The Disciple Making Rural Church

  • Why does our rural church exist?
  • What does God want to accomplish through our Church ministries?
  • How do we design activities that encourage people to become fully mature and trained disciples?
  • How to lead my people in becoming a disciple making church?

The Disciple Making Rural Church

  • Finding Yourself in God’s Big Story for the World
  • Accepting the Great Invitation
  • Living Under a New Operating System
  • Living Your Life as a Disciple Maker

What's in Your Toolbox?

  • Rights, Freedoms, and Responsibilities
  • Issue: Insurance Coverage
  • Issue: CRA Clergy Residence Deduction
  • Issue: Plan to Protect
  • Our Relationship with our Government

KEEPING BALANCE IN LIFE AND MINISTRY

  • Ministry Statistics and Stress Inventory Survey results
  • Reflecting on the Good & Bad that goes along with Ministry
  • Understanding the threat of Compassion Fatigue in rural church leadership - How to relieve the Stress
  • How to avoid becoming a Ministry statistic
  • Self Care - Understanding yourself and creating meaningful boundaries and rhythms in life and ministry

THE FINANCIAL LIFE OF
A RURAL PASTOR

  • Coming to grips with Motivation for Ministry and learning ‘how much’ is enough when it comes to remuneration.
  • Understanding your Money Handling Personality
  • How to ask your Elders for a Raise!
  • Principles of Financial Management
  • Money Stretching Ideas
  • Celebrating God’s Provision and Faithfulness​

NAVIGATING THROUGH SEASONS OF RURAL LIFE AND  LEADERSHIP

  • Understanding the building blocks of your life story
  • Creating a Story Board in mapping out your life story
  • Summarizing your Life Story
  • Discussing the seasons of life in rural ministry and lessons learned along the way—and living into God’s Big Picture for the rest of your life.​

CONSIDER YOUR CALLING

  • Expectations in Ministry – How your calling and the expectations of others intersects.
  • Boundaries – setting boundaries in ministry in light of your calling.
  • Blessings – How ministry has blessed your life and family.



​

WALKING WITH GOD AS A RURAL PASTOR

  • Celebrating and understanding Faith in the Ways we personally experience God in Life and Rural Ministry.
  • Reflection & Re-packing – What’s in your Spiritual Back pack?
  • Connecting with God Spiritual Pathway Assessment.
  • Understanding Spiritual Pathways
  • Spending a Day with Jesus.

REST & RENEWAL FOR LEADERS IN RURAL MINISTRY

  • Towards a Theology of Rest.
  • Burnout/Hurry Sickness/Compassion Fatigue.
  • Principles of Renewal.
  • Planned Rest – Sabbath & Sabbaticals.

BUILDING A TEAM THAT WORKS

  • An understanding of the current theological drift that find churches on the outside of being community engaged.
  • An article on the gifts and assets that rural churches can offer to the members of their community.
  • A summary of best practices and strategies to remain engaged in a meaningful manner with town folks.
  • A Case Study provided to apply the principles of the entire engagement discussion.

CONNECT

  • An understanding of the difference between the leadership mindsets of large/urban vs small/rural church leaders.
  • Introduction of the Six Thinking Hat Discussion Tool leaders can work through before making a decision.
  • A Leadership Personality Profile tool that reveals how rural leaders have unique gifts to offer at the leadership table.
  • A three lens approach leaders can use to ensure they don't have blind spots in their rural based decision making.

WORKING THROUGH RUAL CONFLICT

  • A presentation of the Iceberg Model in understanding the different components that constitute a conflict situation.
  • Understanding 5 classic responses to Conflict (Survey and discussion to identify person conflict response styles).
  • Conflict Resolution- Developing Skills in working through Conflict.
  • Unpacking & Resolving Rural Conflict.


​

THE PRACTICES OF A THRIVING RURAL CHURCH

  • An overview of 9 practices that have been identified as central and core to a rural church that thrives in expression of faith.
  • Questions for reflection and integration in the areas of: authentic worship -proclamation of God's word - spiritual vitality biblical fellowship - committed leadership - equipping for ministry- community connection - understanding its history - navigating through change - stewardship of resources.

SPIRITUAL VITALITY IN THE RURAL CHURCH

  • An indepth look at one of the 9 practices of a Thriving Rural Church.
  • Uncovering the passions and priorities of your rural church (activity)
  • .A biblical consideration of Church Vitality.
  • The Church Life Cycle - understanding the Spiritual Age of your church.
  • The Disciple Making Capacity of your Church.
  • Stages of Spiritual Maturity & developing Mature Disciples.

The Rural Solo Pastor...Getting It All Done


  • Hearing the Master’s Heart
  • • Ministry Myths They Never talked About in Seminary
  • • Understanding Your Role In Your Church’s Life Cycle
  • • Re-thinking Discipleship

DEVELOPING A RURAL COMMUNITY ANALYSIS

  • A tool enabling participants to gain an understanding and overview of a community’s nature in the areas of ecology – economy – poli-tics – social framework – cultural and spiritual expressions.
  •  A ‘Tree of Life’ (Rev. Dr. Dittmar Mundel) exercise in which partici-pants map out findings from local conversations and interviews leading to the creation of a one page ‘picture’ that depicts the community being considered/analyzed.