Cultivating a Missional Culture
Baptism using a cow trough - hosted by Stonedge Chapel
How can we cultivate a missional culture in our rural churches?
As an effort at answering this question, I invite you to consider these six principles of a rural vision for evangelism. I’d love to know your thoughts.
1. FAN THE FLAMES
Let’s keep the gospel central in our shared life.
I can remember, as I was exploring Christianity, being struck by the passionate worship of some men. I asked one man why some of them put their hands up - to be honest, I was trying to be a little difficult. I’ll always remember his response. He asked me if I had watched Jonny Wilkinson drop kick England (it happened) to World Cup Glory. When I told him I had, he asked me what my reaction was. Unashamed, I told him that I had ran around the room like a lunatic. It was then that he told me that he and his friends believed that Jesus had won an even greater victory and that that overflowed in their desire to praise him and make him known. I had no answer for that.
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
1 Peter 2:9
We exist to declare God’s praises and evangelism is the inevitable result of a heart captivated by Christ. As a fire burns because of the fuel within it, so too does evangelism ‘break-out’ from a church fueled by the gospel. So, perhaps the starting point to cultivating an missional culture, is to simply continue feeding hearts with the gospel - fanning the flames.
A church exists for mission as a fire exists for burning - Brunner
So what?
Keep the gospel central in your church - rehearsing it throughout the week.
Encourage your church to praise God and to express thankfulness, so we become more fluent in speaking the gospel.
2. GET ON YOUR KNEES
Let’s prioritise missional prayer in our shared life.
We believe that saving faith is freely bestowed upon us and is wrought in us by the Spirit of God (Ephesians 2:4-5). This should free us from legalism and a fearful sense of not being good enough. But, this belief should also motivate us to pray. Nick McQuaker (Passion for Life) helpfully suggests that we should not only pray that God would open hearts (Acts 16:13-15), but that we should ask that He help us and use us to be an effective witness.
"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow."
1 Corinthians 3:6-7
Before we planted our church, a small group of us walked the hills surrounding our village. We prayed that God would do a work in the village and that he would use us, especially through our youth group, to lead our friends and neighbours to Christ. We should not have been surprised when a mum of two of the youths started to take an interest in the bible and become excited by the gospel. When we baptised her in her garden, we could not claim any credit for her salvation. She told how God had sowed the seed years earlier and that we had been placed at just the right time to invite her ‘across the line’ - into Jesus’ arms.
The Holy Spirit gives saving faith and empowers God’s people for mission.
So what?
In your prayer meetings and as you meet with brothers and sisters in the week (even in your homegroups), prioritise prayer for lost souls - that doors and hearts would be opened.
Pray for yourselves, that you would be propelled in love (for God and the lost) and that God would embolden, strengthen, equip and use you as an effective witness.
3. YOUR LIVES ARE THE MAIN EVENTS
Let’s encourage our churches to share their lives with unbelievers.
In the context of genuine loving relationships, we are to be prepared to give a reason for our hope with gentleness and humility (1 Peter 3:15). To separate the relational from gospel proclamation is to perhaps deconstruct Jesus’s own missional approach. As well as saying the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45), Jesus also said that He came eating and drinking (Luke 7:34).
"Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well."
1 Thessalonians 2:8
We should invest in our communities.
In the past, our church have regularly run the annual BBQ for a village fell race, have served on the parish council, served as local school governors and on village committees. It was one of my greatest joys to run the annual tug-of-war competition while others ran stalls and did face painting during Well Dressing (you may want to google this). In the summer, if the weather was good, we would place a grill up on the road of a cul-de-sac and invite people living on the road for a burger. It was great to see church folk and neighbours often mixing and enjoying food and drink together. In our church, the gospel has so often been shared around food and drink.
On one occasion, when a few of us from church were in our local pub, a younger man was chatting about weightlifting. He turned to one of us and jokingly asked how much weight he thought Jesus could have lifted. I really enjoyed the answer given. The Christian told how that, on the cross, Jesus was able to carry the weight of all the sin of all His people. We enjoyed the conversation that followed and many others like it.
Christians on mission are called to share their lives in love.
So what?
As a church, do not schedule so many programmes and projects that people do not have the capacity to invest in their community relationships, or respond to opportunities.
As a church, prayerfully resource opportunities to connect and build relationships with the different groups of people that make up your rural area - e.g. school communities, the farming community, retired people, the village communities and professionals.
Encourage your church to lovingly and relationally invest in unbelieving friends, family and neighbours - e.g. invite them on walks, to community activities, to the pub, to meals and generally into your lives. Are there village groups and committees that you can join, so that you can labour alongside others in your community?
4. WE ARE NOT LONE RANGERS
Let’s encourage our rural church to be a community of light - on mission together.
Evangelism is not a solo enterprise and this is so liberating. It may be that someone else in your church family is more able to share the truths of the gospel and call a neighbour to repentance and baptism. But, this opportunity may well be brought about through others, including yourself, exercising a different gifting (1 Corinthians 12:4-6) - e.g. prayer, hospitality, listening, generosity, teaching and relationship building. So, lets invest in our relationships and perhaps intentionally help others from our church family to meet our friends and neighbours.
