Rural Ministry | Christian Standard, October 2017 is a themed issue devoted to the opportunities, pressures, and long-term fruit of serving churches in rural, small-town, and micropolitan settings. Across editorials, interviews, feature articles, and case studies, this issue explores how rural ministry requires patient leadership, strong community awareness, clear mission, and deep trust in God.
Visible contents highlight rural church planting, leadership development, outreach, prayer, addiction recovery ministry, and congregational health. Tom Claibourne reflects on decades of ministry at Bethlehem Church of Christ in southern Ohio, while Shawn McMullen profiles his humble and faithful service. Jerry Harris tells the story of The Crossing and its multisite reach across often-forgotten communities in the Midwest. Darrel Land recounts the growth of Redemption Christian Church in Jasper, Indiana, and Justin Horey examines the practical challenges of rural ministry with insights from Barney Wells and Randy Kirk.
The issue also includes articles on rural elders, innovation born from constraint, church culture change, and the role of prayer in healthy congregational life. Together, these pieces present rural ministry not as a lesser form of ministry, but as a context full of gospel opportunity, relational depth, and kingdom influence.
For readers researching rural ministry, this October 2017 issue of Christian Standard offers a substantial snapshot of how churches in overlooked places pursue mission, discipleship, and growth with faithfulness and creativity.
