Rural Youth Ministry is out there. It is on the “fringe” of what many are planning for and talking about in youth ministry today. It’s not glamourous. You are more likely to feed livestock than homeless people. The only time you get a lightshow during worship is when Fred plugs too many things into an outlet and circuit breakers start popping.
I love Rural Ministry. I love the time that I can pour into that “one kid” that is struggling. I love the lack of pretentiousness in my small town. They know what they are, and what they are not, based on where the community has been. They make no attempt to do things like a larger town, because they know they lack the infrastructure and income to pull it off.
Look at the picture below. Look carefully at the horizon. That is where Rural Ministry begins. You may not know exactly what it is supposed to look like. but you will definitely know it when you get there.
