Slowly, awareness of Rural Mission Sunday is growing and across the country and across the denominations will be doing something special for SUNDAY 15th JULY. Though it is now just a week away, it's not too late to join in and include something in your church next Sunday.
Rural Mission is a large umbrella and covers a range of aspects. Unsurprisingly, we would like to ask that as you mark Rural Mission Sunday, that you ensure that you include a focus on the re-evangelization of the rural areas of the UK. Here are some facts followed by some suggestions.
- 90% of England's land area is rural. In Scotland it is 98%, Northern Ireland is 97% and Wales 96%.
- According to government statistics 17% of the UK population live in the rural areas, with about half of these in villages, hamlets and scattered housing.
- Regular church attendance in rural England is probably less than 5% and the average age is quite high.
- In England, the Church of England accounts for around two thirds of the church presence in rural area. Many rural Parish Churches no longer have a weekly service and almost all will have to share their priest with other churches .
- Among the Free Church denominations in England, the Methodist Church accounts for about a quarter of all churches in the rural areas of England, with Baptists the next most common but at only 5%.
- During the latter half of the 20th Century thousands of rural churches closed.
- While most rural churches will be active in social aspects of mission, very few engage in intentionally proclaiming the gospel. There are several reasons for this including the constraint of living in a small intimate community. We suspect that the majority of rural Christians would find it difficult or uncomfortable to talk about their personal faith.
- Around two million children live in the rural areas; most where there is not a church with a programme that seeks to help them find and grow in faith.
- There are rural churches that are alive, growing, and effectively evangelising within their local community.
- There are few dedicated rural evangelism organisations, including the Faith Mission, Rural Ministries, Village Voice, Farming Christian Link, and (of course) Rural Mission Solutions. Their faithful ministry does not grab headlines in the Christian media. They are generally under-supported and under-resourced.
- Pray for all rural Christians, that our love for Jesus will deepen and that we would have a passion to share the good news in appropriate ways within our local communities.
- Pray for rural church leaders, that they will not be so encumbered with responsibilities that evangelism is neglected.
- Pray for all who work in rural mission - and especially rural evangelistic - organisations, that our ministry will be effective and the outcomes sustainable.
- Give thanks for village schools, especially for those that run Christian programmes where children are able to learn about Jesus.
- Pray for many more to catch the vision for rural mission, and for growth in prayer and financial support for the specialist organisations.
- Give thanks for the steady growth in rural churches and individual Christians using the internet and video resources of Rural Mission Solutions. Pray for a 100% growth this year in the number of those using these resources.
