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Rural churches often have difficulty embracing a global mindset. Most rural ministries are composed of people who have a “settler” mentality. They have decided to settle into their community and focus on putting down deep roots. This is great for the longevity of rural ministries and the reason that some of them seem to live forever. But as followers of Christ, we are commissioned to take the gospel into the whole world. This is a command, even for a rural ministry.
Over the last 18, years I have observed that a church can develop a global worldview. In a rural setting, I watched a 50 year old lady, who had never before been on a plane, travel with us to Papua New Guinea. People have called me when something happens on the other side of the world, because we know of missionaries in the area, and they want me to make sure everyone is safe. It has been a long journey to get to that point, but one that has become a central aspect of who we are as a church.
Rural people have an inner “pioneer” spirit. While most rural people have“settler” mindsets, there is also a small pioneer, independent spirit that exists. That is the spirit that made them leave their original place and settle into a new place. You see that spirit when they look at a new piece of equipment and end up being the first one in the area to use tracks instead of wheels on their tractors.
I have also observed a survival mindset that exists. The idea is that we will do whatever is necessary to help us survive. When pushed up against a wall, they respond and often in masse. They pride themselves on being independent and figuring out a way to survive.
They also have a servant mindset. This mentality comes into play when someone is in trouble in their community. In the middle of harvest, others will all gather to harvest someone’s crop if they suddenly became ill. They will drive a tractor 2 miles in a snowstorm to dig out a neighbor so that neighbor can get to work.
Often church leaders battle these rural attitudes instead of channeling them in a healthy direction. If I, as a Pastor, try to make a major change in the ministry, often the “settler” emerges. He informs me, “That is not the way we do it.” He is quickly joined by the “survivor” who insists that we will lose people if we make these changes. At this point, a large group of people come to their aid and “serve” them, encouraging their agenda. The end result is often disastrous for the leadership, the pastor, and his family.
However, these attitudes are also the key to thinking globally in a rural world. They have a desire to see smaller struggling ministries “make it”. The missionary who is struggling in a difficult place can touch the heartstrings of a rural person. They understand the hardships of loneliness and isolation. They can be taught how hard it is for that family to survive in a difficult environment. If a pastor aggressively keeps reminders of missionaries and ministries in front of the congregation, they start to see missionaries as “one of them”. The servant mentality then starts to take over and they want to do everything possible to help them survive – even at great personal cost.
In our small church of 100 plus people, we have taken 26 different people on foreign mission trips in the last 6 years. We have taken 2 trips to help island missionaries in Papua New Guinea. In 2007, we pioneered an effort to serve island missionaries at their annual conference. Since that effort, they have had a different group serve them every year. In 2009 we worked with a mountain village in Jamaica which pioneered a joint venture between the mountain village of Harmons, a bauxite mining company, and a local mission’s organization. We helped erect greenhouses that have produced a new way of life for the people and opportunities for the mission group. Thinking globally is now a natural process in our congregation.
In our ministry, these mindsets are incredible assets to thinking globally. The question we get asked the most is what can we do for our missionaries? This year we reached a milestone when one of our single ladies left Iowa and spent a year teaching in Suriname, South America. Needless to say, it was another tipping point in further developing our global mindset in our grain bin world.