How to Plant a Church in a Rural Area: What Works and What Does Not
Most church planting resources are written for urban and suburban contexts. Here is what actually works when you are planting in a rural area — and what will get you in trouble.
Rural Church Health
Rural church health. Assessing and improving the health of small and rural congregations.
How to Lead a Small Church Through Generational Change
Every small church eventually faces generational change. Here is how to lead it well — honoring what has been while making room for what is coming.
Rural Mental Health Ministry: How Small Churches Can Fill the Gap
Rural communities have a mental health crisis and almost no professional resources. Here is how a small church can fill the gap without overstepping what it can offer.
How a Small Church Can Partner with Its Local School
The local school is one of the most strategic community partnerships a small church can build. Here is how to approach it, what to offer, and how to make it work long-term.
How a Small Church Can Minister to People Struggling with Addiction
Addiction touches nearly every family in rural America. Here is how a small church can minister to people struggling with addiction without pretending faith is a substitute for treatment.
How to Interview a Pastoral Candidate for a Small Rural Church
The candidating weekend tells you how someone preaches. The interview tells you whether they will last in your specific context. Here is how to interview for rural fit, not just pastoral competence.
The Rural Pastor’s Survival Guide: Year One
The first year in a rural church is unlike anything seminary prepared you for. Here is what you actually need to know before you arrive, and what to do when you get there.
How to Do Ministry When Your Town Is Dying (2026)
The town is losing people. The school is closing. The businesses are gone. The church is still there. Here is how to do ministry faithfully when everything around you is declining.
The Rural Church and the Opioid Crisis: A Pastoral Guide (2026)
The opioid crisis has hit rural America harder than anywhere else. The rural church is often the only institution left standing in communities devastated by addiction. Here is how to respond.
How to Minister to Farmers and Agricultural Families in a Rural Church (2026)
Farming families have a specific culture, a specific calendar, and specific pressures that most pastoral training never addresses. Here is how to minister to them well.