tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520413.post5438554005360610231..comments2023-10-11T03:54:58.698-06:00Comments on Randall Friesen: Not rural like we knew ruralRandall Friesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04112919973262687369noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520413.post-72751290494967109272010-06-30T11:06:04.592-06:002010-06-30T11:06:04.592-06:00Flippant response to a conversation I hope we can ...Flippant response to a conversation I hope we can continue some time - some of us have histories an awful lot longer than a mere 200 years to contend with - and have inherited the buildings to match !!Barbhttp://barbarah07.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520413.post-69726307115616828512010-06-30T10:13:54.759-06:002010-06-30T10:13:54.759-06:00:) Thanks Linea. It will be good to talk about som...:) Thanks Linea. It will be good to talk about some of these things this weekend.<br /><br />Barb, it's interesting to me that these things seem to cross over into your context as well. For us it feels like we are placing so much of our training into preparing for city churches with all their issues going on.<br /><br />I don't see too many seminars or series on "how to pastor a rural church with strong personalities and a 200 year old history to live into." But I do see many on how to be a strong pastoral leader in big city churches and take your city church to the next step.Randallhttp://friesen.menoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520413.post-12408622448708159392010-06-30T00:03:58.807-06:002010-06-30T00:03:58.807-06:00I find this fascinating because I've been comi...I find this fascinating because I've been coming to similar conclusions recently about a church on my patch not being an ideal match for a student, who (one hopes !) will be eager to put learning into action very quickly. That just won't work for the reasons you've mentioned. <br /><br />It concerns me too that rural ministry can be looked down on, if the church feels it has to reflect the world in achieving measurable outcomes and quick 'results'.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520413.post-20842130305192118692010-06-29T17:27:43.388-06:002010-06-29T17:27:43.388-06:00I suspect you are right about seminary not teachin...I suspect you are right about seminary not teaching much about the ministry to rural communities these days. Although, in preaching class we were told that one must know the people to whom you preach - and that involves knowing all sorts of people, the rural ones too. But that is just the preaching aspect, not all the rest of being a pastor. <br /><br />Maybe this issue is addressed a bit at NPS through the Wendell Berry class reading his writings on the agrarian life. But maybe that class deals more with the warm fuzzies of the ideal agrarian community - which may not even exist? <br /><br />Maybe it takes someone like you who is willing to listen for the movement of God in the people and in the community. Not sure if that is learned in seminary or if life helps teach some of those lessons. And as you say, the struggle to learn those lessons might break someone just out of seminary and new to rural life. <br /><br />Maybe God knew you were as well prepared a pastor as he could find. But don't let that go to your head. :)Lineahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10502534775067103531noreply@blogger.com