South Georgia United Methodists participate in Rural Church Rising conference

By Rev. Stephanie Smith
 
Over 80 leaders from across the United States who believe that the rural churches matter came together for the first-ever Rural Church Rising Conference this past October in Florida. Rural Church Rising was filled with three days of learning, connection, and worship. 
 
Stephanie Smith, Agnes McKinney, Lynn Barber, Dorsia Atkinson, and Anne Bosarge – all from South Georgia – were present to learn and listen to the way fresh-expressions are taking root in rural contexts. The rural church was defined loosely as a church in any local area where the population is not urban. While that definition is very loose, churches in South Georgia are over 80% from rural areas. 
 
The presentations at Rural Church Rising shared that we do not need to change ‘the Church,’ nor do we need to invent new ideas; we simply need to reclaim our essence within the established local community. The rural church needs to begin its journey of incarnation in the community where it is located. The people of God must enter into the particularity of a real place, with real people, with real names, real stories, and real wounds. 
 
And while our rural churches are rooted deeply in a particular place, incarnational ministry calls and inspires us to take a community of the kingdom of God “into the everyday rhythms and spaces where people already do life. Christian communities are forming at the barn, bar, lakeside, local diner, farmers market, and so on. But it’s also forming in telephone conferences, Zoom rooms, and virtual-reality headsets.”
 
The South Georgia Congregational Development team has named resourcing the Rural Church as a priority for the coming year. There will be additional training, conversations, and listening sessions to focus on the health and development of our small churches. 
 
A few upcoming events to note:
 
Small Church Focus: Growing Smaller to Grow Deeper – Jan. 11 & Jan. 12: Discipleship is the main purpose and calling of the church. The size of the church doesn't change the ultimate calling of the church, but it does often look a little different in the way we approach discipleship. Join in a conversation around discipleship that will help you realize that small churches can grow deeper in discipleship because of the advantage they have over larger churches whose members may not really get to know each other well. Join Anne Smith and Stephanie Smith for a conversation about what discipleship really is and how we can use the size of the small church to your advantage in discipling those God brings into your midst. Two days/times are being offered to give you flexibility and with the hope one will meet your schedule: Thursday, Jan. 11, 6:30-8pm or Friday, Jan. 12, noon-1:30pm. Both will take place via Zoom. If you have questions or need more information, please contact Anne Bosarge at abosarge@sgaumc.com. Register here.

Small Church Focus: Revisioning and Remissioning for Small Churches – Feb. 8 & Feb. 9: "The way we've always done things" isn't working anymore, yet it is still the way many churches continue to do things. What is needed to reach people in this day and time and move from a mindset of survive to thrive is a fresh wind of vision and mission. While this is necessary for churches of all sizes, small churches present some unique challenges and advantages when it comes to revisioning and remissioning. Join Anne Bosarge and Jeremy Alexander for a conversation about how to leverage the uniqueness of small churches and begin the journey of reimagining what missional impact will look like for your congregation. Two days/times are being offered to give you flexibility and with the hope one will meet your schedule: Thursday, February 8, 6:30pm-8pm or Friday, February 9, noon-1:30pm. Both will take place via Zoom. If you have questions or need more information, please contact Anne Bosarge at abosarge@sgaumc.com. Register here
 
Rev. Stephanie Smith is the associate pastor at Pittman Park UMC in Statesboro and is working with district and conference communications.