Rural parishes face a unique set of challenges that can make evangelization and vitality seem like insurmountable goals. Declining and aging populations, few resources, and maintenance burdens on aging buildings can all contribute to a sense of struggle or even despair. However, with intentionality, creativity, and a focus on empowering laity, rural parishes can tap into their potential to become strong, missional faith communities.
The core foundation must be a focus on mission and outreach. Rural churches, like other parishes, are often overly inward-focused on simply maintaining programs or buildings. Shifting this mindset to prioritize evangelization and service is critical. By fostering a missional culture clergy and lay leaders can equip parishioners to live out their calling to proclaim the Word of God.
This begins with training laity in relational evangelization and providing outlets to practice sharing their faith through existing connections in a close-knit rural setting. Outreach initiatives that meet real needs like poverty, loneliness or poor health access are also important ways to build connections and demonstrate the real nature of the Church. Rural parishes must find ways to be present and engaged outside church activities.
Lay mobilization and leadership development are essential. Rural faith communities are often small, meaning few people to take on roles. Still, leaders should identify and come alongside emerging lay leaders, providing mentorship, training and spiritual formation tailored to their rural context. Equipping laity to lead small groups, provide pastoral care, handle administration or grow in their teaching abilities empowers the entire Body of Christ to participate in ministry.
Creativity in worship and discipleship can help connect with diverse rural communities. Usual Sunday services certainly have value, but rural parishes should also offer gatherings throughout the week, leveraging technology and alternative contexts. Fresh expressions of church that reflect local rural culture are one way to engage dechurched populations. Discipling current members through Bible studies, prayer groups, leadership development and outdoor retreats focused on spiritual growth provides balance.
Unity and shared vision across the multiple faith communities that make up rural multi-parish groups prevents isolation and pools resources. It is important for clergy to maintain individual parish identities while facilitating collaboration, education, and relationship-building across the parish. Streamlining administrative structures when possible can free up energy for more vital efforts.
For clergy, establishing networks of peer support and continuing education focused on the opportunities and challenges of rural ministry helps prevent burnout. Monitoring workloads and spiritual/emotional health while providing counseling, sabbaticals and professional development creates sustainability. At the diocesan or deanery level, ensuring clergy are trained and resourced for rural contexts is key.
Rather than compete, rural parishes should actively partner with other churches, rural organizations and networks. This facilitates sharing creative ideas, volunteers, and funds, while also raising the church’s visibility. Work with rural schools provides particularly promising opportunities for connecting with youth and children.
Rural areas hold great spiritual harvests that are ready to be harvested. Through divine grace, openness to change, perseverance, and prayer, rural parishes can transcend their decline and embrace a new beginning. By tapping into the relational nature of rural areas, thinking creatively, and refusing to simply manage decline, clergy and laity can partner with the Holy Spirit to revitalize their mission.
Pierre-Alain Giffard
Director of Pastoral Work
Other articles on evangelization and parish revitalization:
- Factors Leading to Christian Conversion
- Evangelizing Through Random Acts of Kindness
- Questions To Start Spiritual Conversations
- Three Feet From Gold
- Spreading the Gospel One Act at a Time
- Gather, Witness and Invite
- Prayer to Receive the Spiritual Gifts of The Holy Spirit
- The Language of Evangelization
- Key Factors for Parish Growth According to Rich Birch
- How to defeat Satan?
- Bringing Love, Hope and Healing Through the Gospel
- Love: Our Fundamental Vocation
- Touched by the Master
- A Man, a Dog, and the Ultimate Love
- The essence of evangelization: Loving God and our neighbours
- Loving Our Enemies and Reconciling with Others
- A Powerful Prayer for Healing: You Are The LORD Who Heals Me
- Living a Life of Love: Mother Teresa’s Legacy
- Living a Life of Love: Lessons from the New Testament
- In The Shadows Of Darkness, A Powerful Force Is At Work
- 19 Pastoral Orientations for Parish Renewal and Growth
- The Missionary Renewal of Catechesis
- Characteristics of missionary parishes
- Powerful healing prayer attributed to St. Padre Pio
- We are called to share our faith with others
- Should we seek to grow the Church?
- Find a Need and Fill It – Revealing God’s Heart in the Community
- 15 Habits to Evangelize on a Daily Basis
- The Church’s Mission
- Three Barriers to Building An Invitational Culture In Your Parish
- The Relational Evangelizer
- Doing Church at Home
- The Blind Girl
- A Group of Frogs
- The Elephant Rope
- A Shared Faith is a Growing Faith
- In The Shoes Of The Unchurched
- Parish Evangelizing Cells
- Six Unique Features of Missional Parishes
- Steps Towards Becoming A Missional Parish
- What Is Evangelization, And How Should It Be Carried Out?
- Discussion And Self-Assessment Questions For Parish Evangelization
- A Missional Church Is A Church That Prays
- The Jesus Prayer: A Method To Pray At All Times
- What can help children raised Catholic continue practicing the faith as adults?
- An Example of a Missionary Parish: Phoenix First Assembly of God
- Satan’s Tactics
- Learning to Be a Missionary
- When we cry out to God, he answers
- Presence and Proclamation
- Saving those who are lost
- Saint-Nazaire Parish: The story of a missionary transformation
- Small Groups and Evangelization
- Evangelizing By Inviting People To Receive Jesus As Lord And Saviour
- You Will Receive Power…
- Have You Heard About the Law of Three Hearings and Seven Touches?
- Three Habits of a Fruitful Christian Life
