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Vibrant
Rural
Churches Project
A
Discussion Guide
Being a Vibrant Church: Our Learnings From Our Small, Rural Congreations
This discussion guide consists of four sessions. The first session
contains the congregational self-reflection questions which we used
for our listening task. The remaining three sessions are based on
themes we selected from what we heard during our visits. We offer
them as a means for your congregation to listen to and to learn
from those ten congregations, whether you are large and small, rural
or urban.
Phase
I report on the Vibrant Rural Churches Project
The project was launched at MC Sask's annual meeting in February,
2003, with an afternoon program that celebrated hope in a parched
land. Eric and Naomi visited the ten smallest congregations in MC
Sask from March to June of 2003, and heard many stories of what
energizes them and keeps them vibrant. We discerned common themes
and attempted to analyze what we had heard. One of our conclusions
is that these small rural churches have much to teach us. The depopulation
of their rural communities tends to force remaining members of these
congregations to become more engaged, more committed and more active,
just for their congregation to continue to survive. They have learned
by experience that for each member to take up his or her part in
the work of the congregation is vital to being church. In this way
and in many others they are an example to all of us.
If
you would like to see the Phase I report in HTLM format, click
here.
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A Missional Church 
