Leading the Rural Church

Who do you expect to find when you leave the city?

Understanding the Demographics of Rural Areas.

• Lower income• Older• Marked by population decline or very

modest growth.• Intermarried and related.• Stable populations with little immigration

or migration.

The Ideal ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ Story of a Rural Life.

• Attend the community’s school and graduate.• Leave the community for University or college.• Take advantage of greater opportunities

presented in the city and find a spouse.• Spend some time gaining experience in your

vocation with an employer in the city.• Return to home to the rural community and to

the family business.

Implications of the Ideal• These people are missing from the

community for about ten years, age 18 until about thirty.

• Upon their return they are entrusted with the family heritage and responsible for perpetuating the family legacy.

• Often become our leadership and key people in the community and in our churches.

The Less Than Ideal Stories.(some people never leave)

• Attend the local school and drop out or finish but don’t go on to college.

• Generally less education means less opportunity, and a narrower perspective on life.

• Have difficulty meeting the pressures of the outside world.

Some People Never Come Back.• The majority of the best and

talented young people never return and are lost to the community.–Go on to college or university

and never return.–Make a large impact where

they go, often in urban churches or missions.–Usually maintain ties with

home.

Rural Renaissance and Who’s Moving In

• Small manufacturing companies have anchored some communities and are bringing in foreign workers.

• Oil and gas or mining workers.• Recreational property owners.• People seeking cheap housing• Commuters who work in larger centers.

Leading Your Church on Cross Cultural Ministry.

• New people to the community are your most likely target for conversions and new church members.

• As someone from the outside there is a unique role to bridge the gaps between newcomers and long time residents

• Be welcoming

Additional Demographic Considerations.

• Small sample sizes have large deviations from the norm.

• Bubbles mean programs and ministry will morph and change as our micro-demographics change.

• Smaller communities and smaller churches are vulnerable to small or major shifts. eg.– Layoffs at one of the major employers.– A key family leaves the community and the Church.

People’s stories are important in understanding how we should

serve them!

Let me introduce you to my chairman...

•Our first church was built on land his father donated.•Our current church was built on a lot that he donated.•He helped pour the concrete for the basement by hand

My Treasurer• 40 + years as secretary treasurer.• 30+ years as AWANA leaders.• teaches Sunday School

•leads singing•helps with work projects

Appreciating That the Rural Congregation Is:

• Highly committed & highly invested.• Working extremely hard.• Linked to a long history and heritage in

the Church. (which can sometimes shows up as being resistant to change)

Learning to Lead Without...

Relief or Respite

• Be careful about introducing new programs or additional work.

• Pace ourselves as leaders.• Be willing to lift the burdens of others.• Be willing to be independent.• Keep your leadership structure simple.

Expert Help

• Smaller pool of talent to draw on.• Redefine our expectations.• Be willing to work with what works.• Expand our network beyond our church

and community.

A Large Budget.• Take time to understand the financial realities of your

congregation.• Honour the money saving methods of your

congregation.• Remember your environment.• Help your congregation have the vision to grow the budget capacity of the Church.• Stay in touch with those who have ties to the Church and have left the community.

Relevant Resources• Relevant to the size of our churches.• Relevant to the culture of our area.• Be creative, adapt, and recognize that

many of the principles you see are applicable with appropriate modification.

• Don’t put square pegs in round holes.• appreciate the ability to anticipate the future

Clearly Defined Structure

• Constitutions and other documents may not be up to date.

• Listen and learn the history.• Be willing to work with what works.• Live with the tension of what should be,

what is, and what can be.

Leading without a lot of unimportant things...

The wonderful opportunity of the most important things being the

most important things.

A Renewed and Continual Dependence on Jesus Christ And

His Word.

‘Not by might nor by power , but by my Spirit says the Lord Almighty....Who

despises the day of the small thing?’ Zechariah 4:6,10

‘Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.’ 2 Cor 12:9

‘ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.’

Rom 10:17 NKJV

A focus on personal relationships.

Be Personal

• Pay attention to individual needs and care for people as individuals.

Enter into the lives of the people you came to serve and to reach.

Be your own person

• Take advantage of the opportunity to serve with the unique talents and gifts God has given you.

Take advantage of flexibility and nimbleness that comes

with being small.

Overcome conflict through love and commitment.

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply,

because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Preach the Word

Love the People