Why Should Anybody Pastor a Rural Church? with Phil Houston
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Rural churches are everywhere, but who should lead one? In this episode, we talk with Phil Houston about the learning (and unlearning) that took place when he began pastoring a rural church. We also talk about the challenges of finding rural pastors and ministry strategies in an agrarian environment. Phil is the Lead Pastor of Park Avenue Bible Church in Melfort, Saskatchewan. To learn more about the church or to contact Phil, visit www.pabc.ca.
In the pre-show, Rob, Dan, and Geoff talk about service planning for Christmas Eve Sunday and New Year's Eve Sunday. They also give some year end book recommendations. For more information about the podcast, visit www.churchinthenorth.ca. For questions or inquiries, please email us: podcast@churchinthenorth.ca. If you like what you hear, please share this podcast with others, give us a review, or leave a comment.
Rural churches are everywhere, but who should lead one? In this episode, we talk with Phil Houston about the learning (and unlearning) that took place when he began pastoring a rural church. We also talk about the challenges of finding rural pastors and ministry strategies in an agrarian environment. Phil is the Lead Pastor of Park Avenue Bible Church in Melfort, Saskatchewan. To learn more about the church or to contact Phil, visit www.pabc.ca.
In the pre-show, Rob, Dan, and Geoff talk about service planning for Christmas Eve Sunday and New Year's Eve Sunday. They also give some year end book recommendations. For more information about the podcast, visit www.churchinthenorth.ca. For questions or inquiries, please email us: podcast@churchinthenorth.ca. If you like what you hear, please share this podcast with others, give us a review, or leave a comment.
Geoff Dresser is the Associate Professor of Worship Arts at Briercrest College and Seminary. For a side hustle, he’s the part-time Worship Pastor at Victory Church in Moose Jaw. Geoff took a circuitous route to full time ministry, beginning his career as an electrical engineer (get it?). God called him into ministry after 10 years working in high tech. He has been a worship pastor at churches in Ottawa, Winnipeg, and now Moose Jaw. Geoff is a songwriter, music producer, and recording artist, as well as the author of “Mountaintop,” a satirical novel about travails of a young worship pastor. Geoff has been married to Pearl for 32 years and they have three sons: Pierce, Gideon who is married to Tiana, and Preston.
Rob is the Assistant Professor of Christian Ministry and Program Coordinator at Briercrest College. He has been in pastoral ministry for thirty years, working in various roles in churches of different sizes across Canada. He recently served as the Lead Pastor and founder of Crosspoint Church in Edmonton. Rob is passionate about equipping and empowering emerging leaders, which fits his role with Briercrest. His doctoral work with Asbury Theological Seminary studied the spiritual formation of Millennials. As a consultant, he has helped churches, non-profits, businesses, and denominations position themselves for continued strategic success. Rob runs, reads, writes, lifts heavy objects in his spare time, and is a gamer. Check out Rob's blog: www.robchartrand.com.
