Jesus likes cowboys too

The world is trending towards the city-even the church, but I am not. I am a pastor. I am a church planter like many of you. BUT, I live in the sticks. Truth be told, I know more about fishing tackle than indie music. I like to shoot things and set stuff on fire out in fields. And sometimes when I read books, blogs, and attend conferences I sense that I am alone.

I grew up in Mine La Motte, an unincorporated community in Madison County Missouri. It is six miles north of Fredericktown, MO which boasts of a whopping population total right at 3,985 people. Mine La Motte was settled as the first lead mine in Missouri in 1717. But, the only thing we are known for these days is that we filled up a few old mine sites with water and turned them into swimming holes. We still swim in and eat fish from them to this day. At one of these spots you can even cliff dive and zip line into the water while drinking your beer. Oddly enough, people from all over Missouri pay to do it.

Today, I pastor a multi-congregational church in Leadington, MO called The Bridge Community Church. We are a growing faith community in rural America that was planted seven years ago. Leadington has a population of 422 people and resides in a county of around 65,000 people. I am often asked by friends and acquaintances if this ministry stop is a stepping stone to bigger and better things. That question in and of itself can tell a lot about our idolatry and current obsession.

While the obsession with ministry trends towards the city, what about those of us who are not there? What about those of us that feel called to be where we are at in rural ministry? Are we in sin? Does Jesus still send people into the country? Is there a need for rural ministry? Are we denying the great commission? Are there ideals that have gone wrong in rural America that will require the grace of God and a courageous pastor?

These types of questions and more I hope to wrestle with in a book project I have been working on.

I write this all with a genuine love for the city and a thankful heart for pastors who live and plant there. I learn from you. I respect you. I am praying you reach the city and that a genuine movement of God spreads out into our communities. We desperately need you. I am very thankful for your baseball teams, but I am not you. And while I see the need for churches to be planted in the city, I also know the need for churches to be planted and renewed all throughout rural America. And while Jesus does love the city and urban professionals, I have a feeling he loves cowboys too. In fact, Jesus was a rural Galilean himself that was born in Bethlehem which had declined in significance into a small village at the time of his birth. Then, Jesus was raised in Nazareth which had such little cultural significance during his day it led people to ask, "Can anything good come from there?"
 
Book Project Overview:
A Theology for the Country (AKA – Would Jesus Bale Hay)

• The city as an idol
• Galilean Jesus
• Rural signposts of the Glory of God
• Rural men that Jesus called
• Fast is good, but accurate is better 

The Need for Corporate Renewal (AKA – If I hear Amazing Grace to the tune of Gilligan’s Island one more time…)

• That’s the way it was and we like it (systemic problems)
• The rise of “cowboy churches” (developing problems)
• Why I am not a  huge fan of affinity based only church movements. 
• Cowboy Up (leadership problems)
• Don’t worry, I’ve been in tighter spots than this (The Gospel Solution) 

The Need for Individual Renewal (AKA - Gospel Centered Cowboys)

• Wiping the manure off our boots (faith-repentance-obedience) 
• Yellow-belly no more (recovering courageous leadership) 
• He's studying to be a half-wit (the need for renewed church-based Bible training)
• Crossing the county lines (the country as an idol) 

The Need for Called Men (AKA – I’m your huckleberry)

• Every trail has puddles, son (the reality of hard work) 
• Never kick a cow patty on a hot day (dealing with small-town resistance) 
• He’s all hat and no cattle (serving beyond yourself)
• Mount up and go west young man (raising up and sending disciples off)
• Ride off into the distance (you will not be front page news) 

Jesus Likes Cowboys Too – concluding thoughts re-affirming the necessity of Gospel-driven, mission minded, Biblical churches to be planted and renewed across rural America.

Please pray for me as I write. Yes, I am taking the liberty to have fun with this and will hopefully make you smile here and there along the way.


***All proceeds from this book project will go to The Bridge Community Church and selected missions.