January 7, 2025
Going beyond just keeping the peace to becoming ambassadors of peace
In the months before the 2024 presidential election, the Purple Church Initiative helped members of hundreds of UMC churches in North Carolina talk with fellow congregants with whom they disagreed.
November 26, 2024
A food ministry in a tiny, rural town has helped hold a United Methodist church together across denominational divides
Volunteers from a small North Carolina church feed their neighbors each week with a hot meal and companionship in an outsize effort to the community.
December 12, 2023
At Bethlehem Farm, living creatively and building community
A West Virginia Catholic community based on a working farm shares a commitment to sustainability and support for their neighbors with rotating teams of volunteers.
February 21, 2023
Rural churches are economic powerhouses for their communities
The outsize economic impact of rural churches on their communities calls for a renewed vision of their importance, according to a two-year study in North Carolina.
May 17, 2022
Breaking free of the ‘company gospel’
West Virginia’s identity is inextricably linked to coal. But some congregations in the state are transforming that connection by caring for creation.
June 15, 2021
Keith Wasserman and Christine D. Pohl: How hospitality and faithful discipleship make for good work
For 40 years, Good Works has served people living in poverty in southeastern Ohio with respect and dignity. In a new book, founder Keith Wasserman and ethicist Christine D. Pohl explore what makes this ministry an authentic expression of Christian life and discipleship.
February 19, 2019
Allen T. Stanton: Rural churches can thrive beyond numbers
Small churches learn to evaluate their growth by impact rather than attendance.
May 15, 2018
PCUSA faith community takes flight, celebrating Appalachian music and culture
Tuesday services, rockers for pews, a Mason jar chalice and mountain music — Wild Goose Christian Community is an alternative faith community that celebrates local Appalachian culture.
November 14, 2017
A small rural church is bringing together people affected by the opioid epidemic
The congregation organized a campaign to distribute signs with #2069 — representing the number of opioid deaths in Massachusetts last year. This simple strategy has had a powerful impact on people struggling with the epidemic.
June 27, 2017
Small church upholds history of outreach to make big impact on frontier town
Continuing a long tradition of service and good works, St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Dubois, Wyoming, is an essential part of the town’s religious life — and its community life as well.