The Rural Ministry Podcast
The Center for Rural Ministry
Does God care about small places? How can we faithfully serve Christ in a rural context? What is the future of the church in rural America? The Rural Ministry Podcast deals with questions like this, and much more, in the hopes of bringing practical resources and inspiring stories to help the church flourish in rural communities.
Episodes
Preaching the Word with Scott Gibson
The CRM is excited to announce a new opportunity for local pastors to focus on the art of preaching- alongside their fellow peers! Scott Gibson is a prominent theologian, author, and homiletician who served for 27 years as the Haddon W. Robinson Professor of Preaching at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary before directing the Ph.D. in Preaching program at Baylor University's Truett Theological Seminary.Join this new preaching group: https://ruralministry.org/affinitygroups
Rural Storytelling: Keeping It Local with Jeff Bilbro
Why is it important to think locally? Jeffrey Bilbro (PhD, Baylor University) is the editor-in-chief of Front Porch Republic and associate professor of English at Grove City College. He is also the author of several books on ecological ethics, virtues of place, and the writings of Wendell Berry. Please note that this episode was recorded prior to the passing of Wendell Berry. We share it now with deep gratitude for his extraordinary life, work, and legacy.
Rural Storytelling: Writing Fiction with Corey McCullough
Why is writing fiction is important? And can you even do that in a rural place? Corey McCullough is an award-winning author of contemporary fiction, science fiction, and fantasy. A lifelong writer with an entrepreneurial spirit, Corey channels that drive into his fiction by self-publishing his work and advocating for independent authors. And he lives in a small town.https://coreymccullough.com/
Rural Storytelling: Why Stories Matter with Garrett Heath
Stories matter... especially in a rural context. Garrett Heath is a professional filmmaker and photographer, the owner of Okiejoke Media, and the Director of Media & Communications at the Center for Rural Ministry at Grove City College.
Rural Storytelling: Strip Mine Jesus with Charlie Cotherman
Hear from Charlie Cotherman on the release of his new book, "Strip Mine Jesus: Hope for the Rural Church, Small Towns, and Overlooked Places". The book challenges our assumptions through stories that showcase the power and beauty of a faithful presence in seemingly insignificant places. Drawing on his lifetime of experience in rural communities and churches, Cotherman demonstrates the outsized impact we can have when we have the courage to stay, root where we're planted, and serve God with joy.https://bakerpublishinggroup.com/products/9781540905130_strip-mine-jesushttps://www.amazon.com/Strip-Mine-Jesus-Church-Overlooked/dp/1540905136
Caring for Pastors: Kaitlyn Wood of ECO
What makes for a healthy church? Kaitlyn Wood is the Director of Church Health & Flourish Movement with ECO, and works with many local pastors and churches to help answer this question. https://ruralministry.org/
Caring for Pastors: Bill Sukolsky of the CRM
What does it look like to be a pastor of pastors? Bill Sukolsky is a retired Presbyterian pastor, and now serves as Pastor Liaison at the Center for Rural Ministry at Grove City College. Listen in as he shares his heart and fulfills his retirement call to serve his fellow rural pastors."A Pastor to Pastors" Short Film
Caring for Pastors: Joel Seymour of Vineyard USA
What does it look like for churches and denominations to care for their pastors? Hear from Joel Seymour, Super Regional Leader for Vineyard USA, a national leadership role focused on developing and supporting regional structures, training, and equipping local pastors.
College Students and Rural Ministry: Connecting with a Campus Near You
Looking to connect your church to a local college campus? Hear from Eric Fehr, Assistant Dean of Student Life & Learning at Grove City College, as he offers practical insights into making lasting connections with college students. https://ruralministry.org/
College Students and Rural Ministry: Long-Term Fruit
What are the long-term fruits of student engagement with rural churches? Becky Montoro, a Grove City alumna and former student-intern through the Center for Rural Ministry, joins Pastor Wade Henderson of Living Faith Church, to discuss the long-term impact of student engagement in the flourishing of small-town congregations.https://ruralministry.org/https://livingfaithpa.com/
College Students & Rural Ministry: Spring Break Mission Trip
A group of Grove City College students talks about the impact of their mission trip over spring break, ministering to several rural churches in western Pennsylvania and western New York.
