Bibliography
We have compiled a collection of resources for you to dig into previous research done on rural and small town churches as well as their approach to ministry. You can access those resources below or download this PDF bibliography.
Beck, Michael Adam and Tyler Kleeberger. Fresh Expressions of the Rural Church. Nashville,TN: Abingdon Press, 2022.
Bouchard, Leah M., Sarah Kye Price, and Laura E. T . Swan. 2020. “The Role of the Contemporary Christian Church in the Rural American South: Philosophical Approaches to Operationalizing Religion in Research.” Social Work and Christianity 47(1):47–64.
Daman, Glenn. The Forgotten Church: Why Rural Ministry Matters for Every Church in America. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2018.
Davis, Danny. Rural Church Turnaround: Real Life Experiences of Rural Pastors and Lay-leaders. Rapid City, SD: Crosslink Publishing, 2020.
Henslee, Matt and Kyle Bueermann. Replanting Rural Churches: God's Plan and Call for the Middle of Nowhere. Littleton, CO: Acoma Press, 2019.
Magnus, Amy M., and Alyse Sherrick. “Saviors and Services: The Interface of Neoliberal Deprivation, Hegemonic Christianity, Social Exclusion, and Rural Church Resource Provision☆.” Rural Sociology 88, no. 1 (March 2023): 108–34.
McKinley, Rocky. Big Dreams in a Small Town. Destiny Community Church, 2023.
Roth, Brad. Flyover Church: How Jesus’ Ministry in Rural Places is Good News Everywhere. Huntington, IN: Herald Press, 2024.
Roth, Brad. God’s Country: Faith, Hope, and the Future of the Rural Church. Harrisonburg, VA: Herald Press, 2017.
Stanton-Henry, Andy. Recovering Abundance: Twelve Practices for Small Town Leaders. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2022.
Stanton, Andy. Reclaiming Rural: Building Thriving Rural Congregations. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2021.
Vaters, Karl. De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What’s Next. Chicago: Moody Press, 2024.
Weinert, Richard C. Four Essentials - Leading Effective Change in a Rural Church Context. ChurchSmart Resources, 2023.
Witmer, Stephen E. A Big Gospel in Small Places: Why Ministry in Forgotten Communities Matters. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2019.