Where Creativity Becomes Community

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:

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

What if church began by listening to the passions already shaping a community? In this episode, Sharon White shares how a small rural congregation in Waco, Georgia, discovered that bluegrass music was a doorway to belonging. What started as prayerful curiosity grew into the West Georgia Opry, a weekly gathering where music, story, and hospitality now draw nearly 100 people in a town of just 500. This is a story of paying attention, trusting the Spirit, and discovering how church can take shape far beyond Sunday morning. Rev. Sharon White is Senior Pastor of Midway United Methodist Church in Douglasville, Georgia. Shaped by her rural church roots, she leads with a passion for creative, inclusive ministry and cultivating fresh expressions of church beyond traditional walls. She has pioneered initiatives like Bluegrass Church , blending Appalachian music, storytelling, and Christian hospitality. Grounded in United Methodist tradition, Sharon empowers laity and helps communities discover joyful, accessible ways of being church. 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:

Do movies actually reflect real-life ministry? Or do they miss the quiet tensions, complexities, and grace that leaders carry every day? In this episode of Rural Renewal, we take a different approach by reflecting on Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Beneath the mystery, the film raises questions about faith, leadership, public trust, and human frailty in close-knit communities. Whether you’ve seen the movie or not, this conversation invites you to think about how stories shape our understanding of church, calling, and renewal where life and faith intersect. 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: 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