3 Encouraging Reminders for Leaders in Small Towns
Today, The Kingdom Partnership starts a 4-part series, “A Lighthouse in the Country”.
America was built upon the presence of the rural church and how it was a focal point in the community. That role even centuries later has not changed in 2022. More than ever the rural church needs to have a positive influence where God has planted them.
The role of the rural church has changed because of many factors. Fewer people, closed main streets, schools that have consolidated, fewer leaders, and little hope in some cases.
But in no way has the rural church received a mandate from God to call it a day and move on. Everyone, every believer, every pastor still matters.
Let’s get started with our article for today, January 17, 2022.
I. YOU MATTER
In a day when everyone is connected, the comparison game is strong. We can see the successes of other people and defeat ourselves. In a rural community, it can become lonely as one of few in your area who understand the tensions of church leadership. We can work tirelessly day in and day out and see little results and begin to wonder if we are making any difference. The truth is you do. YOU DO MATTER.
You matter to the widow that you sit and talk with. You matter to the kids that ride the school bus in the morning. You matter to the guys who drink coffee with you. You matter to that family that suffers a tragedy on the farm, and you are the person they turn to. When we measure our purpose only on the big moments of ministry, we’ll forget to be a consistent blessing in the small ones. No, we might never have a baptism Sunday of 40 people, but that doesn’t make the baptism Sunday of one farmer you have talked with for years less significant.
You are a person God needs in the place you are at because you might be the only real picture of Jesus people see.
2. YOUR CHURCH MATTERS
To the world, no one may know the name of your church, but to the people in your town, everyone knows your church. You might be one of 500 “First Christian Churches” but in your town with only three churches, or less, yours matters.
You matter to the small-town couple looking for a place to get married. You matter to the family that just lost their parent and needs you to host a funeral. You matter to the 4H club or girl scout troop who needs rooms to meet in each. You matter to the single mom who is forced to call for help after losing her job. Your church matters because it’s the Bride of Christ. When we begin to believe the lie that our rural church doesn’t matter, we begin to devalue the bride. Your church is the conduit of grace to your community, no matter how big or small it is. You are the church God needs in your town because you might be the only real picture of unity your town sees.
3. YOUR TOWN MATTERS
You are not the booming metropolis or the epicenter of commerce. You might have two restaurants and a guy who drives down the street on a lawnmower. There aren’t bright shiny lights everywhere and new businesses popping up everywhere. You only have a couple of stoplights in town, and everyone gets excited when the Dollar General gets built. As the next generation begins to move away, you wonder why you continue to stay. You stay because your town matters. Your town matters because it is a place created by God. Just because the next generation is moving away doesn’t mean that God has. Your town could be the very place where God wants to begin something new. In many large cities, if one good movement happens, only a handful will see. If one good movement occurs in a small town, everyone notices. You serve in a place filled with people who matter to God. You are the town God needs because you might be the only real place filled with hope and life that people have.
