Project Title: Town Square Collaborative
Grantee: University of the Ozarks
Location: Clarksville, AR
Website: www.townsquareco.org
Project contact: The Rev. Phillip Blackburn
Email: pblackburn@ozarks.edu
Who we serve
Our program is open to all congregations who call a rural community or small town their home. We especially welcome congregations who embrace their calling to be the church of Jesus Christ and carry that mission into their community.
How we support rural congregations and ministry leaders
Our project is built around three core activities.
- Learning Network
We bring together organizations and individuals from around the country who focus on rural churches. The network provides space for sharing information and for collaborating around the Rural Ideas Conference. - Rural Ideas Conference
Held each summer at the University of the Ozarks, this gathering celebrates the unique gifts and opportunities of rural churches. Further, it connects congregations from the region to our Programmatic Partners. - Programmatic Partners
These organizations have received subgrants from the Town Square Collaborative to support rural churches as anchor institutions in their respective communities. Programmatic Partners are established nonprofits with proven skills in fostering change and care. Through their expertise, they help congregations pursue meaningful transformation in their local contexts.
Our partners
Our learning network includes:
- Presbytery of Southern Kansas
- North Carolina Rural Center
- Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement
- Grandview University
Our programmatic partners include:
- Winthrop Rockefeller Institute
- Arkansas Community Action Agencies
- Innovative Poverty Solutions
- Communities Unlimited
Faith tradition
The University of the Ozarks is affiliated with the PC(USA), but our grant activities are intentionally ecumenical.
Geographical focus
Our Programmatic Partners focus their work on our region, but we welcome rural congregations from across the country to the annual Rural Ideas Conference and encourage them to draw on our resources in their own ministries.