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.
Rural church leadership. Practical leadership guidance for pastors serving in rural and small-town America.
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 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.
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.
The pastor of a small rural church is not a failed pastor who could not get a bigger church. He is a faithful pastor who answered a specific call. Here is the theology that sustains that calling.
The most comprehensive study of rural Protestant churches in recent memory was published in 2025. Here is what it found and what it means for your church.
For a complete collection of church planting resources for small churches, see our church planting resources hub. For a step-by-step
Annual Church Planning Guide for Small Churches: A Complete Framework A MinistryPlace Resource Guide By Brent Lacy Most small churches
Before committing to plant, work through our church planting self-assessment to evaluate your calling and readiness honestly. For a complete
Using Social Media for Rural Church Outreach: A Practical Guide A MinistryPlace Resource Guide By Brent Lacy Most rural churches
For practical guidance on building community partnerships, see our rural church community partnerships guide. For practical help choosing songs that