Lasting Principles for Rural Churches

Doug Boyer says, "Every now and then, I hear someone argue that the purpose driven church process is simply an attempt to create Saddleback clones. As the senior pastor of a church that has transitioned to the purpose driven philosophy, I bristle with that assessment. One of the beauties of the PDC process is how transferable it is regardless of the setting -- urban or rural, white or blue collar, mega church or small church. That’s because the entire process is built on lasting principles, not temporary strategies.

I’ve experienced this firsthand. When I came to Christ Church 10 years ago, it was an ingrown family church of about 175 people. It had plateaued at that level for about five years, and the church needed to rediscover its purpose. We now average 650 people in two services each Sunday morning, and we’re planning to plant a daughter church in September 2005. Almost half that growth has come from conversions.

What’s exciting to me is that this isn’t happening in Southern California or suburban Chicago but in rural Pennsylvania. Our church is literally in the middle of a corn field just outside Strausstown -- population 350. Transitioning to the purpose driven philosophy has been key to the health and growth we have experienced. But we’re definitely not a mini-Saddleback."
Here are some things I have learned to become a purpose driven church in a rural setting: