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Fresh Thinking for Rural Outreach

Fresh Thinking for Rural Outreach. Rev. Dr. Kevin Wilson wilsonk@oh.lcms.org. Rural Roots. + Grew up in western Kansas + Serving Appalachian WV, KY and Ohio + Working with LCMS Rural/Small Town Mission. Share with Us. Your name The name of your church The location of your church.

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Fresh Thinking for Rural Outreach

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  1. Fresh Thinking for Rural Outreach Rev. Dr. Kevin Wilson wilsonk@oh.lcms.org

  2. Rural Roots + Grew up in western Kansas + Serving Appalachian WV, KY and Ohio + Working with LCMS Rural/Small Town Mission

  3. Share with Us • Your name • The name of your church • The location of your church

  4. The Trail + The Challenges in Rural America + LCMS Churches Meeting the Challenge + Questions and Discussions

  5. The Challenges in Rural America

  6. Rural Challenge: Historic Values • Independence • Self-sufficieny • Resilience

  7. Meeting the Rural Challenge: Emerging Values • Interdependence • Partnership • Resilience

  8. 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.”

  9. 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”

  10. 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.

  11. LCMS Churches Meeting the Challenge

  12. 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

  13. Building a Ministry Bridge to the Community • Example: 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, immanuelpastor@bright.net

  14. 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

  15. Para Church Organizations + Find people passionate about a rural region + Organize to provide resources, training and encouragement + appmission.net, Twitter.com/AppalachianMP

  16. 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.

  17. Questions and Discussion

  18. 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/ National Resources

  19. 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.

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