Best Books for Pastors in Small Towns (Google's Unanswered Questions)

*This is a series of posts answering questions that I searched for and couldn't find a good article or post on. I'll add to this series as I come across questions that don't have answers. I hope that if I'm interested in the topic, someone else will be too.

My last church was a small church in a small community. Sometimes it was hard to find resources that applied to me and my situation. I found myself at conferences as the pastor of the smallest and most rural church. I was in conversations with pastors and staff of churches 5000+. Books tended to be my best resource to help me think through ministry in a small, rural church. 

Here are 3 of my favorites:

  1. A Big Gospel in Small Places by Stephen Witmer. This is by far the best book on pastoring in a small community. My community was 1/3 the size of Witmer's, though. He thinks theologically about ministry. This isn't practical in focus but it has a lot of application. His biggest encouragement is that there are theological reasons to do ministry in overlooked places because it demonstrates something about the extravagance of God's love.
  2. Small Church Essentials by Karl Vaters. This is super practical and deals with the realities of pastoring a normal church--sub 200. There are a lot of strategies and encouragements to be the best church you can be in your place.
  3. Replanting Rural Churches by Kyle Bueermann and Matt Henslee. This most aligns with my ministry philosophy. The focus on preaching, praying, and building relationships with people.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Brewing 16 oz of Coffee in an Aeropress--My Coffee Recipe

Image
I have a recipe for every type of brewer that I have (It's at least 5 off the top of my head). I wanted to share a recipe that I really like with my Aeropress because it was hard to find a good recipe for brewing a large cup of coffee in the Aeropress. I had to wade through comments on a messageboard to find something that sounded right. This is the second Aeropress that I have received as a gift. I wore the first one out several years ago. I've been experimenting with brewing a really good 16 oz cup of coffee for my favorite mug. It actually is best at only 14 oz. Here is what I've arrived at: Use the Aeropress the standard way over a cup, not inverted. Weigh 20 grams of whole bean coffee Grind it in between espresso and regular drip. That makes it fine, but not too fine. Boil the water. Let it sit for 30 seconds to cool down. Add the grounds to the Aeropress. Pour hot water over the grounds and stir for 30 seconds. You want some of the water to drip through into the cup s
Read more

Proposal for a Small Church Website: The 4 Things Small Church Websites Need

Small church websites are different than websites for larger churches. Here are the four things that a small church website needs.  You need a picture that shows the inside of the church. If I guest comes to a small church, they want to know what the inside of the church will look like. Don't show them the stage. Show them the sanctuary. One of the special things about a small church is the congregation. Show that.  You need to explain how, when, and where to attend. Don't assume that guests would know where to go, when to be there, or how to dress. Make it easy for them.  You need to show the pastor and tell a little bit about him. People want to know who the pastor is. It's one of the most visited pages on any church website. Don't make it hard for people. Show it on the front page. Use a recent picture. It's easy to have somebody who's good at taking photos take a photo of the pastor. You need to share what you believe. A page that explains the church's b
Read more

My French Press Recipe for 16 oz of Coffee

Image
This is my recipe for making one large cup of coffee in French press. I use an insulated press and prefer it because I've broken two glass presses. My French press has two screens, but a cleaner cup comes from pressing the plunger very slowly. I learned that trick from James Hoffman. Grind coffee coarsely. Boil Water Preheat French press and then pour out the water. Weigh 27 grams of coffee into press. Keep it on scale but tare the scale. Wet the coffee to let it bloom. Start the timer for 4 minutes. At 3:30, stir the grounds. Then finish pouring water in to reach 405 grams. Preheat the cup. Put the lid on and wait. When the timer goes off, press the plunger down very slowly (30 seconds or so). If I'm being honest, the measurements have a little wiggle room. If you are really a coffee person, then you might hate this. Percolating coffee is pretty forgiving, so I don't worry if I overpour by a few grams. The coffee still turns out well. The 405 grams of water comes out to ha
Read more