Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock unpack practical ways churches can reach small towns and rural communities, drawing from the Converge article, “10 Ways to Reach Your Rural Community.” If you’re a pastor or church leader in a small town, this episode will help you think more strategically about evangelism, outreach, and community presence in a rural context.
In this episode, they discuss how to:
1. Make sure no second-time guest slips through the cracks
- Create simple follow-up systems for visitors.
- Help guests connect with real relationships, not just programs.
2. Get your church into the local news and community conversation
- Look for ways to serve that are newsworthy in your small town.
- Build relationships with local media, schools, and civic leaders.
3. Get “schooled” by engaging your local schools
- Support teachers, staff, and students in practical ways.
- Volunteer, mentor, and show up consistently at school events.
4. Be offensive—in the right way
- Play offense by taking the gospel outside your building.
- Move from a “come and see” mindset to a “go and tell” lifestyle.
5. Bust out of the Sunday morning box
- Think beyond worship services to weekly rhythms of mission.
- Use everyday spaces and everyday routines for intentional outreach.
6. Be a regular in your community
- Build a faithful presence at local coffee shops, restaurants, and parks.
- Become known as a pastor or church member who genuinely cares.
Ideal for:
- Rural pastors
- Replanters in small towns
- Church leaders looking to reach their local community more effectively
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Use this conversation as a practical playbook for rural church revitalization, small-town church outreach, and community engagement that keeps the gospel at the center.
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