A purposeful partnership for rural areas of GB. EVANGELISM | REVITALISATION | PLANTING
Great Britain
Joined April 2022
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New to The Rural Project?
Here are the most-read posts on our blog about pastoring and evangelising in villages and small towns, plus our most-watched videos.
Start here: theruralproject.org/blog/top…
5 Reasons to Evangelise Rural Britain
1. Millions live there
2. God is already at work
3. Jesus didn't neglect villages
4. Churches won't plant themselves
5. God loves to use the seemingly insignificant
What would you add?
Your preacher today may be no Charles Spurgeon.
But if he preaches the truth: praise God!
Better a mediocre but faithful shepherd than a silver-tongued wolf.
A beautiful website won't save anyone.
Neither will Grade 8 musicians, impressive facilities or a a brilliant children's programme.
The power of the church isn't found in these things.
Trust the message of Jesus to save, with or without human skill.
You can't play 11-a-side football with five players.
But you could make a wonderful 5-a-side team.
In the same way a small church can't run the same programs as a big church.
But they can do something small and personally. Perhaps better than any one else.
Stop waiting to enjoy your church until...
You have more leaders
You have more families
You have enough money
You have a better building
You have a full-time pastor
God has given you a church family today.
With all its limitations, it's a gift worth enjoying.
Pastoring a church in a village of a 1,000 is very different from pastoring a church in a city.
Not necessarily harder. But different.
And those differences bring challenges we rarely discuss.
Here are 6 of them (and some solutions):
6. Leaders are hard to find
The same few people have filled the rota for years and the church feels stretched.
Review how much you do. Give people a chance to fail. Pray for workers.
And don't be too quick to retire your people. The church is founded on "elders" for a reason.
I once asked a pastor in a beautiful Yorkshire market town how ministry was going.
He sighed. "Our town is such a wonderful place to live, I don't think people see their need for the gospel."
Sometimes the greatest obstacle to evangelism isn't suffering.
It's comfort.
6 questions to ask when identifying leaders in a rural church:
1. Are they reliable?
2. Do they love the village?
3. Do they love the church?
4. Are they teachable?
5. Will they get their hands dirty?
6. Do they see the church as a stepping stone?
(from Pastoring Small Towns)
This Sunday, don't complain about your church's:
• Mediocre band
• Average preacher
• Tiny congregation
• Small Sunday School
Instead, thank God the gospel reached your community.
When post-mortems are conducted on failed pastors the same themes repeat:
Too much time away from family
No devotions
No days off
Pastors, rest is not for the weak.
Spend time with the Lord, your wife and your kids today.
Does your village church feel pressure to look polished?
What if professionalism isn't the best tactic for reaching a rural community?
theruralproject.org/blog/avo…
A good word from Spurgeon about the dangers of too much busyness in service crowding out walk with the Lord
HT: @SpurgeonMBTS
Why bother evangelising rural Britain?
Surely our limited resources are better spent reaching cities where the people and cultural influences are?
Here are 5 reasons we must not neglect Britain's villages:
5. Jesus himself was a rural preacher
He was born in a village of 300-1,000
He ministered in towns and villages across Galilee
He told his disciples to go to towns and villages.
Jesus didn't favour urban or rural. He took the message everywhere. We should too