What Gives Us Hope for the Rural Church?

What happens when conversations about faith move into the places where people already gather? Emma Palmer and Dra Lubarsky-Tant share how they are cultivating community in cafés and pubs, creating space for young adults, those navigating church hurt, and others looking for connection. Hear how these everyday third places can break down barriers and open the door to honest conversations, meaningful relationships, and faith. Emma Palmer is a lifelong United Methodist who grew up in Vestavia Hills, Alabama. She graduated from Birmingham-Southern College with degrees in Religion and Business Administration—Finance, along with a distinction in Poverty Studies. Emma currently serves as Director of Community Connection at Sandy Springs United Methodist Church, where she helps lead ministry during a season of significant redevelopment. She facilitates Brew Theology, a young adult fresh expression, and helps oversee Faithful Conversations, a discussion-based group for adults 40+. Emma is passionate about creating spaces for people who may not feel comfortable in traditional church settings to connect, explore faith, and find community. Dra Lubarsky-Tant is the Director of Outreach and Diversity at Renovus, is the Originator of Wing & a Prayer, hosts multiple small group spaces, and is passionate about Fresh Expression ministries. As a longtime United Methodist with a professional background in Human Resources Management and Training, Dra believes everyone has a unique perspective to offer—and that building a personal relationship with Jesus and with our communities extends far beyond the walls of any church building. Dra is passionate about connectionalism, diversity, and the kind of delightfully awkward and honest conversations that help us discover what we have in common, learn from our differences, and grow together. This season, we’re diving into the streams of Fresh Expressions — from senior adults and recovery ministry, to arts, outdoors, recreation, and more. Each month, you’ll hear directly from practitioners who are navigating these fresh ways of being church in the world. Their stories will spark your imagination and encourage you to see where God is already at work in your community and how you might join in! So whether you’re a pastor, lay leader, or simply curious about how church can thrive beyond the walls, join us for Season seven of the Fresh Expressions Podcast. Related Resources:

For many rural churches, the building is one of the most significant resources they have and sometimes one of their greatest challenges. But what might change if we began to see our facilities not simply as something to maintain, but as something entrusted to us for the sake of our communities? In this episode of the Rural Renewal Podcast, Kathleen and Chris sit down with Josh Lilly, Senior Pastor of Crossroads Community Church in Michigan, for a conversation about faithful stewardship, creative ministry, and looking at the resources we already have with fresh eyes. Josh shares how Crossroads is finding creative ways to use its facilities to serve its community, build relationships, and create opportunities for ministry. Along the way, he talks candidly about the challenges and surprises that come with opening a church building to new possibilities, how leaders can discern which partnerships fit the church’s mission, and why meaningful community impact doesn’t require a large or impressive facility . Dr. Josh Lilly serves as Senior Pastor of Crossroads Community Church in Michigan, where he is committed to expository preaching, biblical discipleship, and developing leaders for the local church. He holds a Doctor of Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where his doctoral work focused on equipping laymen for biblical eldership. Josh is passionate about seeing churches shaped by the gospel, strengthened through healthy leadership, and equipped to make disciples who make disciples. 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: Upcoming Webinar: Faithful Stewardship: Creative Ways to Use Your Church Building for Ministry and Mission 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

How can art and creativity become a place of belonging, discipleship, and peace? In this episode of the Fresh Expressions Podcast, Heather Jallad talks with Winfield Bevins about the "new renaissance" emerging at the intersection of faith and art. Together they explore how creativity can foster community, cultivate spiritual growth, and inspire fresh expressions of church in today's world. Dr. Winfield Bevins is an internationally recognized author, pastor, teacher, and visual artist who has spent more than two decades exploring the intersection of art, faith, and the church. He is the founding director of Creo Arts and serves as Artist-in-Residence at Asbury Theological Seminary, championing the integration of creativity and faith. As a visual artist, Winfield describes his work as “modern iconography,” reimagining ancient sacred imagery through contemporary color and form to create space for contemplation, prayer, and wonder. He is also the author of numerous books, including How Beauty Will Save the World, Liturgical Mission, Ever Ancient, Ever New, and Marks of a Movement. His artwork has been exhibited in galleries and churches nationwide and is held in private collections across the United States. This season, we’re diving into the streams of Fresh Expressions — from senior adults and recovery ministry, to arts, outdoors, recreation, and more. Each month, you’ll hear directly from practitioners who are navigating these fresh ways of being church in the world. Their stories will spark your imagination and encourage you to see where God is already at work in your community and how you might join in! So whether you’re a pastor, lay leader, or simply curious about how church can thrive beyond the walls, join us for Season seven of the Fresh Expressions Podcast. Related Resources:

