The Rural Church Relational Advantage
In rural communities, relationships are not just an asset; they are the lifeblood that sustains a church.
Dwight Sandoz directs Rural Advancement with the Assemblies of God, USA. He leads an initiative to see 10,000 rural churches vitalized in outbound ministry.
Sociologists describe urban life as single-plex and rural communities as multi-plex.
Rural Community Relationships
Simplex means that there is only one relationship between two individuals— for example, boss/worker.
Multiplex means that there are several relationships. For example, two people may have a boss/worker relationship, also a Sunday school teacher/student relationship, and a neighbour/neighbour relationship, all at the same time. Or it can be a web of relationships.
In rural areas, individuals often play multiple roles within the community, and these roles overlap in ways that are unique to small, tight-knit environments.
Sandoz shares his own story to illustrate: "When I was young, the pastor of my church was also my neighbor and my bus driver. As such, my relationship with him was much more 'three-dimensional' than for a typical 6-year-old."
In rural communities, relationships are the lifeblood that sustains a church:
Ministry grows and weakens by relationships, not by programs or systems.
One-on-one relationships are the key to discipleship and growth.
Rural pastors are gloriously inefficient with their time. Spending a day helping brand cattle or sitting in a waiting room for hours with a family whose father is in surgery.
People are watching 24/7. Christian living is noticed.
The way you speak at Tim Horton's on Monday is way more influential than how you worship on Sunday.
Community kindness is noticed.
Decision-Making And Assessment
Transparency and communication are vital in a rural community. When people feel informed and involved in a decision-making process, they are more likely to trust the leader and support a church's initiatives. In rural communities, trust is everything. It's not enough to simply make decisions; rural leaders must engage with the congregation, explain their reasoning, and invite feedback.
In helping rural pastors assess church health and growth, Sandoz suggests replacing the typical metrics of demographics and attendance with what Pastor Brad Roth, a rural church pastor, calls "getting weird". Brad raises the idea of using "rules of life" rather than metrics to make assessments. He observes, "You can't measure the hidden life of the church."
A "rule of life" tracks the commitments that congregants have rather than attendance, the number of people in a small group, etc. He suggests that pastors "Count the casts, not the fish." Track how many people congregants have talked to about Jesus. We have termed this function "touches".
First Impulse Is Key to Volunteers
A lack of volunteers is an inhibiting factor in rural church ministry. What's the best way to address the issue? Sandoz advises, "A key to developing those who would serve with us in the many roles of ministry requires us to give opportunity for others to grow with the first impulse."
Many churches struggle to find leaders to fill key roles in the church but may have discouraged the early impulse when God brings those leaders across their path. Leaders don't look like leaders when we first encounter them. The temptation to see them like a four-year-old who creates more work causes us to miss the fact that they soon will become the strong person who may someday lead a great program or even succeed us in ministry.
"We may lose the next wave of pastoral leaders for rural ministry if we fail to connect today. We must face the challenging truth, capture the impulse at the early stages today or lose the connection for a lifetime."
Who is the twelve-year-old in your congregation who is asking you questions about ministry or being a pastor?
Who are you building relationships with that might take years of investment but could last a lifetime of fruitfulness?
Resources
Website: Rural Advancement
Brad Roth, 2017, God's Country: Faith, Hope, and the Future of the Rural Church
Brad Roth, 2024 Flyover Church
Multiplication Begins With Us, Dwight Sandoz
Bob Jones is the founder of REVwords.com, an author, blogger, and coach with 39 years of pastoral experience. Bob is also an Advance Coach with the ABNWT Resource Centre. You can connect with Bob here.