An audio recording of this month’s Rural Ministry Colloquium, Evangelism for the Rural Church, is now available for download via iTunes U.

Hear Tim Reaves, a Duke Divinity School graduate and lead pastor of the thriving, three-point Bladen United Methodist Charge in rural eastern North Carolina, speak about practical, faithful, and fruitful ways for small churches to share Christ with their communities.

The first Rural Ministry Colloquium of the semester is coming up this Thursday, September 23. Be sure to join us for lunch and a powerful discussion.

September 23, 2010
Ministry in the Lonesome Valley
12:25-1:20 p.m.
059 Langford (Centenary), Duke Divinity School

Parish ministry can be a lonely vocation. The “set-apartness” of the pastoral role, the effects of geographical isolation, and the time demands of congregational life can all conspire to make the parish feel like what the old spiritual calls “the lonesome valley.” And yet Jesus walked that same lonesome valley, and, through him, even the loneliness of ministry can become a source of beauty and communion. Join Jeremy Troxler, director of the Thriving Rural Communities initiative, in discussing the loneliness of rural, and all, ministry. A good, free lunch is available.

Last fall, Jason Byassee, editor of the Call & Response blog on Faith & Leadership and a contributing editor for The Christian Century, joined us for one of Thriving Rural Communities’ Rural Ministry Colloquia. 

During that talk, he shared from his book manuscript, “The Gifts of the Small Church.” A recording of the discussion is available for download on iTunes U.

A few days ago, I attended Rev. Jeremy Troxler’s discussion, The Freedom of a Rural Minister, part of the Rural Ministry Colloquia series offered by the Thriving Rural Communities initiative. If you weren’t able to make the presentation, a recorded version is available for download on iTunes U.

Our third Rural Ministry Colloquium of the year is now available for download on iTunes U.

This month’s speaker is Thriving Rural Communities director Rev. Jeremy Troxler, who shares his thoughts on how to cultivate humility.

Our second Rural Ministry Colloquium of the year is now available for download at iTunes U.

Rev. Chuck Warnock led about 45 Duke Divinity Students, faculty, and staff in a Rural Ministry Colloquium on "The Power of Partnership: How a Small Church Made a Big Difference."

Our first Rural Ministry Colloquium of the year is now available for download on iTunes U.