fresh thinking for rural outreach rev. dr. kevin wilson [email protected]
TRANSCRIPT
Rural Roots
+ Grew up in western Kansas+ Serving Appalachian WV, KY and Ohio+ Working with LCMS Rural/Small Town Mission
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The Trail+ The Challenges in Rural America+ LCMS Churches Meeting the Challenge+ Questions and Discussions
The Challeng
es in Rural
America
Rural Challenge: Historic Values
Independence
Self-sufficieny
Resilience
Meeting the Rural Challenge:
Emerging Values Interdependence
Partnership
Resilience
Rural Challenge: Historic Church
Assumptions“We know where everyone from this
town worships or at least is a member.”
“Our mission is to care for one another and maintain sound doctrine”
“We are autonomous, self-sufficient and fully intend to stay this way.”
Meeting the Rural Challenge:
Emerging Church Assumptions“At least half the people in this
town are really unchurched and a lot of those are not Christians”
“Our mission is to care for our neighbor and maintain sound doctrine”
“We are autonomous, self-sufficient but will consider partnership”
Shared Practices in Growing Rural Churches
Pastor and members are intentionally representing the church in the community.
Members of the congregation want to see new faces, expect new faces or embrace new faces.
There is a sense of hopefulness in the church, that “God is not done with us yet.”
These are flowing from biblical teaching, preaching and modeling the Gospel.
LCMS Churches Meeting the Challenge
Regional Partnerships
Multiple rural churches forming partnership in order to express the Gospel in a region.
Several churches can support one ministry, staff members, etc.
Help each church more and more look outward.
Cole Camp, Missouri - Pastor Todd Kollbaum. http://colecampregionalministry.org/ or Pastor Dean Hartley “Highway 200 Lutherans” in ND
Building a Ministry Bridge
to the CommunityExample: Pray for the community during
Lent.
Members given prayer cards for friends and family, local businesses asked by members for prayer requests, a special prayer request box in Narthex.
Vital: Prayer were offered on Wednesday/Sunday and members went back out to ask for follow up stories or prayer requests.
Lutheran Church, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamler, OH; Pastor Doug DeWitt, [email protected]
Consolidating Churches
Choices: Two churches closing or a new congregation continuing.
By not moving into an existing building the new congregation becomes a new church.
New congregations have a greater opportunity to connect with un churched people.
Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church – Callaway, MN; Pastor Del Stohs
Para Church
Organizations
+ Find people passionate about a rural region+ Organize to provide resources, training and encouragement+ appmission.net, Twitter.com/AppalachianMP
Appalachian Mission Partnership
Identify Lutherans who desire a congregation in their community/region
AMP provides specialized training and resources to organize the local Lutherans in to groups (Bible study, service, prayer, etc.) that can develop into congregations.
AMP finds churches to partner with the local Lutherans, participating in prayer walks, servant events, rehearsals, etc.
Questions and Discussion
Natio
nal
Resou
rces
Rural & Small Town Mission. LCMS national ministry. http://www.spife.org/
The Sticks Network. New cross denominational network that is focused especially on ministry in small towns. http://thesticks.tv/
Rural Home Missionary Association. Established cross denominational organization focused on planting and strengthening churches in small town America. http://www.rhma.org/
Thank You!
To you all, you’re attendance is truly an encouragement.
To Lutheran Hour Ministries, for gathering us together today for the Cause of Christ.
Most of all, to God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for including us in His Mission in our communities.