Get Equipped
Opportunities, resources, training and support
We are passionate that everyone should have an opportunity to access resources, training and support, no matter how rural they are or where they might be in their journey in Christian ministry. Our support is for those who are part of the inherited church, those who have recently begun a church, those who are leaders, rural pioneers as well as those who have a kernel of an idea that might just work.
What we can offer
Collaborative partnership
Not sure where to go next? Sometimes, a more intentional companion is needed for your journey. We work with churches and pioneers, intentionally resourcing them and investing in them over the course of a year, frequently meeting with them and offering support as we journey together.
Rethinking mission. Reimagining church.
Connecting
Catalysing the development of the future rural church
We have a wide and varied network. We have built links with others working in the rural context, and we love to introduce people and churches to one another as we begin to understand their needs and gifts.
We are developing Rural Mission Hubs, which are regional centres of mission-based around existing rural prayer-based communities, to help catalyse the development of the future rural church, localised in different contexts.
Learning communities
Learning communities are another way of connecting people. Learning communities are a place of trust. People trust their peers to give helpful, critical feedback on the questions they raise, the judgements and uncertainties about their current practice, and share ideas or experiences to improve collectively.
Pioneer incubators
Pioneer incubators help pioneers and entrepreneurs and those beginning to develop new ideas for mission by providing a range of support and resources, including mentors, training, and access to experienced practitioners. These resources provide an environment to enable new missional ideas to take shape and develop at the early stage of incubation.
Advice
Can we help you?
From developing a building, setting up a social enterprise project, engaging with your community, to developing the gifts and ministries of others, we can provide advice.
Working across denominations and church groupings for the past sixty years, we are often well placed to share ideas and best practices from others. We understand the challenges, privileges, and opportunities of the rural context. We are also independent, which affords us the position of saying and suggesting things that perhaps others might not be able to.
Click below to begin a conversation.
If you have a pioneering idea that God has laid on your heart, get in touch. We’d love to hear from you, pray for you and see how we might help.
Pioneering
Enabling innovation
What makes a good pioneer? This is not a question answered simply by age or gender, but rather through the character traits of seeing potential, a willingness to try and fail, to push through the boundaries on what is, to what could be. Often a pioneer will be a person who has overcome a significant challenge in one or another sphere in life.
At RM we believe in enabling those called by God to pioneer something new. We do this through providing support, practical resources and in some situations financial help to those who have been disrupted by God with an idea. We believe in taking risks; in giving every pioneer we work with the room to try out their idea, including giving them permission for it to fail. It is often through the trying and failing that we together discover exactly what it is that God has in store.
We seek where possible to facilitate a support group for every pioneer, providing a safe place to reflect theologically, be a sounding board for new ideas as well as ensuring there is pastoral oversight and accountability from those who ‘get’ pioneering and don't need to have the concept translated for them.
At various times throughout the year, we aim to draw together pioneers for encouragement, motivation, learning and prayer. We don't want any pioneer to ever feel that they are alone.
Consultancy
Where others see problems, we see opportunities.
We love to see congregations and organisations released to do what God calls them to do. Sometimes identifying what this is, requires external help; this is where RM comes in. We define consultancy as the practice of providing either an organisation or congregation with expertise and insight on issues impacting their health, effectiveness, and direction. Through our sixty years of experience, we have a good understanding of many of the challenges that face churches today.
Working with you for either an evening, a day or over several sessions, we seek to identify and understand the challenges and opportunities being faced. Through gentle questioning, we then begin to explore what God might be saying to you at this time and what possible next steps might be open to you.
Our unique position means we can take an independent and unbiased stance on various issues. Areas of consultancy include strategic planning, utilising your building, introducing a culture of change, mobilising the many, what to stop, what to start and what to rest.
If you would like to discuss Rural Ministries undertaking a consultancy for your church or organisation, please complete an enquiry form stating which subject you would like us to cover.
Training
Good training is a foundation for a better future
We believe that there is often hidden potential in congregations, organisations, and individuals. One way of unlocking this potential is through training, which we love to help with. We enjoy sharing what we have learnt and are learning. Our team has a breadth of experience within the rural context, from topics as diverse as engaging with your community, listening well, and developing pastoral care as a mission tool.
In addition to our regular training days, RM is experienced in running bespoke training on a wide range of issues. If you are planning a church day or weekend away and would like to discuss how RM can help, then please get in touch.
RM partners with Urban Expression, the Incarnate Network, to run ‘Crucible’. The Crucible course provides an affordable opportunity to listen, learn and reflect together so that we might better operate as cross-cultural missionaries in our context. It is a way to help us think creatively about incarnating the gospel on the margins of society, which include the rural context. For further details of the latest Crucible module, click here.
