When it comes to Missions, reasons are often given to bypass small towns for the cities. Nothing is more compelling than the argument that more will be plucked from the brink of hell and won for heaven if we go to the cities. Targeting the masses sounds like a good strategy in an ivory tower where missiologists have gathered, but one has to wonder if it’s that kind of strategy that would pass the muster with God.
There is one significant opportunity in history for us to observe God’s mission strategy. When Christ was on the earth, where did He take the gospel? With only three years to get the job done, did he feel pressed to go to the masses while bypassing the small towns?
I decided to read through a harmony of the gospels – charting, as I did so, every recorded place that Christ took the gospel. I was curious: Would Christ go to Mayberry? The answer is that He not only would, He did. In fact even I, an advocate for small towns, was shocked to discover the percentage of time Christ devoted to small towns.
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I cannot see why He wouldn't go to Mayberry, since we all know that the Holy Spirit attends every TEC General Convention, every Primates Meeting, every gathering of the GAFCON Leadership, any ac/na get-together and surely any Meeting of the Curia.
ReplyDeleteRichard,
ReplyDeleteThe article was taken from the archives of SmallChurch.Com, which has a number of good articles on the small membership church and their place in North America. I am planning to post links to a number of these articles as they may be helpful to those involved in rural and small town ministry in an Anglican context.
The following came from SmallChurch.Com's About page:
Some of you may recognize this as the former Agros Ministries site. This is the new and improved version, with greater accessibility. This is the effort of Pastor Jim Thomas. I oversee this web site and its content. I involve myself with a number of pastors who minister in different areas. I gather resources from small church pastors and any web resources I find helpful to myself in ministry. I seek out Pastors who have congregations of less than 125 people and live in towns of less than 2,000 people. Many are located in the Midwest area of the country. I seek people who have very diverse backgrounds, but we are all either fundamental, or evangelical in our approach, depending on your definition of those terms. We pastor Bible churches, Baptist churches, and non denominational churches. It is my goal to make these resources available to you as time allows.
This ministry makes no money, and is not interested in selling things or promoting items that are for sale. This ministry is interested in ministering. I am always looking for articles of encouragement and helps in ministry.
To read the entire page, go to: http://smallchurch.com/about/
I am also planning to post links to other web sites that may prove useful to church planters, church starters, pastors, and church leaders in rural areas, small towns, and other out of the way places, as well as reviewing books, identifying other resources, and doing what else I can to support the ministry and witness of the small membership church.
Mayberry, NC, is a wonderful little town. Always took the kids there when we passed through that end of NC.
ReplyDeletePs.139 a few days back. His Majesty's Omnipresence. Then Psalm 19 yesterday. We live in HM's great theatre of natural revelation by day and night. In view of such, "Let all the earth keep silence before Him." I hereby sign off.