Category: Rural Ministry
-
When God calls, you have to listen
So, big news in my world: God has called me to be a senior pastor. Now before you throw tomatoes at me and swear I’ve turned to the dark side, I want to share my story. There may come a time when God will call you to a different ministry and I hope my experience…
-
Small Church, Small Church Plants
One of the featured missionaries in the missions module of LifeWay’s VBS this year is a Church planter in Canada that plants house churches in unreached neighborhoods and small towns throughout Canada. Some of their methods were interesting. It got me to thinking that there are some pieces of what they do that could really…
-
The Grass Isn’t Always Greener
A youth ministry friend of mine once gave me great advice: the next church’s grass isn’t always greener. He spoke from experience. Having been in youth ministry for several years in a bi-vocational status, he finally landed a full-time position. He loved the idea of working just one job, but soon expectations began to mount. …
-
Reputations Are Magnified in Rural Settings
This week, I’m publishing my first novel, Sheep Among Wolves (You can purchase it here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IRTQ1FE ). I co-wrote it with my friend Tony Harmon. It has literally been a labor of love. However, this week, it becomes more than that. As I place it on sale, I want people to purchase it and read…
-
NCAA March Madness, BYU, and the Youth Group???….
In all the buildup to last night’s NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament, I heard an interesting point in on one of the local sports radio stations. They told the story of the “BYU Rule”, where BYU has made a school policy to not play on Sunday for any reason. The NCAA has a rule on the…
-
Staying ahead
Remember MySpace? When I first started in youth ministry, MySpace was all the rage. In order to connect with students, you had to have a MySpace page to link up with students. I even had a weekly MySpace blog to share with students about our ministry. (Yes, I was the epitome of cool.) However, soon…
-
Show me your friends…
…And I’ll show you your future. This is a quote that has floated around our church for many years from the previous Pastor. As I work with teenagers in rural settings, it bears true more often than I want to see. The other night I ran into a student that goes to our church occasionally.…
-
MinistryPlace.Net on the Road : #SYMC 2014…
March 7-10, 2014 is the Simply Youth Ministry Conference in Columbus, Ohio. I have been blessed to be part of this conference as a “learner” for several years, and have made some great friendships along the way. Last year, I was asked to help lead a connect group for those in Rural Youth Ministry. This…
-
Guest Post: Ski Trip!….
Editor’s Note: This Guest Post is from Stephanie Karolus. She is a recent graduate from Concordia University Chicago. She serves in ministry in northern MN. Stephanie currently serves at St. John’s Lutheran Church with the youth, children, adults (pretty much all ages). When winter strikes, it can cause many people to want to stay indoors.…
-
Youth Ministry on the Cheap: Progressive Dinner
This one is an oldie, but a goodie. When I look to plan cheap events, the progressive dinner is foremost on my mind. It’s easy to set up, easy to execute, cheap on the budget and gets people involved in your ministry. Here’s how it works. Find three or four people willing to host a…
-
Surviving Transitions in Rural Ministry…
In September of 2013, I found myself in a place that I had never been in my almost 14 years of ministry. I was serving in a church with no Senior Pastor. The churches where I have served always had established Senior Pastors that came several years before me. In a Sunday, that all changed.…
-
YM on the Cheap: God’s Not Dead Movie….
—
by
If you have not heard about this movie, here is the trailer: I encourage you to contact your local theater to see if they are carrying it, request it, and take a group from your youth ministry or church. Work with your local churches to help bring it to your town. There is still time…