Sunday, a celebration service is held in one of the four locations, bringing all of the members together to worship and thank God for His faithfulness.

It’s quite possible that funding for the pastoral staff could be raised like any other Christian ministry. It’s also possible that the youth and children’s pastors would be considered part time, while the adult pastor would receive a full-time salary. That adult pastor would be available for pastoral care and administration. All partnering churches would share the salaries of the pastoral team. In this way, four churches could be served by supporting an amount equal to one part-time salary.

If this sounds familiar, it should. It is a variant of the old “Circuit Rider” model used to bring the Gospel across America at a time of rapid expansion. This forgotten model could also have the potential to help struggling churches thrive again in challenging times.

What model of rural ministry have you found effective in ministering to the needs of families and individuals living outside metropolitan areas? How might you take the idea I’ve submitted above and make it better? We look forward to your comments and perhaps putting your ideas out for widespread consideration.

The post 60 Million Deserve the Gospel appeared first on Rural Advancement.

I was recently taken by surprise at the grief which overwhelmed me on my sister Kim’s 60^th heavenly birthday.  Kim passed away from cancer in January of 2018 and didn’t see 60 here on this earth.  Of all the people in my life who taught me what I call “life lessons”, those lessons that give life true meaning, Kim probably taught me the most.  Kim was the oldest of five children in our family, but was also the “youngest.”  She was born physically “normal” but developmental delays plateaued her at a cognitive age of 5 to 7 years.  This meant her four younger brothers became her protectors, and brought to life the command in Psalms 82:3 to defend the weak.

As you might imagine, Kim would often do or say things that were embarrassing.  She loved to meet new people and would go out of her way to do so.  Her opening line to someone she was meeting for the first time was “Hello, my name is Kim, I’m retarded.”  In the 60’s and 70’s retarded was the term given to people with Kim’s disability.  Kim would often question God why He had made her retarded, or ask me, “will I ever be healed?”  I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt, her healing is completed now in God’s presence.  Something I learned as I matured was that her introductory statement was not meant to embarrass me or others, Kim didn’t have it in her thought process to do that, Kim wanted to put others at ease.  She gave an open and vulnerable introduction revealing in an instant all her inner frailty and trust, “this is who I am, who are you?”  

Serving as a pastor in a rural church, I have been able to recognize the many gifts Kim has granted me.  One being the gift of compassion for those with disabilities.  She has given to me the ability to move past my embarrassment or concern for what a guest might think when they see those with disabilities serving in front line ministry positions in the church.  She taught me to think outside my box and to see the bigger picture of a world filled with people who God has created them to be.

I learned that despite her cognition, Kim could pray.  She could often be found on her knees by her bed interceding in the Spirit (she was baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues) for the healing or salvation of those she loved.  She portrayed a beautiful and innocent display of Christ in the way that she loved everyone she met and expected the same in return.  I believe she had God’s ear. Maybe it was because of her persistence, but I am almost certain it was due to her child-like faith that God answered many, many of her prayers.  Our observation of Kim’s faith and God’s miraculous provision has led us to allow and ask those with developmental delays to be a part of our prayer and altar ministry.   As a result, we have experienced the supernatural and miraculous touch of God in people’s lives through physical and relational healings.

I learned from Kim that a church which loves and embraces those with cognitive brokenness shows its guests that they too will be loved and embraced.  Who in the world today is not suffering some form of brokenness and needs the love of Jesus to shine through His church and embrace them?  Those with physical and cognitive disabilities on our greeter team for this very reason.  In a world and culture that often says first impressions are everything, I can think of no better first impression than to show everyone who walks through our doors that every person in this church is loved and accepted.

Kim pushed me to think outside of the box in a world where autism or food allergies or ADHD have become the norm.  How do we address these in the rural church?  How do we best serve our families and children?  These questions have pushed us to create a team of parents who help with our autistic and behavior challenged children.  It has challenged us to keep a supply of non-dairy or peanut free snacks available so that all can feel welcome.  These areas can become overwhelming for the rural church that often lacks resources, but something as simple as serving a gluten free cracker option at Communion makes everyone feel included. As a result of this addition to our Communion time, two new families have begun attending our church.  They had not been able to take communion at previous churches for years and as one of the family members said, “you offering this option means that everyone matters to this church.” 

One of Kim’s persistent prayers was for new people to come to church and for the church to be filled.  Growing up in a small rural church, in a town with aging demographics and a population trending downward, this seemed like a big prayer for God to answer.  However, at Kim’s funeral the church was so full, the basement fellowship hall was even at capacity as people had no other option but to watch the service happening upstairs via Facebook live.  In the history of our church there had never been more people in attendance.  It seemed to be God’s way of saying, Kim’s life mattered to me and, thankfully, mattered to many others.  My challenge for every person who hears Kim’s story is to look outside the lens of your current perspective, think about the many possibilities that exist for those with disabilities, and see what those possibilities could mean to others.  Because, just as Kim taught all those who knew her, every person matters.

The post A Life that Mattered appeared first on Rural Advancement.