One of the motivators behind this blog site is the extreme lack of resources available on the topic of rural church planting and missional ministry. The are many topics and foci related to church planting that are not wanting for more books, conferences, or blogs, but the topic of rural church planting is not one of them. In my study on the subject over the last few years, I have only really found a couple noteworthy books on the subject:
No Little Places by Ron Klassen & John Koessler
Big Dreams in Small Places by Tom Nebel
Runners-up might include:
Transforming Church in Rural America: Breaking All the Rurals by Shannon O’Dell
Micropolitan Church: Doing Mega-Ministry in America’s Small Towns by Jerry Harris
I include these two for the mere fact that there are so few resources out there, but they tend to read more like particular case studies than universally applicable resources. However, each of these mentioned make a contribution to the conversation, and for that, I am grateful.
This afternoon, as I engaged in my typical stroll through the social media world, looking for tidbits to glean, I was pleased to discover (thanks, Lester Yoder) that the North American Mission Board (NAMB) is due to release a NEW BOOK on the subject entitled, Rural Church Planting: A Missional Footprint (not currently available for order). I have included a recent interview with George W. Garner (the individual who compiled the work).
I look forward to the read.
Hey Patrick, I just want to say I really appreciate the post and your faithfulness to planting churches in small towns. Even through I am not a lead church planter my prayer is that one day in my home town of Sheridan Wyoming a gospel centered, missional church is planted and that many will be saved. I just want to say thank you for the refreshing posts on small town church plants.
You’re very welcome. Thank you for posting. I will be praying for Sheridan Wyoming (I just put a post-it on my screen).
Im having a little issue. I cant get my reader to pick-up your feed, Im using bing reader by the way.