Course Description:  This course will focus on effective ways of doing ministry in the small congregation, particularly in the rural context.  The nature, unique dynamics and mission of the small/rural congregation will be explored in a seminar setting.  Consideration will be giving to tools and strategies for assessing the vitality and viability of small congregations and to exploring appropriate leadership styles for small churches.

Instructor:  Dr. Shannon Jung, is Professor of Town and Country Ministries, St. Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, MO.  He received his PhD from Vanderbilt University, his STM from Yale University Divinity School and his BD from Union Theological Seminary, Virginia.  He has written books on Rural Ministry including;  Discovering Hope: Building Vitality in Rural Congregations,  Rural Ministry: The Shape of the Renewal to Come, and Rural Congregational Studies: A Guide for Good Shepherds.  He has also published several articles on the subject.

Dates:  August 19-21, 2010

Times:  9:00 a.m. Thursday to 5:00 p.m. Saturday

Location:  Rickman Center, Jefferson City, MO

Cost:  $390  (includes lodging and meals)   $330 (meals only)

Texts: 

• Discovering Hope: Building Vitality in Rural Congregations, David Poling-Goldenne and Shannon Jung, Augsburg Fortress Press, 2001.
• Skills for Rural Ministry and Mission, Jill Hopkinson and Trevor Willmott, Canterbury Books, 2009.