God’s calling – Calvary Chapel

Rural America Matters Too

Jack Coultas — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 19:04:14 +0000

Rural America Matters Too

I’ll never forget what was said that evening; irritating experiences are funny like that. I was co-pastoring a small church plant in Seattle, Washington. On Sunday nights, a group of key leaders gathered to go over Tim Keller’s masterwork on church planting titled Center Church. One of Keller’s big pushes was the need for churches to stop focusing only on the suburbs and return to the centers of culture and influence in the cities.

As a pastor of a church in a major city, I saw this as important and gleaned much from it. But in my heart, I longed for rural areas. I was born and raised in a logging family in the mountains of Montana. My wife was raised on a farm in the Missouri plains. We were country kids. Brought up in small-town, country churches. That’s where we were saved, baptized, discipled, and experienced Christ for the first time.

While our group dug into Keller’s book, I mentioned the importance of reaching cities, yet how we needed to remember the needs of rural areas as well. That’s when a well-intentioned, but naïvely passionate and crass, young church leader piped up with something along the lines of, “Why should we waste our best resources on places like those when the cities need them most?” You can see why that night has stuck with me.

Valuing America’s Small Places

Let’s be honest, many people look down on rural America. I’m a rural American, raised a rural American, and for the past eight years have pastored a church with hay fields on one side and cow pastures on the other. At times, I get frustrated with rural America. Yet there’s something we all must remember: Jesus loves rural America. Don’t forget Jesus was raised in a backwoods town in a backwoods part of Israel. Nazareth wasn’t glamorous, famous, or renowned for its great people. Recall Nathanael’s reaction upon learning where Christ was from, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (Jn. 1:46). Christ didn’t despise Israel’s small places, and neither should we despise America’s small places.

Ironically enough, Tim Keller, the guru of urban church planting says:

“Some will be surprised to hear me say this, since they know my emphasis on ministry in the city. Yes, I believe firmly that the evangelical church has neglected the city. It still is difficult to get Christians and Christian leaders to make the sacrifices necessary to live their lives out in cities. However, the disdain many people have for urban areas is no worse than the condescending attitudes many have toward small towns and small churches. … Young pastors should not turn up their noses at such places, where they may learn the full spectrum of ministry tasks and skills that they will not in a large church. Nor should they go to small communities looking at them merely as stepping stones in a career.” [1]

Rural areas need Jesus, and small churches are no less important than large churches. Ron Klassen writes, “Did you know that 95% of churches have fewer than five hundred people in attendance. That means only 5% of pastors are serving churches of medium to large size. The vast majority of pastors will never serve a church larger than 150 people.”[2] How accurate those numbers are I don’t know, but when you consider that about 52 percent of American churches are in rural areas, you can see why most of them are small. Rural areas don’t have a lot of people.

Influencing America’s Small Places

My little church in rural Missouri is situated out in the country between two small towns with a combined population of 1046 people. This means my church of 50 to 60 people makes up 5% of the population. What big city pastor can claim that much community influence? That may be something a lot of people don’t think about. Small-town, rural pastors still influence their communities. Their influence is big and much needed.

Pastoring churches in rural areas is nothing to thumb one’s nose at. These small towns and countrysides are precious in God’s sight and no less meaningful to God than “big” places. This is a mission field desperately in need of missionaries. The majority of pastors won’t minister to thousands and likely not hundreds either. Yet church bodies of 30, 40, 50, 60, or 87 have the potential of making a big impact for the kingdom.

I’m thankful my pastor in rural Montana didn’t thumb his nose at my rural community. As I reflect on the 40+ years he toiled away, I can’t begin to imagine how much fruit Jesus harvested through his faithful work. I’m just one of those fruits. A fruit that Jesus has used to go on and produce more fruit.

Being Called to America’s Small Places

If you’re called to the urban centers and cities, great. Go for it! Seriously, don’t hesitate. However, if you’re feeling a call to ministry and desire to do something different — something no less impactful in Christ’s eyes — perhaps you should turn your eyes to the mountains, plains, and valleys spread across the United States. For there’s a field awaiting faithful laborers.

[1] Tim Keller, “The Country Parson,” The Gospel Coalition, December 2, 2009, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-country-parson/.

[2] Ron Klassen, Maximize! Leveraging the Strengths of Your Small Church, (Sisters, Oregon: Deep River Books, 2022).

The Adventure of Advent: Day 16 – No Little Places, No Little People

Bill Welsh — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 19:00:00 +0000

“But You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me, the One to be the Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).

We have considered the fact that when God decides to do a great thing, He often chooses the least likely people and places in which to do His work. Case in point: Israel.

On my first trip to Israel, I was surprised at how ordinary the landscape was. Of course, there were beautiful scenes, but I could never say Israel was the most beautiful place on earth. New Zealand, Austria, Hawaii, Thailand, all would rank far above that narrow strip of land on eastern shores of the Mediterranean, yet that is precisely where God accomplished the work of redemption.

Bethlehem is primarily, like much of Israel, a rock pile. No one expected this humble “village on a hill” to rank at the top of the heap once it was designated as the birthplace of the Messiah.

Yes, it was little among the 1,000s of Israel. No one expected it to be the chosen landing zone for the Christ. Bethlehem figured large in the story of Jesus’ ancestors when Ruth, the Moabite widow, found favor and love and a home among the privileged Boaz. It had been the scene of a rescue before, and here it is again. Out of the way, off the radar, unexpected and yet chosen by God. That just might describe you as well. God measures differently than men. No one and no place is little in God’s eyes. God has big plans for you too. Right there in your little town.

