It doesn't have to remain small

---

Prayer is an essential part of the Christian faith community. It serves as a way for believers to communicate with God, seek guidance, and ask for forgiveness. God has a plan for your village, especially within the context of Rural Christian living. I can share ideas and strategies through blog articles, but it is vital that you work closely with God to discover what He wants to do through you.

It is vital for both the present and future to grow your faith community from the local area. I have witnessed rural Christian churches thrive due to the unique gifts and personality of their leaders, or because renewal has drawn in people from outside the immediate village. However, relying solely on outside influences can hinder your effectiveness. A village church needs to be truly 'of the village' and 'for the village', fostering strong connections within the community. Engaging blog articles can also help strengthen this local bond.

Research indicates that 46% of the UK population claim to be Christian, but only 5% attend church regularly. Healthy village churches should attract more than these average figures. I used to believe that 10% of the village population could easily be in church each week. In some villages, there may only be one church building, such as the Parish Church; however, in the two village churches where I served as a minister, we had both an Anglican and a Free Church, while some members of the faith community went outside the village to worship. Our expectation was that the Parish Church could host the larger congregation, so our aim was for 5% to attend the Parish Church, 3% to attend the Free Church, and 1% going out of the village to worship. 

This was our aim, but God is not limited. In both of the churches I served, membership was well below these figures when I arrived. One church had only two members and was expected to close. One had 0.45% of the village population, while the other had 0.3%. Thankfully, they grew to 2.5% and 3% respectively, highlighting the potential for growth within rural Christian communities.

Conscious of the decline in church attendance, and the frustration of Christians choosing to attend larger churches outside the village, some rural Christian congregations have started placing signs outside stating 'This is YOUR Church. You are welcome here.' While signage can be helpful, there are two fundamental issues with this particular strategy. The Bible uses the word 'church' to translate a Greek term that would more accurately be translated as 'congregation.' A church is truly the faith community of people who trust in and worship God; it is not merely a building. The real challenge lies in making the congregation itself more appealing, a topic often explored in blog articles about revitalizing rural churches.

We are slowly but steadily populating this website with insightful blog articles for our faith community. Please revisit for updates.