Rural Advancement

Join pastors Jim and Tina Von Wald as they walk through their journey as rural church planters and co-pastors. They share not only about engaging community well and leading together, but also highlight the work of their theses. They both graduated Trinity Bible College with master’s degrees in Rural Ministry. Tina focused on developing rural leaders within the church and Jim focused on succession plans in the rural church.

If you want either of their papers, feel free to email them at [email protected] or [email protected]

As always, if you want to reach out to the show for encouragement, or with feedback or ideas, contact our host Joe Epley at [email protected]

Pastor Cordell Hines shares about his diverse experiences through 30+ years of ministry. He talks of bringing order to out of control Pentecostal experience, pastoring through church hurt, restoring faith in a pastorate after the failure of others, and much more! Tune in today for this exciting conversation!

As always, if you would like to reach out to the show for encouragement, or to give feedback and ideas, contact our host Joe Epley at [email protected]

Pastor Cody is a kids pastor who is passionate about raising money for missions, helping kids from tough backgrounds, and raising up an effective team for kids ministry! Tune in to hear the conversation.

As always, if you want to reach out to the show for encouragement or with feedback or ideas, you can contact our host Joe Epley at [email protected]

Referenced in today’s episode is the book The Switching Hour: Kids of Divorce Say Goodbye Again which can be purchased on Amazon here.

Join pastor Mackenzie Witzke as she talks about the call of God, relational ministry, and the value of sound administration within the body of Christ.

As always, if you want to reach out to the show for encouragement, or to give feedback or ideas, please connect with our host Joe Epley at [email protected]

Pastor Jarred Smith has spent time working as youth pastor, church administrator, bookkeeper, and a host of other associate obligations. Join us as we talk through the lessons gleaned from wearing multiple hats in ministry!

As always if you have any feedback or ideas for the show, or would like some encouragement, please reach out to our host Joe Epley at [email protected]

Pastor James Young shares about the various opportunities for community development he has experienced during his tenure as a small town pastor. He and his church have done community projects, cleaned up and renovated main street properties, and helped with poverty relief. Tune in for a fun conversation.

As always, if you want to reach out to the show for encouragement, or with ideas and feedback, please contact our host Joe Epley at [email protected]

Join us again as we talk with Pastor Andy McMillan as we discuss how a minister can lead themselves and their church to reach their community effectively. We discuss things like designing a church around the community demographics, the need for flexibility among pastors, and the nature of God’s call to ministry in this 2 part conversation

As always, if you want to reach out to the show with ideas or feedback, or to get encouragement, connect with our host Joe Epley at [email protected]

Join Pastor Andy McMillan as we discuss how a minister can lead themselves and their church to reach their community effectively. We discuss things like designing a church around the community demographics, the need for flexibility among pastors, and the nature of God’s call to ministry in this 2 part conversation

As always, if you want to reach out to the show with ideas or feedback, or to get encouragement, connect with our host Joe Epley at [email protected]

Pastor Matt Baumgartner currently lives in Laramie, WY, and is in the middle of pursuing a Phd focused on revitalization in rural churches. Join us today to talk about how that passion got started, and to look at some of the practical considerations involved with revitalization!

To connect with pastor Matt you can email him at [email protected]

Check out some of his suggested resources!

“Biblical Church Revitalization” by Brian Croft

“Autopsy of a Deceased Church” by Thom Rainer

“Reclaiming Glory” by Mark Clifton

As always if you want to reach out to the show for encouragement, or to give feedback or ideas, contact our host Joe Epley at [email protected]

Join host Joe Epley as he walks through the book Pastoring Small Towns by Ronnie Martin and Donnie Griggs. Today’s recommendation will include thoughts on compassion, the nuance of the rural church, and how pride is possible, even in a small town setting.

To purchase the book, click the link here.

As always, to reach out to the show with feedback or ideas, or for encouragement, contact our host Joe Epley at [email protected]