What does faithful leadership look like when crisis hits your church or community? In this episode of the Rural Renewal Podcast, Chris and Kathleen Blackey welcome back John Crowder, author of Anchor Point. Drawing from his experience serving the community of West, Texas following the 2013 fertilizer plant explosion, John shares practical wisdom for navigating crisis, caring for yourself as a leader, responding to criticism, and helping communities move from immediate relief toward long-term recovery. Whether you're facing a crisis today or preparing for one tomorrow, this conversation offers timely encouragement and guidance. Dr. John Crowder (DMin) is the Sr. Pastor of First Baptist Church of West, TX, where he has served for over thirty years. John helped his community recover after a massive explosion in 2013. Since then, he has spent a great deal of time studying disaster recovery. He has led multiple training sessions for pastors and has spoken on the subject many times in churches and civic organizations and wrote Anchor Point after a culmination of over a decade of experience, study, and working with others going through disaster recovery. 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: Anchor Point (Paperback) How to Lead with Faith, Find Strength, and Rebuild with Hope after Crisis 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

What are today’s college students and emerging adults really searching for and what assumptions might be keeping us from seeing them clearly? In this episode of the Fresh Expressions Podcast, Heather Jallad sits down with Jess Trahan to explore the questions, longings, and realities shaping young adults today. Together they discuss common misconceptions about this generation, where they are finding authentic connection and belonging, what the church is getting right, and where new opportunities for mission are emerging. Whether you're serving on a campus, leading a church, or simply curious about the next generation, this conversation offers practical insights and hopeful encouragement for cultivating relationships and creating spaces where faith can take root. Jessica Trahan has served as Director of Wesley United Campus Ministry at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette since 2019. A native of South Louisiana, she had a 17 year career in college athletics as both a basketball coach and athletics administrator before answering a call to vocational ministry. Jess will be attending seminary at Candler in the fall and continuing to walk alongside young people in their journey into adulthood in the campus environment. This season, we’re diving into the streams of Fresh Expressions — from senior adults and recovery ministry, to arts, outdoors, recreation, and more. Each month, you’ll hear directly from practitioners who are navigating these fresh ways of being church in the world. Their stories will spark your imagination and encourage you to see where God is already at work in your community and how you might join in! So whether you’re a pastor, lay leader, or simply curious about how church can thrive beyond the walls, join us for Season seven of the Fresh Expressions Podcast.  Related Resources:

What happens when the trail becomes a place of belonging, spiritual conversation, and encounter with God? In this episode, Heather Jallad sits down with Jeff Wadley as he shares how “creation immersion” has opened unexpected opportunities for community, discipleship, and spiritual formation along the hiking trail. Together they explore the idea of wilderness as a “thin place” — where the presence of God feels especially near — and reflect on the ways hikers are finding connection, belonging, and even “tramily” along the journey. From the songbook of creation to the sacred rhythms of the trail, this conversation invites listeners to imagine how shared experiences outdoors can become spaces where people encounter both community and the presence of God. Jeff “Rocky Top” Wadley is the 2026 Appalachian Trail Thru Hiker Chaplain commissioned by the Holston Conference. He is a native of Gatlinburg, TN, married to Joy and they have three children and a very smart grandson. Jeff has just retired as a Clergy from Holston who started Camp Bays Mountain eleven years ago. When not hiking the AT Jeff can be found canoeing in the Minnesota Boundary Waters Wilderness, on a search mission in the Smokies, or helping churches and ministry teams marshaling funds for ministry. This season, we’re diving into the streams of Fresh Expressions — from senior adults and recovery ministry, to arts, outdoors, recreation, and more. Each month, you’ll hear directly from practitioners who are navigating these fresh ways of being church in the world. Their stories will spark your imagination and encourage you to see where God is already at work in your community and how you might join in! So whether you’re a pastor, lay leader, or simply curious about how church can thrive beyond the walls, join us for Season seven of the Fresh Expressions Podcast. Related Resources:

