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Thriving in Rural and Small town UCC Churches & Ministries
Rural and Small-town churches are the backbone of the United Church of Christ. 60 % of churches in the UCC are Rural, Small, worshiping under 50 people a Sunday. We hear that every time we see a statistical report or other information about the Church in this day and age. It has been said in a sad and solemn way. As though small is weak. Small is without resources. Or small is dying. That statistic does not describe the diversity and wisdom of rural communities or churches.
Rural ministry is a ministry of connection, of relationship and of caring. We are all linked. In a rural community, usually agricultural community, you have to depend on your neighbors. If you get stuck in the mud on the way home on a dark night, it is your neighbor and your neighbor’s tractor that will pull your muddy vehicle out so you can get home. And they may bring a load of stone to fill in the mud ruts, or a grader to smooth it out, until things firm back up. It’s just what people do, who live, work, worship and grow together. On land that has been in the family for centuries.
Rural areas tend to be spread apart. There are not several churches in a close geographic area, that can easily create a campus environment, to join together for common work. But one community buys the Easter Eggs that the church across the river makes. One church holds an indoor yard sale where other churches from surrounding communities bring their treasures to sell. We all go to our various fund-raising breakfasts. And do rural people know how to cook!
These communities value relationship and connection in a way that can teach us all about how deeply humans need each other. Relationships are built on trust. Trust is built over time, as people see you and gauge if you are who you claim to be. That can be off-putting at first. That reluctance can be perceived as distant. Or unwelcoming. But just like in any new relationship, each party is learning about the other, exploring what it means to be joined, even in the most rudimentary ways. As each one grows into the other, mutual trust grows. That has allowed disparate people to form communities built not “everybody is the same” but “everybody cares enough about everybody else, that the differences can draw us together, rather than tear us apart.” That takes courage. That takes mutual trust. That takes a deep level of caring and commitment.
Agriculture is the most optimistic profession. No matter how little rain fell the previous season, or how little snow in winter, in the dark of days of cold, farmers buy seed, irrigation supplies, fertilizer, all the things they need to plant next year’s crop. They service the tractor and sharpen the tools that will work the soil and till the ground as soon as it is warm enough to plant. That optimistic and practical mindset instructs the church in that we know we are connected. We need each other. And relationships are more important that being right. We have a lot to learn from our small, rural churches. If we will listen.
Thursdays for the Soul: Thriving in Rural and Small-Town UCC Churches & Ministries
A recent United Church of Christ survey found that over 60% of UCC congregations have small memberships, mostly found in rural and small-town settings.
Join us for this 3-part Nurture the Soul series featuring the vitality and thriving experiences of rural and small-town church settings. UCC church members and pastoral leaders share their personal experiences of life in rural and small towns and the innovative ways of doing church and ministry in these settings and their essential contributions to the wider UCC.
February 22, 29 and March 7, 3:30PM - 4:30PM register here
Rural pastors and lay leaders gather for regular discussion and learning on the First Tuesdays of each month at 4pm. Join them here.
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