Joyce’s Thoughts on Lay-Led Leadership
taken from Gleanings from a Prairie Pastor (page 102, 103)
Reflections on the Saddle-Bag Ministry Project by Joyce Sasse
Practising Rural Ministry:
What have we learned that will contribute to effective ministry in rural communities? Rural Ministry is about helping people find meaning in their lives and, when times are tough, helping each other see glimmers of hope (find the rainbows in their tears).
This is done by finding meaningful ways to share the Gospel Message in worship, prayer, Bible study, outreach and building respectful and just relationships.
a) Involvement of the whole Community –
Rural ministry needs to be inclusive, inter-denominational / interfaith, help interpret what is happening in the community (e.g. in times of grief, conflict, or experiences like bankruptcy), help community members move from lament to expecting hope, find a place for newcomers in community, invite people to talk about where they have been in their travels and what they have discovered of God.
Wonderful alliances can be made when church folk work together with those who have arts and cultural interests, and those who have environmental interests.
b) Particip-action –
Regularly a rural community accepts a new clergy person, tries to assess his/her
strengths and help them find their place as church and community mix. Planning and working together, there is a growing awareness about how to assess and respond to the needs of the community. A growing richness of relationships is affirming. Examples include events like a Christmas-in-a-barn service, a local arts and crafts festival, or inter-denominational Lenten luncheons.
c) Worship –
It is important to focus on the “quality” of the worship experience rather than the
“quantity”. (i.e. in some cases, it may be more appropriate not to have weekly services).
The content of services should address the lives and needs of participants in prayers, sermon material, music, etc. (e.g. pray for farmers or main-street merchants, for graduating youth).
Remember that those in attendance at worship service are only the tip-of-the-iceberg of those who care about the church and who consider the church has a place in their lives.
The variety of gifts people share when there is a funeral is most instructive of how the total community comes together to acknowledge loss and look for messages of hope.
d) Communication Techniques –
Recognize use of informal communications – at hockey rink, in coffee circles, in
neighbourhoods or extended family gatherings.
Also recognize formal communications – it is short-sighted to rely on church-bulletin announcements for inviting participation of those who don’t happen to be in church that day. The Saddlebag Project used a monthly newsletter which was placed in every mailbox in the community. Social media, today, would be an extremely helpful resource.
Media (Paper, radio, TV) – well written material distributed through the media can reflect the unique and affirming way Faith-filled people share the stories and concerns that emerge from their communities (e.g. what does “reconciliation” mean as Aboriginal and Non-aboriginal people address problems from the past?)
e) With Youth and Families –
In these times the church provides some of the few opportunities for inter-generational relationships to build, the church can help people engage with different ages, and help young people know what it means to develop both “roots” and “wings”. Better to do this than foster the dirge that “this community has nothing to offer our youth”.
f) Administration Practices –
Initiate change on an incremental basis (e.g. “let’s try this for a few months at a time”)
Be transparent about when further decisions will take place, encourage discussion among people between meetings, listen for alternative ways of thinking, work toward the principle of consensus.
It should be recognized that if a debate lasts too long the group is not yet ready to make a decision and the item might better be postponed for further discussion.
Joyce reflects, “I think back to those early Saskatchewan visionaries at the University and in the Co-operative Movement who laid the foundation for outreach in even the most remote communities. They worked on the assumption that people in these communities have an innate ability, given input and support, to work toward identifying and solving local needs.”
Those who developed and oversaw the Saddlebag Project built on the same assumptions. We canvassed the residents to assess the way they thought the church could best serve them. We educated and informed ourselves about the resources available from within and without. And we got on with enhancing spiritual strength as we shared the Gospel Story.
Contributed by Rev. Catherine Christie