If you’ve ever felt like your ministry is unseen, slow, or harder than you expected—you’re not alone. In this episode of the Rural Renewal Podcast, Sam Peters shares wisdom from The Heart of a Small Town Pastor , offering encouragement for leaders who are in it for the long haul. From building meaningful relationships to leading with patience and protecting your family, this conversation is a reminder that God is at work in the ordinary, everyday faithfulness of pastoral life. Sam Peters is a pastor, author, and church coach with over four decades of experience in small-town and rural ministry. After retiring from bi-vocational pastoral work in 2024, he now encourages and equips leaders through Small Church Coaching. His newest book, The Heart of a Small Town Pastor , is a work of fiction shaped by real ministry experience—offering wisdom on leadership, perseverance, and the quiet faithfulness of shepherding a local church. Sam also creates Worship Rising, a weekly resource to help believers prepare for Sunday worship. He lives in Kentucky with his wife, Joyce. 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 Heart of a Small Town Pastor (Amazon) 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

What happens when the vision of Fresh Expressions is translated not only into another language, but into another cultural context? In this episode, we talk with Eliseo Mejia, who translated and contextualized Expresiones Divinas, the Spanish edition of Travis Collins’ book on Fresh Expressions. Eliseo shares how the ideas behind Fresh Expressions connect with the rhythms, relationships, and everyday spaces of Hispanic communities across the U.S. We also explore why making resources available in Spanish matters, because it is opening the door for more pastors and leaders to imagine new forms of church in their own contexts. Our hope is simple: to help place this resource into the hands of Spanish-speaking leaders and churches who are ready to cultivate new communities of faith where people already are. Rev. Dr. Eliseo A. Mejia is a highly regarded global coach, writer, missiologist, pastor, and church planting leader. He imparts his knowledge and wisdom as a teacher at Asbury Seminary in Willmore, Kentucky, and United Theological in Dayton, Ohio. In addition to his teaching roles, Dr. Mejia guides architects in diverse cultural and country settings, helping them navigate all stages of innovative projects from inception to completion. This is a BONUS episode of the Fresh Expression podcast. The Fresh Expressions podcast is currently in its seventh season where we are diving into the streams of Fresh Expressions — from senior adults and recovery ministry, to arts, outdoors, recreation, and more. Each month, you’ll hear directly from practitioners who are navigating these fresh ways of being church in the world. Their stories will spark your imagination and encourage you to see where God is already at work in your community and how you might join in! So whether you’re a pastor, lay leader, or simply curious about how church can thrive beyond the walls, join us for Season seven of the Fresh Expressions Podcast. Related Resources:

What if recovery isn’t a niche ministry—but a universal reality? In this episode, Heather sits down with pastor and recovery leader Jorge Acevedo to explore how the church can better understand addiction, healing, and the power of recovery communities. Drawing from decades of experience, Jorge challenges assumptions, shares personal stories, and invites leaders to recognize where God is already at work—often outside traditional church walls. Jorge Acevedo has been transformed by grace and now lives for one mission: connecting people to Jesus and the Church. Raised partly in Puerto Rico and moved early to the U.S., he rose from addiction in his youth to lead and mentor across generations. For 27 years, he served as Lead Pastor of Grace Church, a multi-site United Methodist congregation in Southwest Florida, and in September 2023 he retired from 39 years of pastoral ministry. Now he coaches, writes, and speaks through Spiritual Leadership Inc.  This season, we’re diving into the streams of Fresh Expressions — from senior adults and recovery ministry, to arts, outdoors, recreation, and more. Each month, you’ll hear directly from practitioners who are navigating these fresh ways of being church in the world. Their stories will spark your imagination and encourage you to see where God is already at work in your community and how you might join in! So whether you’re a pastor, lay leader, or simply curious about how church can thrive beyond the walls, join us for Season seven of the Fresh Expressions Podcast. Related Resources: