It has been two months since I first wrote about what it means to be missional in a rural context. I promised to elaborate on some more specific ideas, but with the busyness of summer, I put it aside. More than that, I wanted to spend some time in a rural context, talking to people who are actually living missionally in such settings. I was able to do that this summer, visiting my folks in my old home town, something I wish I could do more often.
I will start by clarifying that most of my comments here will not center around the proclamation of the Gospel. This in no way reflects that I think it is unimportant or less than central to our vocation as missional communities. Rather I want to focus on way in which rural churches can intentionally bridge the gap to their community in order to build relationship with those they are called to serve and minister to.
Many times on this blog I have talked about “third places” and their importance in every society. Most societies are built upon three places where I lives playout: Home, Work and Social. Historically, these three places were often the same (or at least very overlapped), but with the Industrial Revolution and the rise of individualism, the lines dividing the places became more firm, with the third place (the social contexts) fading in importance. That is why many missional Christians are emphasizing a need for missional third places.
However, given this emphasis on third places, we could also stand the risk of forgetting the other two. In fact, they actually exsist in something of a hierarchy of importance, with home topping the list, followed by work, with the third place coming in at the end. This is not to say that the third place is unimportant, but rather that as essential as it is for a healthy society, it is the place that costs us the least to lose. In the end, we need all three. But again, I am getting off track.
When we consider all three places, they present a basic framework or set of lenses through which we can view our communities and our missional “strategy” to reach it. In a rural community, it is far more achievable to address these places intentionally. Let us consider a few ideas through each of the places:
Home/Family: The quality of familial relationships (especially spousal and parental) is crucial to health of any community. This means the church in a rural community has a wonderful opportunity to provide relational support and guidance to community families. It is critical, however, for the congregation to be commited to genuine relational wholeness in their own families. While it could exsist in the form of programs, rural communities often provide relational connections that allow for something less formal and (perhaps) more effective. Of course, for this to work, relationships need the time and context to develop (but I am getting ahead of myself).
Another possibility lies with physical homes. One thing that I loved about living in a small town (that I rarely see in urban contexts, though I am sure there are exceptions) was how the people in the church came together to help each other with the practical needs. Whether it was simple repairs or clean up after a flooded basement, the collective skills and resources of the congregation were frequently at work serving one another. What if this extended outside the church? Not only could it serve many in the community, but those outside the church could participate along side the church, both building relationships and offering participatory modeling of serving others.
Work/Vocation: We all know the importance of having a means to support oneself and ones family. Sadly, as many rural communities are suffering economic hardship (a topic for another post), the role the church could play in this second place is critical. In my home town, my father stepped out of some responsibilities in the church to participate in the local chamber of commerce. This was not out of neglect for his Christian responsibilities, but rather out of an intentional decision to connect and serve the community through his giftings. In small towns, few places are a greater collection of gifts and resources as churches. In my small, childhood church (in a town of 1000) our congregation has teachers, parents, doctors, police officers, nurses, missionaries, carpenters, etc. What a dream team!
Another way to serve in this second place, albeit not as obvious, is in the area of understanding spiritual vocation. While people should not have their identity defined by their job (or lack thereof), few people know (Christians included) that God has gifted and called each person to play a role in His purposes. Even before people are Christians, being a part of community where their presence and giftings are welcomed and valued can be a powerful witness.
Social: In the “Home/Family” section, I mentioned how much the church could invest into relationships with people in the community. However, like many churches, it is very easy for rural churches to become very busy with internal programs and events. Too often the church becomes the entire relational/social network (and a busy one at that). As a result, not only are no Christian engaged in social relationships outside the church, but those third places that do exsist suffer from their lack of involvement. (An example of this can be seen in the lack of pub culture in North America, while the “seedy bars” thrive).
It will take a very significant shift of thinking and organization for churches to step back from the level of time and energy consumption that internal programs demand. When we have done this, we can better engage in genuine relationships in our communities. Participating in exsisting third places in the community is critical- in cafes, libraries, social clubs, etc. Rural communities provide some of the greatest flexility for the use and creation of third places. Where they don’t exsist, the church could consider creating them- youth drop-in centres, cafes, book clubs, day care, community picnics/BBQ’s, etc.
All of the above are just a few of the examples of how a rural church can engage their community, building the genuine relationships that provide the context in which our shared lives can incarnationally (and proclamationally) represent Christ to our neighbours. Many of these ideas are not restricted to the rural setting, but I believe they are often better situated see them happen. I genuinely believe that as we impact these three areas through selfless service, the quality of these communities will be impacted, contributing to position and authority of the church to speak into them.
What do you think? What are your ideas for these three spaces?
