Joining God in His Work

[...] and other crises regularly encountered (like bad weather and crop diseases), success to many rural people is making it another year. But for urban people, surviving is not good enough. They have been [...]

[...] town and country churches that I’ve observed. A sense of urgency. In many communities, rural people tend to think most everyone is a Christian. Or, if not, they think the church has been in the [...]

[...] him. But that's hard to do because no one will cross him." WORK WITH, NOT AROUND TRADITIONAL LEADERS Listening to this pastor's analysis, I understood why his efforts to introduce changes into [...]

[...] 65 and older use the internet or email. However, many senior adults do not use social media of the Information Age. If we only use email, twitter, and facebook to [...]

[...] it has occurred to me that the real issue that I was attempting to address dealt more with single staff churches than "small" churches. A single staff church can be a small church but it may [...]

[...] people (when they go out to county fairs), and dozens here in our small town. I was in another small church in Plain, WA (not CRC), who had a fishing ministry called "Family Lines." It was [...]

[...] In the past I have written about the "small church" as an advocate to encourage small church leaders that they are just as valuable in God's Kingdom as any other church. I identified a [...]

[...] pastor's analysis, I understood why his efforts to introduce changes into the life of that small church were continually frustrated. He could not accept the fact that any significant changes in the [...]

[...] too, but if that is not a possibility in your church, don't look at it as all bad. The small-town church is one of the few places left in American society where inter-generational [...]

[...] , same difference, definite maybe, sanitary landfill, and working vacation. To some, “small-town church growth” sounds like an oxymoron. With only one stoplight and precious few residents, [...]

[...] cultural "outsiders" who don't see or appreciate the needs and interests of their small-town church. Even when church members find leaders like Mr. Smith difficult to deal with, they usually [...]

[...] canone make plans when he doesn’t know whattomorrow will bring (James 4:13-16)? But the urban pastor is likely to view goal settingas essential (1 Cor. 9:24-27). These differing perspectives can [...]

[...]   Rural ministry is challenging. There are not as many people outside of urban and suburban areas, thus [...]

[...] We're continuing our look at the challenges of rural ministry. Reprinted with permission from RHMA. A high percentage of pastors in small towns come [...]

[...] We're continuing our look at the challenges of rural ministry. Reprinted with permission from RHMA. THE OBSTACLE BY DOUGLAS WALRATH During the years I [...]

[...] , take some time off each week. Jesus had to rest, so do you.   2. Spend time with non-church members. Take some time to be with people who are not a part of your church. Consider joining a civic [...]

[...] , etc. It's important that churches explore the uses of social media to communicate with church members, to reach out to those who don't know Christ as Savior, and to learn from theologians as well [...]

[...] ; who don't see or appreciate the needs and interests of their small-town church. Even when church members find leaders like Mr. Smith difficult to deal with, they usually still affirm him because he [...]

[...] ;offered the term "Modified Arminian," for those of us who call ourselves Traditional Baptists. I am perplexed as to why people think Baptists need to be identified with a theological [...]

[...] . There is great danger to attempt to systemize God's Word. This is one reason why Traditional Baptists do not adopt a system of theology such as Arminianism or Calvinism or hold to any creed. [...]