Joe Epley Archives - Rural Advancement

The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters

Staff — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 22:32:25 +0000

Join us this week on the podcast as discuss another resource. The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker talks about the importance of putting intentional thought into our “get togethers”. Often times, getting together and having fellowship can be the life blood of a rural church, and our host Joe Epley walks through his favorite parts of the book on this weeks episode.

If you would like to purchase The Art of Gathering you can do so here.

As always, if you would like to contact the show with feedback and ideas, or for encouragement, please contact our host Joe Epley at joseph.g.epley@gmail.com

The post The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters appeared first on Rural Advancement.

A Big Gospel in Small Places: Should I Pastor in a Small Town?

Staff — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 22:49:26 +0000

Join us this week as host Joe Epley dives into Stephen Witmer’s book A Big Gospel in Small Places. Together, we’ll explore standout insights on the beauty and complexity of small-town life, rethink what true fruitfulness in ministry looks like, and wrestle with the compelling question: “Should someone pastor a small town?” It’s an encouraging, thoughtful conversation you won’t want to miss.

You can purchase the book on Amazon here

As always, if you would like to reach out for encouragement, or to give feedback or ideas for the show, contact our host Joe Epley at joseph.g.epley@gmail.com

The post A Big Gospel in Small Places: Should I Pastor in a Small Town? appeared first on Rural Advancement.

Fresh Expressions of the Rural Church: A Thought on Revitalization

Staff — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 17:51:32 +0000

Join our host Joe Epley as we look at the book Fresh Expressions of the Rural Church by Michael Beck and Tyler Kleeberger. This book is an accessible guide to revitalization, full of practical tips, good culture, and real time examples that equip a pastor and their team in a healthy way.

As always, if you would like to reach out to the show with feedback or ideas, or for encouragement, contact our host Joe Epley at joseph.g.epley@gmail.com

If you would like to purchase a copy of Fresh Expressions of the Rural Church you can click the link here.

The post Fresh Expressions of the Rural Church: A Thought on Revitalization appeared first on Rural Advancement.

Fall Update: Heading in a New Direction!

Staff — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 02:42:25 +0000

Join host Joe Epley as we talk about a slight shift in the direction of the podcast. Our goal is to continue to provide great content, great interviews, and great resources, but to move to a format that works better for our host even as life gets crowded! Stay tuned to hear some new episodes in just a few weeks!

As always, if you would like to reach out to the show with feedback or ideas, or for some encouragement, contact our host Joe Epley at joseph.g.epley@gmail.com

The post Fall Update: Heading in a New Direction! appeared first on Rural Advancement.

Summer Reflections 2025

Staff — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 18:16:39 +0000

Join our host Joe Epley as he shares brief thoughts on the Summer, highlighting the need to take advantage of God’s “interruptions” to our normal rhythms in order to sense His direction for our lives. This episode will mark the beginning of our summer break, and we will return with regular episodes in September.

As always, if you would like to reach out to the show for encouragement, or with ideas or feedback, please contact our host Joe Epley at joseph.g.epley@gmail.com

The post Summer Reflections 2025 appeared first on Rural Advancement.

A Personal Reflection on Church Health with Joe Epley (Karl Vaters Part 3)

Staff — Wed, 21 May 2025 04:10:20 +0000

Join host Joe Epley as he takes some of the principles of church health found in the works of pastor and author Karl Vaters and shares how they have applied in his life. Join him as he speaks of the struggles of measuring success apart from numbers.

You can check out Karl Vaters works at www.karlvaters.com

As always, if you would like to reach out to the show for encouragement, or with ideas and feedback, please contact our host Joe Epley at joseph.g.epley@gmail.com

The post A Personal Reflection on Church Health with Joe Epley (Karl Vaters Part 3) appeared first on Rural Advancement.

Christianity Now Interview with Josh Ziefle

Staff — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 21:48:15 +0000

Join us this week as we talk rural ministry with Josh Ziefle, Campus Pastor at Northwest University and host of the podcast, Christianity Now, which looks at modern issues facing the contemporary church. We will be discussing challenges, misconceptions, and best practices centered around the rural church.

You can check out the Christianity Now podcast at Apple Podcast or wherever you listen to podcasts! If you would like to connect with our host Joe Epley, you can reach out to the show at joseph.g.epley@gmail.com

The post Christianity Now Interview with Josh Ziefle appeared first on Rural Advancement.

