{"id":25648,"date":"2025-07-25T18:24:27","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T18:24:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=25648"},"modified":"2025-07-25T18:24:28","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T18:24:28","slug":"book-study-will-focus-on-rural-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2025\/book-study-will-focus-on-rural-church\/","title":{"rendered":"Book study will focus on \u2018The Rural Church in God’s Country\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Richard Wehrle of Part-Time Pastor, Full-Time Church<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Rural Church in God’s Country\u201d is the topic for an online book study hosted by the Part-Time Pastor, Full-Time Church program of the Church of the Brethren\u2019s Ministry Office. Pastor Brad Roth, in his book God\u2019s Country: Faith, Hope, and the Future of the Rural Church<\/em>, and Allen Stanton, author of Reclaiming Rural: Building Thriving Rural Congregations<\/em>, champion rural ministry and the dedicated leaders who make it possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the world becomes increasingly urbanized, it\u2019s easy for the country church and the rural pastor to feel left behind. Books on church leadership and seminars on ministry methods often assume an urban context, and even our denomination\u2019s commitment to \u201cbeing Jesus in the neighborhood\u201d feels challenging when one\u2019s closest neighbors are corn fields and cattle pastures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Yet there is continued vitality in rural ministry, and the country church is a long way from irrelevancy. Join us for a fertile conversation as we reflect on both books and hopefully find new growth and encouragement together.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sessions will be facilitated by \u201ccircuit rider\u201d John Fillmore. The series of 10 sessions begins on Sept. 2 and will be held every Tuesday for approximately 90 minutes, starting at 7 p.m. (Eastern time). Continuing education units are available and can be requested when the book study evaluation form is completed. Register at https:\/\/forms.gle\/cCanuEcqx4Bmbym79<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For questions, email John Filmore at filmojo@gmail.com<\/a> or Tabitha Rudy at adminptpftc@brethren.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Richard Wehrle is the Thriving in Ministry program manager for the Part-Time Pastor, Full-Time Church program of the Church of the Brethren\u2019s Ministry Office.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

#MissionAndMinistryBoard #StrategicPlan #RacialJustice #LoveOurNeighbors #Discipleship #NewTestamentGiving<\/p>\n\n\n\n

———-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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