A healthy church isn’t just a tight-knit group of friends. It’s a place where all kinds of relationships can flourish. In this conversation, David Blackwell shares how insights from Dunbar’s Number invite rural church leaders to rethink size and connection, and how prioritizing weak, bridging relationships can help rural churches break down cliques, welcome outsiders, and embody the Gospel in place. Listeners will hear both a challenge and a roadmap for building more robust relational ecosystems that reflect the breadth of God’s community. David Blackwell has served as the senior pastor of Florence-Carlton Community Church in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana for 19 years, and is passionate about helping develop church leaders and pastors for outwardly-focused, community-oriented ministry in small town and rural settings. Chris and Kathleen Blackey , are hosts of the Rural Renewal Podcast. Since 2010, together they have served as co-pastors at the First Baptist Church of South Londonderry, Vermont. The Blackeys live in South Londonderry, Vermont with their children – Sarah, Daniel, and Priscilla, as well as their cat, dog, and chickens. Related Resources: The Church and Dunbar’s Number - https://seedbed.com/the-church-and-dunbars-number/ Rural Churches Need More Weak Relationships - https://wheatonbillygraham.com/rural-churches-need-more-weak-relationships-by-carl-greene/ Join our Facebook group: Rural Renewal Podcast Community Email us: podcasts@freshexpressions.com Subscribe & Review Help us get the word out by subscribing and leaving a review for Rural Renewal Podcast on your favorite platform. Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts
“We exist to reveal Jesus and seek the welfare of our community.” — Common Ground
Starting a dinner church is an exciting new venture. But before we begin, it’s important to have several questions answered ahead of time – logistics, team culture, expectations, prayer, sustainability, etc. Before beginning dinner church spend time asking yourself and your team questions. And consider utilizing these questions with your dinner guests as well. Questions to Ask of Yourself Am I spiritually centered as we begin this initiative? What is the Lord asking of me right now? Who can join me to be committed in prayer for me, the team, and those who will be attending dinner church? Do I have the adequate support from – and with – a team of people who want to serve and lead? How frequently should we host dinner church? Weekly? Bi-monthly? Monthly? How can I best lead and serve our team? How can I best lead and serve our guests? Questions to Ask of Your Team Why do people want to join the dinner church team? What areas/roles do you long for them to play (i.e. shopping, cooking/preparing food, setting tables, greeters, sharing a Jesus story, conversation partners at tables, clean up team, etc.)? What commitment is needed to be a part of the team (i.e. time, prayer, faith, logistics, etc.)? When – and how often? How can we make dinner church sustainable for the long haul? How do we ensure that the details and logistics of dinner don’t override the importance of prioritizing relationships? How will we help get the word out and invite others to join us? What are expectations and responsibilities before? During? After? What do we long for God to do through this dinner church? What does “success” look like a year from now? What 2-3 adjectives do we want to use to describe the feel/ethos of dinner church? How often should the team meet to pray, plan, and discuss further details? Questions to Ask of Those You Meet at Your Table How did you first year about dinner church? It’s not often you hear the word “dinner” and “church” next to each other. What do you think about the idea of dinner church? Do you have any experience with church? With faith? with God? If so, what has that been like? What are some of the most meaningful times you’ve had another a table before? What did you think about the Jesus story? What detail or element of the story stuck out to you? What implications do you think this story might have on your life today? If you could ask Jesus 2-3 questions after this story occurred, what would you ask him – and why? If Jesus were sitting at this table sharing this meal with us this evening, what would you want to ask him? Are there ways I can pray for you? (Would you like me to pray for you right now, or would you like to me to pray for you throughout the week?) Did you like the meal this evening? Can you join us for dinner church next time?
