A resource for those serving in small towns and rural communities
Hi Jon,
I frequently receive calls where people hope I would be aware of a student or pastor who might serve in one of the rural and small town communities of God’s world. We at Luther Seminary, and through Faith+Lead, are working hard in all kinds of creative and traditional ways to develop the gifts of people who are called to serve as “public stewards of the Gospel.” I wish I could tell the people who reach out to me that I know of a group of students or pastors in current service they could call.
Congregations in many parts of our country have lived for some time with few candidates and long waits to successfully call a pastor or minister to serve their congregation or parish. Rural and small town areas in particular have faced this reality. The number of congregations waiting continues to grow.
The way we form our ministers and pastors is shifting. Seminary enrollment continues to decline across the many seminaries of this country who are a part of The Association of Theological Schools. We continue to see theological education data that shows more people seeking Masters of Arts degrees and fewer Masters of Divinity (the traditional degree for many traditions’ pastors). We see more certificate programs. Regional church systems have schools and multiple ways of growing people deeper in faith, hope and love. More of our seminary students are doing their learning in distributed and part-time ways. There are a lot of changes happening as God calls people to be formed with theological depth and ministry competencies to serve local congregations and parishes.
There are encouraging things happening in this process. One of my most exciting experiences has been walking with a group of students doing a certificate in Christian Ministry that involves taking one course a semester (six total) over two years. These are people considering doing ministry in the future or already engaged in ministry. Our Faith+Lead Academy courses are another place I see people start to listen, learn and experiment around their sense of a call to ministry in the future.
I want to invite you to join us in holy stewing. That involves thinking, pondering and praying to God about who you might know in your area, your congregation, or your life who you might encourage to consider and invite to consider serving in ministry. Who comes to mind?
One of my hunches is that we will need to look closer to home to find people to serve while supporting them in a different formation path than many of our pastors have taken in the past. Pastors will need to be apprenticing lay leaders to help with roles we have imagined to be the work of the minister. You will need to talk to your regional church leaders about what this looks like in your denomination or situation.
God continues to call people to serve. God also calls us to imagine and reform the lives of our communities of faith to serve in the current realities so that the Good News of Jesus continues to be shared.
Resource Corner: Election Season
We are approaching an election. There are helpful resources from Faith+Lead and others. I will also share some resources for rural and small town ministry focused around sharing the Good News we know in Jesus.
Featured Resource: The 2024 Election Toolkit
Election season is here, and fostering unity in your congregation is as important as ever. Divisive campaign ads and heated debates can create tension and hinder empathy. That's why we've created the 2024 Election Season Toolkit for Faith Leaders. Delivered in a 3-part email series, this toolkit provides practical tools and resources to help preachers, church leaders, lay leaders, and communities navigate divisive climates.
As we move into the fall there will be many articles about the relationship between rural, suburban, and urban people. This is the one I found most helpful. The book is on the longer side, but it’s fascinating.
It’s written by Nicholas Jacobs and Daniel Shea, and explores how ”[t]he widening gulf between rural and urban America is becoming the most serious political divide of our day. Support for Democrats, up and down the ballot, has plummeted throughout the countryside, and the entire governing system is threatened by one-party dominance. After Donald Trump’s surprising victories throughout rural America, pundits and journalists went searching for answers, popping into roadside diners and opining from afar. Rural Americans are supposedly bigots, culturally backward, lazy, scared of the future, and radical. But is it that simple? Is the country splintering between two very different Americas—one rural, one urban?... This path-breaking book pinpoints forces behind the rise of the “rural voter”—a new political identity that combines a deeply felt sense of place with an increasingly nationalized set of concerns.” (Columbia Press)
If you are curious but don’t have time to read the book, here are a couple of related videos I found online. If you have time to watch or listen, they will help you understand better some of these frequently misunderstood forces:
A short review that makes a great summary of the book's learning.
A longer video from CSpan to challenge your stereotypes and presumptions, with questions and responses from a variety of perspectives.
Braver Angels- A group committed to creating conversations across political differences. If you are not aware of their work, this is worth checking out.
Join Us for the Rural Ministry Cafe
Are you looking for a place to gather, connect, share stories and receive support from others involved in rural and small-town ministry? Join us for the next gathering.
The Rural Ministry Cafe is a space where you can share your journey, learn from others, and find uplifting encouragement. Here is a glimpse of what the Rural Ministry Cafe has to offer:
Encouragement from fellow rural ministry leaders
Valuable insights and wisdom through shared experiences
Practical tools and creative ideas to enhance your ministry
And so much more!
We will talk some about mental health with Dr./Pr. Hollie Holt-Woehl and legal & governance basics with Murray Sagsveen.
Something powerful is happening in rural and small town communities across our country. People are struggling with loneliness, anxiety, frustration with different systems that have power, and resentments too often. On top of this we are continuing to see significant numbers of deaths of despair. How could we call communities of faith and Christ followers to see and engage the local community sharing the Good News that we know in Jesus in ways that are generous and grace oriented?
We trust our conversation will inspire people to be just a tad more comfortable listening to people and their community. Sharing the Good News begins with listening. Because people have thought about what is fruitful and what is authentic for them as they hear the Good News, they will be more likely to share their faith and the Good News we know in Jesus. We will be more likely to invite people into exploring, and practicing faith, hope and love as Jesus did.
Expand Your Ministry with Faith+Lead Resources
At Faith+Lead, we provide a wealth of resources that can complement your existing programs with ready-made curricula for small groups, Bible studies, discipleship growth, and equipping lay leaders in your specific ministry setting.
New Courses: Our newest offerings cover a wide range of topics, from the practicalities of starting a new ministry to Bible basics for emerging leaders. The best part? You can register for individual courses, or access ALL of them for just $19.95 per month in the Faith+Lead Membership.
5.89: Faith and Politics: How to Lead with Wisdom- Explore the complex relationship between faith and politics with Luther scholar, the Rev. Dr. Anthony Bateza in this enlightening episode of the Pivot Podcast.
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