Rural Church Award

2011 Missouri School of Religion
Rural Church Award

"Give honor and respect to all those whom it is due" (Romans 13:7)

Purpose of the Award:

  • To discover and report on some of the creative, faithful and outstanding ministries being provided by our rural churches.
  • To lift up and give honor to those congregations providing such ministries.
  • To inspire other congregations toward the development of their own creative ministries.
  • To thank and praise God for the work of the Holy Spirit through all rural churches - acknowledging that while only a few are picked, many more deserve honor.

Guidelines for Selection:The selection of awardees will be based upon the assumption that a local congregation has four areas of responsibility/opportunity for its ministry. Congregational leadership in each of these areas will be assessed in determining the recipient of the Rural Church Award. The areas are:

  • Nurture of the members of the congregation, preparing them for Christian discipleship, and building the Body of Christ through evangelistic outreach.
  • Ministries of social concern, justice and compassion to the geographic local community within which the congregation is located, and to the larger community - state, nation and world.
  • Support of the denomination with which the congregation is affiliated, and of the many ministries in which it shares with the denomination.
  • Involvement in ecumenical or interfaith partnerships in education, worship or mission endeavors.?

Application Process: A representative congregational leader or leader team should complete the form (available by contacting Krystalmsr(at)earthlink.net) indicating how the congregation addresses the above four components of the congregations ministry and other pertinent information.

Deadline for Application: October 15, 2011. The Award(s) will be presented at the MSR-CRM Annual Dinner in November 11, 2011.

Submit to: Missouri School of Religion, P.O. Box 104685, Jefferson City, MO 65110-4685. Fax: (573) 636-2889. Email: krystalmsr@earthlink.net

 Past Recipients of the Rural Church Award.