The United States is home to some of the world’s largest megachurches, but the average church size on a Sunday morning is just 60-70 people. The “wealth gap” between these churches is significant, and it should come as no surprise that rural churches in small communities often find themselves struggling with dwindling attendance, shrinking ministerial teams, and little access to resources.
Thanks to a $600,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc., Taylor University’s Rural Ministry Initiative is gearing up to stand in the gap, and to equip university students for deeper church involvement. The Rural Ministry Initiative is an extension of the Sacred Roots Project, focused on rural communities in and around Taylor. It will serve regional churches similarly to the way the Center for Rural Ministry currently serves rural churches located around Grove City, PA.
Sacred Roots equips and empowers congregational leaders who serve the church in under-resourced ministry contexts, especially urban, rural, and those incarcerated. With attention to Christian spiritual classics, Sacred Roots leads ministry leaders into a deeper engagement with God and into deeper friendships with each other.
Dr. Hank Voss, Andrews Professor of Christian Unity and Spiritual Theology and director of the Sacred Roots project, is now bringing a fresh focus to the over 600 rural churches located in the six counties surrounding Taylor through the Rural Ministry Initiative.
“These churches all work within a challenging ministry context,” said Voss. “We’ve seen remarkable fruit at Sacred Roots as leaders engage Christian spiritual classics and make real connections with other ministry leaders. These two activities can make a huge difference in the life of a church.”
Within East Central Indiana, Voss’s team will identify strategic churches for a deeper partnership with Taylor students. They will be encouraged to attend those churches, ideally to serve and engage with the congregation in mutually beneficial ways.
“Our goal is that by the second semester of their first year, students will commit to a church and serve there in diverse ways during their time as a student,” said Voss. “For example, there’s a huge need locally for help in youth and children’s ministries. Taylor students have the chance to step in and serve in these churches in significant ways and be discipled in the process.”
The Rural Ministry Initiative will also work towards resourcing regional churches through conferences, Scripture Engagement resources, relational networking, and other ways to help churches thrive. Voss sees opportunities for pastors to partner with Taylor in areas of research, technology, communication and marketing, and music, among many others.
“This grant builds on the strengths of the Bible and Christian Ministries program here at Taylor,” said Voss. “We have real strengths in youth ministry leadership development, Scripture Engagement, and soul care resources. Best of all, we have incredible students who are excited and committed to Jesus, Scripture, and advancing the Gospel.”