Sustaining Heart in the Heartland is a unique exploration of rural spirituality that describes how faith is lived out in the sparsely populated rural areas of the US, what it is to be people of faith and commitment in the face of daunting challenges facing the rural way of life today. Writing with authentic grass roots knowledge and experience, the authors demonstrate that the notion of rural spirituality takes on many different forms. In part one they describe characteristics and themes of rura…

This book examines the theology and ethics of land use, especially the practices of modern industrialized agriculture, in light of critical biblical exegesis. Nine interrelated essays explore the biblical writers' pervasive concern for the care of arable land against the background of the geography, social structures, and religious thought of ancient Israel. This approach consistently brings out neglected aspects of texts, both poetry and prose, that are central to Jewish and Christian tradition…

Using a compelling mix of theological reflection, sociological analysis, real-life case studies and personal experience this book explores ways forward for mission in a rural context in both traditional and fresh expressions of church. This insightful book looks at current issues in rural England and explores: The nature of mission with special reference to the rural situation; Ways for the Church to engage with rural culture; Examples of rural fresh expressions of church; Identifying and prunin…

While in recent years much attention among theologians has been focused on the city and on what makes a good city, much of (church) life in Britain takes place in the context of rural communities. In the context of their daily work, clergy find themselves confronted with complex ethical, political and social issues. "Church and Countryside" maps out a rural theology that addresses some of the concerns faced by Britain's rural population and those who minister to them. While other books in this f…

Pastoral care in rural communities is different from care in other locales. Despite these differences, rural churches and communities also hold a particular wisdom from which the rest of the church might benefit. Small towns and rural areas have particular challenges, and in seeking to live out the Christian life in the midst of those, local churches have unique and useful insights into what it means to care for one another.

Leading church growth expert provides insights into the unique worldview of rural settings in order to help pastors serve these congregations more effectively.

Grounded in social research, Rural Ministry evaluates the diminishing establishment of the church in rural America, which is linked to the fifty-year-old crisis in rural ministry. It names the primary issues for leaders of Protestant and Catholic churches to ponder: the graying of the population; the closing of schools, hospitals, and factories; and the corporate buyout of farms during the 1980s. In addition to retelling the history of this crisis, Shannon Jung and the other contributors to this…

Your rural church is special. It is different. Your church has its own particular traditions and its own distinctive personality. All rural churches, however, will have one important element in common: they will all eventually need to deal with one or more of these five common ailments: ¢ Prayerlessness ¢ Lack of Biblical Preaching ¢ One-size-fits-all ¢ Stagnation ¢ Tolerance toward Sin This book will equip you, the concerned pastor, lay leader, or church member to diagnose and treat these ailme…

Small church buildings dotting the countryside are home to ministries that often struggle with limited attendance, no money, and little expectation that change can revitalize their future. In Transforming Church in Rural America, Pastor Shannon O'Dell shares a powerful vision of relevance, possibility, and excellence for these small churches, or for any ministry that is stuck in a rural state of mind. The book reveals: how to generate growth through transformed lives; ways to create active evang…

This practical and theological guide to rural ministry comes from the Arthur Rank Centre, the national resource and training centre for rural churches of all denominations. It runs courses and conferences in rural ministry and this practical book has emerged from its many areas of expertise and experience. Focused especially on the needs of those - lay and ordained - who already help to run local churches in rural areas, those preparing for ministry in such a context, and for those who provide p…

Ruffcorn presents lively suggestions and new understandings gleaned from his workshops on rural evangelism and his own experience.

The bestselling Church of England report, "Mission-Shaped Church" is having a profound effect on the way local churches view themselves and their futures, yet its focus is very urban. Not only that, it was critiqued by John Hull as lacking in any new theological insights into the task of mission. Alan Smith, bishop of the rural diocese of Shrewsbury, responds to both of these issues in this theological and practical exploration of mission drawing on what is happening in the rural church.Part One…