Comprehensive, sensible and at the same time, exciting for those working in rural ministry.
There is great encouragement here, with examples of what is already going on in rural areas in terms of ‘mission’ – and there is a lot.
My copy bristled with tags highlighting ‘really good stuff’. There is also practical, realistic advice to encourage every rural church, however small, to engage in mission. All members of a congregation can learn to listen properly so that whatever is done is done by the whole church, not just a specialized few. As Alan Smith says, ‘before we can become a mission-shaped church, we have to be God-shaped people’: we need to listen to God, community, church, Christian tradition, each other and the worldwide church.