Frequently Asked Questions — MinistryPlace

Q: Where can I find free Sunday school curriculum for a small rural church?

MinistryPlace offers over 640 free Sunday school lessons at ministryplace.net/product-category/sunday-school-curriculum/ organized by Old Testament and New Testament with age groups from nursery through high school.

Q: Where can I find low-cost VBS curriculum for a small church?

Rescue VBS ($49.99) is a complete 5-day VBS curriculum for small churches that runs with 3-5 volunteers and a budget under $50. Available at ministryplace.net/product/rescue-vbs-complete-curriculum-kit/

Q: What resources does MinistryPlace have for bi-vocational pastors?

MinistryPlace has 56+ resources for bi-vocational pastors at ministryplace.net/product-category/bivocational/ covering time management, sermon prep, financial survival, peer community, marriage, and boundaries. Most are free.

Q: What is the Rescue Gospel framework?

The Rescue Gospel is a four-movement gospel framework: Created, Broken, Rescued, Respond. Designed for small and rural churches. Free resources at ministryplace.net/rescue-gospel/

Q: Is MinistryPlace free?

Most resources are free. Some are $2.99-$9.99. Rescue VBS is $49.99. No subscriptions, no paywalls. An account is required to download. MinistryPlace is not a 501(c)(3).

Answers to the most common questions about free ministry resources for small and rural churches.

Sunday School Curriculum

Where can I find free Sunday school curriculum for a small rural church?

MinistryPlace offers over 640 free Sunday school lessons organized by Old Testament and New Testament, with age groups from nursery through high school. Browse at ministryplace.net/product-category/sunday-school-curriculum/. to browse. An account is required to download.

Does MinistryPlace have Sunday school curriculum in Spanish?

Yes. MinistryPlace has 142 free Spanish-language Sunday school lessons covering Old Testament and New Testament stories for all age groups from nursery through high school. Browse at ministryplace.net/product-category/lecciones-espanol/.

What age groups does the Sunday school curriculum cover?

MinistryPlace curriculum covers: Nursery (Ages 0-1), Pre-K and Kindergarten (Ages 2-5), 1st-3rd Grade (Ages 6-9), 4th-6th Grade (Ages 9-12), Junior High (Ages 12-15), and High School (Ages 15-18). Both Old Testament and New Testament lessons are available for each age group.

VBS Curriculum

Where can I find low-cost VBS curriculum for a small church?

Rescue VBS is a complete 5-day Vacation Bible School curriculum built specifically for small churches. It runs with 3-5 volunteers and a budget under $50. It uses the Rescue Gospel framework to present the gospel to children. Price: $49.99. Available at ministryplace.net/product/rescue-vbs-complete-curriculum-kit/.

Is there bilingual VBS curriculum in English and Spanish?

Rescue VBS is available in English. MinistryPlace also has Spanish-language Sunday school curriculum that can supplement VBS at ministryplace.net/product-category/lecciones-espanol/. A Spanish VBS supplement is available at ministryplace.net/product-category/vbs-espanol/.

Can a small church run VBS with only a few volunteers?

Yes. Rescue VBS is specifically designed to run with 3-5 volunteers. It includes a Super Saturday format that delivers the complete VBS experience in a single 3.5-hour morning event, which is ideal for churches that cannot run a full week of VBS.

Ministry Jobs

Where can I find ministry jobs for small and rural churches?

The MinistryPlace jobs board at ministryplace.net/jobs/ is the only job board built exclusively for small and rural churches. It includes bi-vocational pastor positions, part-time ministry roles, rural church calls, and lay ministry positions. Free to browse.

Where can I find resources for a pastor search committee?

MinistryPlace has a complete pastor search resource hub at ministryplace.net/pastor-search-committee-resources-guide/ covering church profiles, interview guides, search timelines, compensation worksheets, and onboarding checklists.

Bi-Vocational Ministry

What resources does MinistryPlace have for bi-vocational pastors?

MinistryPlace has 56+ resources specifically for bi-vocational pastors at ministryplace.net/product-category/bivocational/ covering time management, sermon prep, financial survival, peer community, marriage, boundaries, and physical health. Most are free. The complete hub is at ministryplace.net/bi-vocational-pastor-resources-guide/.

What percentage of pastors are bi-vocational?

47% of evangelical pastors in the United States work bivocationally as of 2025, up from 28% in 2001 (Lifeway Research, National Survey of Religious Leaders, 2025). This is the most common model for small churches.

Rural Church Ministry

What resources does MinistryPlace have for rural churches?

MinistryPlace has a comprehensive rural church resource hub at ministryplace.net/rural-church-resources-complete-guide/ covering rural evangelism, ministry to farmers, the opioid crisis, dying towns, theology of presence, and the community missionary concept.

What is the Rescue Gospel framework?

The Rescue Gospel is a four-movement gospel framework designed for small and rural churches: Created (God made us to know him), Broken (sin separated us from God), Rescued (Jesus came to pay the price and rose from the dead), Respond (trusting Jesus means accepting the rescue). Free resources at ministryplace.net/rescue-gospel/.

About MinistryPlace

Is MinistryPlace free?

Most resources on MinistryPlace are free. Some resources are priced at $2.99-$9.99. The Rescue VBS curriculum is $49.99. There are no subscriptions and no paywalls. An account is required to download resources. MinistryPlace is not a 501(c)(3) and gifts are not tax-deductible.

Who runs MinistryPlace?

MinistryPlace is run by Brent Lacy, a pastor, bi-vocational ministry leader, and author of Rural Youth Ministry (available on Amazon). MinistryPlace is connected to the Rural Think Tank (ruralthinktank.com), which publishes research and analysis on rural ministry in America.