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
John 13:35
I am also convinced that, as we introduce the people we care about to other members of our church family, we commend the power and truth of the gospel that we hold out. In Christ’s ministry, miracles often validated the gospel. Today, many of us believe that the redeemed community is a miracle that is to accompany the proclamation of the gospel - proving its veracity. We are a miraculously transformed community of grace, displaying the goodness of God’s kingdom for all to see.
Christians belong to a diverse missional community - a body made up of parts - a family with different gifts.
So what?
Encourage your church to enjoy grace if they find sharing the gospel hard. Remind them that they belong to a church family and evangelism is something we do together - they do not have to prove themselves. This may also be a season for some to simply rest in Christ and contribute through their praise, presence and participation (in your shared life), prayers and positive encouragement. Lots of P’s :)
Encourage your church members to invite their church family to meet their unbelieving friends and family - e.g. community activities, pub quiz, walking football, rugby game on TV, meals etc.
Explore partnerships with other gospel churches. We belong to a global body and there are opportunities to work together missionally. Consider generously supporting other churches’ initiatives and inviting help for your own.
5. SPEAK WORDS OF LIFE
Let’s make every effort to share the good news of Jesus with unbelievers.
Evangelism is fundamentally about proclaiming the good news of Jesus.
"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation."
Ephesians 1:13
I am often reminded that evangelism is good news proclaimed, the word of God taught and the greatest story shared. The gospel is not less than the good news of what God has done for His people in the past (redemption through the cross), the good news of what God is doing today (a blessed union and adoption through the Spirit) and the good news of what God has for His people in the future (our Christian hope). Evangelism involves speaking that challenges someone’s beliefs; showing how the true gospel of Christ’s Kingdom is better news. The gospel is an invitation to find life in Christ and an invitation to feast with our gracious and glorious King in his Kingdom.
On one occasion, we ran a zoom Christianity Explored course for some friends who belonged to a drugs and alcohol rehabilitation group. The leader of the group recalls sharing the story of Jesus' baptism. The group explored the question of why Jesus had been baptised, as He was not a sinner. One person described the good news that, in the waters of baptism, Jesus was not identifying with people who had it all together, but with people like them - broken but repentant sinners who did not have it all together and recognised their desperate need. Folk went on to point out that it was actually as Jesus identified in the dirty waters with sinners like them that the heavens opened and the Spirit and Father both affirmed Jesus. I looked up to see fourteen faces weeping as they reflected on the good news that Jesus had come for even them.
So, let’s invite people to our homegroups, Sunday services, courses and special events, so they might hear the gospel. And, lets continue to equip ourselves, so we might be able to share something of the good news of Jesus too.
We believe Christ sends us to proclaim his good news.
So what?
Encourage your church to invite unbelievers to hear and engage with the gospel - e.g. at risk of rejection, invite others to your Sunday meetings and Homegroups. Also, invite people you know to special evangelistic services and courses.
Provide opportunities for your church to develop themselves, so they are more confident in communicating something of the gospel when a relational opportunity arises (1 Peter 3:15) - e.g. take opportunities to develop basic gospel fluency (ability to chat about Jesus) as well as learning how to use resources like ‘Hope Explored’. Remember the good news that it is not all down to one person alone!
As a church, explore the beliefs or ‘gospel’ that is held by different people (e.g. retired people, families, farmers etc) in our rural areas and consider how you might show how the true gospel affirms, subverts and fulfils their beliefs and hopes.
6. BE FAITHFUL FARMERS
Let’s encourage our churches to a long term, low key and relational mission; which may seem hard and often fruitless.
To be a missional rural church requires a long-term investment from your church family.
Our church has shared the gospel through everyday conversations, during meals, through courses, on Sundays, at special services (e.g. baptisms, Christmas and Easter), at outreach events (like harvest suppers and farm walks), in homegroups, at youth groups, in holiday bible clubs, at care homes, at school assemblies and in our local school’s Christian Union. We have seen many unbelievers connect with the gospel and a good number attend our Sunday services and homegroups. But, only a few of those people are now clearly following Jesus - growing and serving and now shining as part of His church.
"The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops."
2 Timothy 2:6
Unlike a drone bomber who drops its “bombs” and flies away, a farmer invests deeply in the land for the long term. A farmer intentionally sows and patiently waits - trusting in the harvest. We must remember that the harvest belongs to the Lord (Matthew 9:37-38) and that we are simply called to be faithful and enduring sowers.
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
Galatians 6:9
Rural evangelism is hard, but we can take great encouragement that God is at work in ways we perhaps do not see (Mark 4:26-29) and it is worth it.
We believe Christ calls us to witness for the long-term.
So what?
Encourage your church to keep going!
May our Lord raise up rural workers who will faithfully endure - for the long term.
Rob Scothern
Rob is pastor of Peak Trinity Church in Derbyshire, England. He is part of the Rural Project leadership team. He studied with Porterbrook Learning and Crosslands Seminary, is married to Claire, and has three children (Grace, Harry and Theo).