Reflections & Research:
Rural Settings
February 19, 2019
Rural churches can thrive beyond numbers
Volunteers work at the community garden at Salem United Methodist Church. Photo by Glenn Stallsmith Small churches learn to evaluate their growth by impact rather than attendance. The young pastor said he felt like a failure. He wasn’t the first rural pastor I’ve heard say this. The center that I direct, located at a small […]
read moreabout Rural churches can thrive beyond numbersMay 15, 2018
PCUSA faith community takes flight, celebrating Appalachian music and culture
Tuesday services, rockers for pews, a Mason jar chalice and mountain music — Wild Goose Christian Community is an alternative faith community that celebrates local Appalachian culture.
read moreabout PCUSA faith community takes flight, celebrating Appalachian music and cultureMay 30, 2017
What can the rural church offer a declining community? Hope
Many rural communities face decline. The church has a unique ability to stand in the hard realities and still preach hope, writes a rural pastor.
read moreabout What can the rural church offer a declining community? HopeOctober 6, 2015
A community grows its way out of poverty
A pastor in rural North Carolina has developed a farming and beekeeping operation that improves the health of local residents while training a new generation.
read moreabout A community grows its way out of poverty