I spoke to a pastor on the phone on Tuesday. She is leaving her rural parish. There were a number of reasons for this decision, one of them was her feelings of being isolated in the rural setting. She said, “I feel very isolated out here. I know my next parish has to be bigger and in a more metropolitan area.”
“Community” is an interesting dynamic in the rural setting. There are times that I look out at the congregation on Sunday and feel so blessed that I know the people they way I do. It is at a depth simply isn’t possible in a larger church. Small churches and small towns allows community to form in some wonderful ways.

At the same time, that very setting can hinder our roots from growing, like a plant stuck in a small pot. The blessing of that community can erect walls that prevent us from seeing beyond ourselves.

This can become a burden for pastors, who have been taught to think globally. And it can be hard for pastors, when they go through as phase when they aren’t so fond of the community. It is a challenge when you preach a sermon on an issue that effects people outside the narrow sense of community, and you see nothing but bored looks from the people and you know that if you asked for feedback on your message, a lot of the people would say, “The sermon didn’t apply to us.”

I’d like to know what you pastors do to prevent the feelings of isolation. How do you keep your eyes focused on a Christian community that includes, but is not limited to the populations signs at each end of town, or the church’s structure?

Also, rural members, you battle the same thing, how do you deal with this?

I’d love to hear from you. God bless, Dan.