March 29, 2010
The gifts of the small church
Jason Byassee recalls the Sunday morning when he called a time-out during his sermon. In that moment, he discovered grace — and an unexpected lesson in leadership.
August 3, 2009
Sister Sarah and the bell
Sister Sarah, age 100, had grown up at St. Phillip AME and remembered everyone who founded it. One day, the Rev. Bill Lamar writes, he asked her about the old bell. And then he listened.
January 11, 2009
Holy Saturday and the rural church
It’s one of the most serious theological challenges facing the rural church: Congregations trapped in mourning, stuck in Holy Saturday.
January 4, 2009
Nazareth
Don’t underestimate the possibilities of small, rural churches. After all, Jesus’ hometown was an insignificant agricultural village, says Jeremy Troxler.