This month, I am excited to announce that I am partnering as a coach with The River Network: a church planter training and coaching organization for the Global Methodist Church and others. Most rural ministries do not have a culture of church planting or even recognized that as part of their responsibilities in ministry. Many … Continue reading Re-Missioning for Growth in Rural Ministry

https://youtu.be/sRayIaK-hqE What is your church known for? In visiting with people familiar with the area, the comment was made that New Castle Bible Church of Mackinaw, IL has always had vital ministry. Join me for this interview with their lead pastor, Kevin Sauder. And, yes, you read that correctly: lead pastor. This is big church … Continue reading A Legacy of Vital Rural Ministry

One of the most common struggles experienced by rural pastors is a sense of isolation in ministry, and one of the common struggles for rural churches is limited resources. If you are looking for answers to these common struggles, join me for this interview with five of the pastors involved in Front Porch Ministries; a … Continue reading Front Porch Ministries

(Photo by Ryanniel Masucol on Pexels) https://youtu.be/dzZLpbC4GGA *Video and podcast contain the content below plus a prayer for you and your ministry Friends it has been three months since my last post, because my family and I have been in a season of personal and professional transition. My clergy credentials have been transferred to the … Continue reading Hopeless or Displaced Hope?

https://youtu.be/-lkLRL4Qm3Q In this interview with pastors Kent Garfield and Ymbar Polanco, hear the amazing story of how the Holy Spirit took a rural church on the verge of closing to a multiplying, multi-site, multi-ethnic ministry! This did not happen overnight, but through faithful perseverance, across multiple generations, following the Holy Spirit in one direction. As … Continue reading From 0 to Multiplying: a multiple generation vision bears much fruit

I first came across the name Danny Davis and his ministry as I was searching for updated rural ministry resources to share, and I discovered his book that came out in 2020: The Rural Church Turnaround. The opening words of the description read, "Declining or plateauing rural churches do not have to die! They can … Continue reading The Rural Church Turnaround (with Danny Davis)

https://youtu.be/4nBbqnXk8Mg In the last post, we heard the story of how Pfrimmer's Chapel, a small, rural church in Indiana, committed to God’s vision that they should remain intentionally small while working to multiply disciples worldwide! This rural church has planted six churches in four countries and has entered into 8 ministry partnerships internationally over the … Continue reading Strategically Small, Multiplying the Kingdom Worldwide Part 2

https://youtu.be/ztay_b5Ii9A In this episode, I had the joy of interviewing Pastor Tim Johnson from Pfrimers Chapel. (indiana) He shares the story of how this very rural church (in a place where there are more opossums than people, as he put it) ended up planting 13 churches internationally in 2020-2021! Check out the video or listen … Continue reading Strategically Small, Multiplying the Kingdom Worldwide! Part 1