Church Van E03-Brian Brodersen Part 3

Riley Taylor — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Enjoy part three of this three-part interview on Church Van with Pastor Brian Brodersen of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. Hosts Riley Taylor and Jarryd Bryant tackle specific topics with Pastor Brian on ministry, God’s calling, and what it means to be “successful” serving God.

Also, stay up to date with all Church Van episodes!

Life on Mission: Called, Equipped and Sent Part 1

Richard Cimino — Mon, 23 Jan 2017 08:00:00 +0000

Looking back at Luke 9:1-17, I want to focus on the flow of the ministry of Jesus in the region of Galilee. His public ministry there started when He went to two sets of brothers who were engaged in a profitable fishing business on the Sea of Galilee. He went to Peter and Andrew — and then James and John. He told them to leave their nets and follow Him. So with those four guys He went about Galilee, preaching the good news of the Kingdom of God, working miracles and delivering people from demonic oppression and possession. As a result of that first season of preaching, a huge number of people started to follow Jesus. At the end of that first season, we remember how Jesus went up into a high place to pray — and when He came down, He chose from that large number of people eight more men to be with Him so that He might send them. Remember the title He gave to them? “Apostles” — which means “sent ones.”

In the second season of Galilean ministry, He brought those 12 guys with Him everywhere! They watched Jesus and learned from Jesus in every single context of life. Imagine what that was like! Watching His every move — listening to everything He said — how He said it — how He communicated — who He said it to. They watched everything He did — who He did it for — how He did it.

The disciples came to know the ebb and flow of the life of God incarnate.

They came to know what things His heart beat after because Jesus said — “You guys come and live with Me, eat with Me, talk with Me — observe everything about My life!”

TWO THINGS in all of that:
1. THAT is how WE become disciples of Jesus. “Take My yoke upon you and LEARN OF ME.” Obviously — we can’t observe Jesus like those guys did. But the Holy Spirit inspired some of those men to record what they saw Jesus do and heard Jesus say. We learn of Jesus in the pages in the Gospel. THAT is why we place such an emphasis on the teaching and the study of the Word of God.
2. Jesus is the ULTIMATE teacher — and if we want to be faithful and fruitful in the Great Commission to, “go into all the world and make disciples of all men” — THAT is how it’s done. Many Christians think of discipleship as a packet of information to be deposited into new believers — as a curriculum to study — finish the curriculum, and you are an official disciple of Jesus. I’m not saying information and curriculum have no role in that process. But I believe that Jesus demonstrated that the best way to make disciples is to open up our lives to men and women. Parents — raising children is the ultimate discipleship opportunity! They are watching your every single move.

But here in Luke 9 we come to the third season of Galilean ministry, and it starts with Jesus calling those 12 and sending THEM out.

Matthew tells us in his account of the life and mission of Jesus that, “When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities”(Matthew 11:1). It appears that the 12 didn’t go to their own hometowns and that while the 12 were going into these other towns and villages, Jesus went to their hometowns. After the 12 returned to Jesus, they’re were to debrief and take a trip to a deserted area where Jesus performed a miracle and fed the 5,000 — and then — a little further on in the Gospel of Luke — Jesus took a team of 72 disciples and sent them out two by two to proclaim the Gospel.

I don’t want us to miss this: Jesus was very intentional — very strategic. Round 1: Jesus started with four guys. Round 2: Jesus added eight —taught them. Round 3 (which is the last year ministry before Jesus dies on the cross for the sins of the world): Jesus gives the 12 hands-on experiences. Jesus had a plan within the plan of the cross and resurrection.
“Christianity is the story of how the rightful King has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.” –– C.S. Lewis

He trained those men for the day that He would return to heaven and send the Holy Spirit upon them, in which He would continue His work on earth through THEM — through US!

He prepared them for the time when they could no longer watch Jesus go and proclaim the Gospel and heal the sick. He prepared them for the time when Jesus would go through them. The church (you and me) is the Body of Jesus on earth —and through the members of His body He brings men and women to saving faith in Him! “And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases.”

Jesus gave to them POWER — the ability to do and AUTHORITY —the PERMISSION to do. This is so absolutely amazing. When we think of this batch of men, it is shocking that Jesus would give them anything, let alone power and authority.

It begs the question: WHY would Jesus do that?

FIRST — Gospel work is God work. It is beyond the power of man to convict a person of sin and cause them to be saved. Such work requires the power of God!

SECOND — He did that so we would be left with absolutely no doubt about what He has to work with. It is amazing that Jesus would give ME or give YOU power and His authority! This mission moment is the living illustration of how God deposits His power and authority in jars of clay!

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

It’s not about the vessel — it’s about the power of God and the message the vessel contains. Jesus gave them AUTHORITY — the permission to do — the specific work He was sending them to do. After the Cross and resurrection, and before He ascended into heaven, Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples…”(Matthew 28:18-19).

In other words — the authority that we have to do what we do when we gather as the church to worship Jesus and study the Bible — the authority that we have to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples — is not from Washington D.C. or Sacramento, CA, or even from our downtown Civic Center. It is permission given from Jesus to exercise the divine enabling to proclaim the Good News concerning the Kingdom of God.