College Students & Rural Ministry: Pastor Calvin Cook
Pastor Calvin Cook of Kane Community Church offers a thoughtful look into his ongoing collaboration with the CRM and Grove City College students. Listen in as he discusses the profound impact of mentoring these students and the shared growth experienced over the past several years.https://youtu.be/FgkvZE0gQfEhttps://ruralministry.org/
The God of Small Places with Glenn Daman
Glenn Daman is the co-editor of "The God of Small Places", a brand new book that aims to develop a vibrant theological vision for rural ministry.https://www.amazon.com/God-Small-Places-Institute-Resource/dp/B0GPTBPMG3
How to Find a Mentor
Looking for a mentor? Listen to Charlie share some advice based on his own personal experience over the past several decades... it may not be as complicated as you think!Home - The Center for Rural Ministry
Rasing Leaders: Leading Well with Scott Sunquist
How can we lead well and instill leadership qualities in others? Scott Sunquist is the President of Gordon-Conwell Seminary in Hamilton, Massachusetts. He is also a mentor of our very own, Charlie Cotherman, Executive Director here at the Center for Rural Ministry.https://ruralministry.org/https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00BBFY8UQ
Raising Leaders: Leadership in the Rural Church
What are some of the ways we can identify and develop leaders in a rural church? Hear from both a pastor and a lay leader about what works... and what doesn't.https://research.lifeway.com/2026/01/07/developing-leaders-in-a-rural-church/https://www.gallup.com/analytics/697370/unlocking-local-leadership.aspxhttps://vineyardusa.org/vineyard-leadership-essentials/https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/47327868/2026-college-football-playoff-brought-nick-saban-georgia-miami-oregon-indiana-ole-miss
Raising Leaders: Steve Donaldson & Rural Compassion
What does it look like to raise up leaders in rural churches? Who better to ask than someone who's doing this work every day with local pastors? Steve Donaldson is the Founder of Rural Compassion.https://www.ruralcompassion.orghttps://ruralministry.org/
Lifeway Research on the Rural Church
New data on the rural church was conducted by Lifeway Research, in a collaborative project from the Center for Rural Ministry at Grove City College, The Rural Church Institute at Wheaton College, and the Rural Home Missionary Association.https://www.rhma.orghttps://wheatonbillygraham.com/rural-church-institute/https://ruralministry.org
God is With Us: The Incarnation in Small Places
"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." - John 1:14On the Incarnation: https://www.amazon.com/Incarnation-Saint-Athanasius-Popular-Patristics/dp/0881414271Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ: https://a.co/d/4Cumg7SWaiting on the Word: https://a.co/d/b30D9kN
The Local Church on Mission: Revitalization with Steve McVey
What does it look like to revitalize the local church? Join our discussion with Steve McVey, rural pastor and founder of Dirt Roads Network.https://youtu.be/GRQ3vynvmlgDirt Roads Networkhttps://ruralministry.org/
The Local Church on Mission: Building Partnerships in Your Community
Building partnerships in your community can be valuable to God's mission for your church.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOENNIHrfH4https://bbcf.orghttps://venangochamber.org
The Local Church on Mission: Doing Real Ministry with Mark Sentell
What does it look like to do real ministry in your local community? Listen to our conversation with Pastor Mark Sentell as he offers some practical insights.https://youtu.be/GGTwkSGBL7Qhttps://ruralministry.org/the-garage-how-one-small-church-is-repairing-cars-building-communityhttps://ruralministry.org/cars-kids-crisis-and-construction-contextualized-rural-ministry
New Data on the Rural Church
Optimistic new data was released today by Lifeway Research, in a collaborative project from the Center for Rural Ministry at Grove City College, The Rural Church Institute at Wheaton College, and REMA. Hear some of our initial impressions!https://wheatonbillygraham.com/rural-church-institute/www.ruralministry.org
The Local Church on Mission: Two Redemptive Structures of Mission
God's mission has utilized two structures throughout history to further the Kingdom. www.ruralministry.org
The Local Church on Mission: The Importance of Attention and Intention
Our ability to pay real attention- to both God and people- can make or break our ministry in small places.Three Mile an Hour God (Kosuke Koyama)www.ruralministry.org
What Makes Rural Worth It?
Rural ministry is beautiful... and its limitations have the potential to hold tremendous value. C.S. Lewis "The Great Divorce"www.ruralministry.org
What Makes Rural Challenging?
Ministry is hard... especially in a rural context. How do we further the kingdom in our communities with limited resources?www.ruralministry.org
Why Choose Rural?
Is bigger always better? How has this mindset come to dominate our culture (as well as our churches)? It's possible that God has put you in a small place for a reason, so how can we listen for that call?www.ruralministry.org