The Bridge in Plain Text
Issue To Be Used Any Time After
Nov. 1, 2006
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The Bridge
A monthly publication of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod, ELCA
Connecting the congregational, synodical, and churchwide expressions of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Building Blocks of Rural Ministry
By Pastor Cary Larson
In Southwest Minnesota
practically on the Minnesota-Iowa state line, is a church in the small
community of Bigelow. This tiny church was surrounded by fears and doubts.
They were distracted by the realities that they were having great difficulty
supporting their pastor and the church’s operating costs. During what was to
be their last worship, a family of ten Laos immigrants arrived late to the
church service. The congregation received these Asian Americans and
interpreted this as a calling to minister to the Asian American community in
the area. Soon more and more Laos families started to attend worship. The
little church still struggles, but it is with joy and faith they persevere.
At a recent seminar at the
Rural Ministry Conference at Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque Iowa, the topic
was revitalizing rural ministry. After the presenter invited narratives
about what other churches were doing to revitalize their ministry, he
presented the fundamental building block for revitalizing small town and
rural ministry. He flipped the newsprint over and there on the sheet of
paper were these words: “Biblical and Theological Reflection.” “There it
is,” He said, “the key to revitalizing rural ministry.”
Could it be that simple? We
are called no matter where we live to dwell in the Word of God and keep it.
We are called to share with others this Good News. In the rural areas of our
synod we have the same commission. Where in the Bible are we called to be a
historical society? No, we like the early Christians in their small churches
are called to dwell in God’s Word and then apply and proclaim it to our
community.
Our horizons have changed.
Much like we don’t farm in the way we did in the fifties, so our rural
communities don’t look like they did in the fifties and sixties. Through
biblical and theological reflection, God is calling us not to only witness
to His faithfulness in the “good old days” but to proclaim His glory that is
still relevant to people today. Sure our heritage is important to us, it
grounds us and reminds us that we are God’s people. But we need to always
look for God’s actions in the rural community. We need to ask ourselves
questions like “What is God doing in the rural areas of the synod?” “Is God
presenting opportunities, however seemingly small, to us?” “Do we need to
examine how we are a church in the rural areas?” Like the little church in
Bigelow, God is calling us to take healthy risks, to step out in faith to
bring His Word to those who desperately need to hear it!
Featured Resources
Monthly Bible Verse
We are a synod joined in Bible study. This Bible verse was selected by
Harold Usgaard, bishop of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod, for everyone in
the synod to study.
“God saw everything that he
had made, and indeed, it was very good.” Genesis
1:31a
About Our Synod
The Southeastern Minnesota Synod is a faith community of 130,000 baptized
people in 184 congregations as well as related institutions of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Its geographic area includes
15 counties in the southeastern corner of Minnesota.
The Bridge is a monthly
publication of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod, ELCA. For more information,
contact the synod office:
Southeastern Minnesota Synod, ELCA
1001 14th St. NW, Suite 300
Rochester, MN 55901-2551
(507) 280-9457
www.semnsynod.org
This issue is designed to be
used any time after September 1, 2006.
Graphics from this issue
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