Why Rural?

The church in America is facing a serious challenge today.  People are seeking motivation and meaning for their lives, and they can look in a million different places.  The church is only one of countless places where people can try to find the answers they are seeking.  The cities have long been recognized as an important place for church ministries to focus on, because of the high concentration of people and the obvious needs that they have.

Out in the country, things are different, right?  Those of us from the city have either an idealized view of rural and small town life (like Mayberry), or we have a disdain for the "country bumpkins" who we imagine haven't been able to figure out a way to get to the city.   The reality, of course, is often nothing like either of these.

Derek HAS milked a cow!

What we have to understand is that the needs are very real in these small communities.  While the numbers are smaller than in the city, the needs are still there.  People struggle with employment, they are seeking a purpose to life, and they have tragedy and heartache as much as the rest of us.  There are drug and crime problems, there are good neighbors and bad, there are struggling schools and bored children.

What is often lacking, however, is a church presence.  For decades, the country has been taken for granted by many of us in the church.  However, small towns have been struggling financially for years, and rural churches have felt the pinch as much as anyone.  Because of this, there are people who have been unreached for generations in these communities.

I am very excited for our opportunity with Village Missions to reach a community like this.  Going through seminary, it was great to train with a group of men who are ready to go out into the world and make a change.  Most of them are set to impact the city, and I am very thankful for their ministry.  But some of us need to focus on the other areas that are being ignored and forgotten.  I am very excited to see how this will play out as we move away from Saint Louis and head into the "wilds" of North America!