Rural Resource: Small Church Essentials by Karl Vaters

Hope Danzl — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 20:12:17 +0000

Join us as our host Joe Epley walks through highlights from the book Small Church Essentials by Karl Vaters. This book is a great resource for practical tips on leading small town ministry. This book highlights good strategies for church health, and proper metrics to measure success that don’t revolve around the numbers.

You can purchase Small Church Essentials or Karl Vaters’ other books at the links below:

Small Church Essentials

The Grasshopper Myth

De-Sizing the Church

As always if you would like to reach out the show for encouragement, or with feedback and ideas, you can connect with our host Joe Epley at joseph.g.epley@gmail.com

The post Rural Resource: Small Church Essentials by Karl Vaters appeared first on Rural Advancement.

The Litany of Humility with Joe Epley

Staff — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 21:21:51 +0000

Join our host Joe Epley as we dive into a prayer that comes to us from the Catholic tradition. The Litany of Humility is designed to inspire humility in our life as well as a road map to pray God’s blessing on others.

You can read the full litany here.

As always, if you would like to reach out to the show for encouragement, or if you would like to give feedback or ideas, you can contact our host Joe Epley at joseph.g.epley@gmail.com

The post The Litany of Humility with Joe Epley appeared first on Rural Advancement.

New Year’s Reflection 2025

Staff — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 05:39:02 +0000

Join our host Joe Epley as we look back at 2024 and reflect on how to apply wisdom to our lives. Hopefully you are inspired and encouraged to continue pastoring in your rural context.

As always, if you would like to reach out to the show for encouragement, or with feedback or ideas, please contact our host at joseph.g.epley@gmail.com

The post New Year’s Reflection 2025 appeared first on Rural Advancement.

Rural Resource: Flyover Church by Brad Roth Part 1

Staff — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 15:37:54 +0000

This week and the next we will be discussing the book Flyover Church by Brad Roth. This book is yet another insightful take on rural ministry, arming pastors and leaders with both the right mindsets and practical tools to continue doing rural ministry well. Today begins with reflections on the book from our host Joe Epley.

If you would like to buy Flyover Church you can purchase it here. If you want to check out Brad’s first book God’s Country click here.

For more resources from Pastor Brad Roth, check out doxologyproject.com

As always, if you would like to reach out to the show for encouragement, or to give ideas and feedback, you can contact our host Joe Epley at joseph.g.epley@gmail.com

The post Rural Resource: Flyover Church by Brad Roth Part 1 appeared first on Rural Advancement.

Rural Resource: Pastoring Small Towns Part 1

Staff — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 06:34:05 +0000

Join host Joe Epley as he walks through the book Pastoring Small Towns by Ronnie Martin and Donnie Griggs. Today’s recommendation will include thoughts on compassion, the nuance of the rural church, and how pride is possible, even in a small town setting.

To purchase the book, click the link here.

As always, to reach out to the show with feedback or ideas, or for encouragement, contact our host Joe Epley at joseph.g.epley@gmail.com

The post Rural Resource: Pastoring Small Towns Part 1 appeared first on Rural Advancement.

New Year’s Reflections from 2023

Staff — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 23:20:57 +0000

Join host Joe Epley as he walks through something praiseworthy, something challenging, and something to pray about for the rural church in the coming year!

As always, you can reach out to us at Joseph.g.epley@gmail.com

The post New Year’s Reflections from 2023 appeared first on Rural Advancement.

Circles of Gratitude with Joe Epley

Staff — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 16:40:08 +0000

Join our host Joe Epley as he discusses different ways to express gratitude for the church and community you find yourself serving in. Gratitude can be a powerful element towards helping people have longevity in the rural church.

As always, if you would like to reach out to the show to give feedback or ideas, as well as for encouragement, please contact our host Joe Epley at joseph.g.epley@gmail.com

The post Circles of Gratitude with Joe Epley appeared first on Rural Advancement.

Rural Resource: The Forgotten Church Part 1

Staff — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 15:45:03 +0000

Join host Joe Epley as he walks through various bits of wisdom from the book The Forgotten Church: Why Rural Ministry Matters For Every Church in America by Glenn Daman. The book walks through the value and validity of rural ministry as well as the lessons and wisdom needed to lead in a rural context. Next week we will hear from Glenn Daman personally and his thoughts on the book!

The post Rural Resource: The Forgotten Church Part 1 appeared first on Rural Advancement.