rural churches

[gopher]

The rural church is some what like the small family farm,it is slowly leaving the rural landscape. Most country churches are suffering from the lack of funds to pay for a full time clergy and keep up the maintenence of the premises. In order to provide a minister for many of these rural churches a member of the clergy is asked to look after as many as three charges and that makes it difficult to attract anyone to the position. I think you are right about a shortage of trained ministers. It seems young people are not attracted to such an occupation.
The number of people attending church is becoming fewer and these members are also getting older and are not being replaced by a younger congergation. The rural churches do not have the required programs to attract young people. I feel the younger crowd are going to the bigger churches where there is more social life and programs that interest them.
Many of the small communities that are located in a 20 - 30 mile radius of a bigger centre are becoming satilite communities to that centre and most of the activities such as church, school and social life tend to migrate to the bigger population.
Also the local economy plays a big part in this because when the area suffers from a drought or other reasons that cause a depressed economy then people tend to hold back on donations to the church. Many senoirs who depend on the stock market for their retirement income are no longer in a position to make large donations to the church.

[karlevans]

Thanks, Gopher, for your thoughtful comeback. What you note reflects my own observations, and adds some important thoughts.

I am really concerned about the small community rural church. When folks begin to drive 25-50 miles to church, they don't just go to church. They go to the grocery store, clothing market, whatever. They take money and support out of their own communities and send it elsewhere. Then many of them complain that their own community is dying.

I have served, for short term or long term ministries, 25 defferent congregations in six US states, and made week-long workshops in perhaps ten other small churches. In every case but one, which would be considered an urban church, the same pattern existed. And in that one, it was downtown in a major city, and the worry was nearly the same. People were leaving the downtown church and going to the suburbs.

I believe it is possible to be positive about the small rural church, but it is very difficult to make it work. Intense preparation and organization are necessary.

Thanks again, Gopher.

karl Evans
Gospel of Hope ISBN #0-595-22110-6
iUniverse.com

[Deb]

There are big churches in southern Alberta. They are real Bible thumpers and quite evangelical.

I go to a dual charge church and both are small. We try to have a variety of activities for all ages and it is a wonderful community which I have only started to realize, means a lot to me. We are a quiet church and most of us have a comfortable, natural, constant relationship with God that doesn't call for a lot of hand-waving or single-minded preaching. We just all know that each of us is a small part of God and God is so intertwined in our lives that we find it no big surprise. Am I making any sense?

Anyway, I do the occasional service when the minister is away. I do my sermons on the environment or sometimes I like to talk about how Jesus related to those around him and the power of his healing with love. It dawned on me as I listened to the Beatles sing, that Love (God) is all you need.

I am a farmer and like to include parables in my sermon using 21st century farming to make a point. The farmers in the congregation like that andthey always feel good about themselves when they leave. This is the essence of church - to make people feel better about themselves when they leave. That way, theymay feel generous with their praise and makesomeone else's day happier and so on....

Our rural church has ebbs and flows of attendance. It is down right now, along with the money, but we will survive. Everyone shows up to help with turkey suppers,funerals, etc.

Thanks for letting me blabber.

[karlevans]

Deb and others who like smaller, quieter churches: Peace and Grace

I do also.

In this Creation, one of the greatest gifts from God is the freedom for any two individuals to work out their own relationship. For some, that mamy lead them into the big megachurches. For others, that may lead them into something different. Small rural congregations, for instance.

I am not comfortable in megachurches. I served a small church in Las Vegas Nevada USA for a time. I became familiar with casino life. I have been familiar with megachurch life since the term became common.

I am of the opinion that most megachurches live off the same human drives and needs fulfilled by the big casinos. The herd instinct, seeking anonymity, and being entertained. Some need this, perhaps. I do not.

As I wrote my little book on the life of Jesus, I seemed to see Jesus as a person who quietly went about doing his own work on my behalf. I feel that Jesus did everything he ever did for me. Of course, others would feel the same way about their own relationship with Jesus. That's okay. If their relationship with Jesus honestly leads them into megachurches, I guess that's ok.

Most of my book, Gospel of Hope, is a retelling of some of the parables and the direct encounters Jesus had with people. I don't like to push it too much, but I think it is a good resource for persons like yourself, working to grow and serve where you find yourselves.

I believe the little rural church is also more likely to respond to the real needs of the community. We have to take care of ourselves.

karl Evans
Gospel of Hope ISBN #0-595-22110-6
www.iUniverse.com