Book details
Flyover Church
Christ is present and at work in rural communities. How do we lead from that reality?
The temptation to operate from a scarcity mindset is stronger than ever. The tensions unleashed over the past few years—which led to skepticism, breakdowns of trust, declining church attendance, and uncertainty around community ministry—continue to linger in and among our rural churches. Yet God’s loving, redemptive work is happening in all places, no matter how small or far-flung.
In Flyover Church, Brad Roth, the author of God’s Country, describes how rural ministry shares soul-deep commonalities with the church in every place. And he speaks a hopeful message into the distinct challenges—and promises—faced by rural communities. Tracing Jesus’ ministry and bountiful work among the small-town people and places in the gospel of Mark, this book offers a vision for ministry tailored to rural settings. Pastors and leaders everywhere will be encouraged to approach ministry from the reality of God’s abundance.
The temptation to operate from a scarcity mindset is stronger than ever. The tensions unleashed over the past few years—which led to skepticism, breakdowns of trust, declining church attendance, and uncertainty around community ministry—continue to linger in and among our rural churches. Yet God’s loving, redemptive work is happening in all places, no matter how small or far-flung.
In Flyover Church, Brad Roth, the author of God’s Country, describes how rural ministry shares soul-deep commonalities with the church in every place. And he speaks a hopeful message into the distinct challenges—and promises—faced by rural communities. Tracing Jesus’ ministry and bountiful work among the small-town people and places in the gospel of Mark, this book offers a vision for ministry tailored to rural settings. Pastors and leaders everywhere will be encouraged to approach ministry from the reality of God’s abundance.
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Foreword
1. The Beginning and Baptism
2. The Spirit Drove Him into the Wilderness
3. Proclamation and Calling Disciples
4. Listening and Telling Stories
5. Walking on Water. Or Not.
6. Coming to the Cross
7. Resurrection Happens
8. Good News Everywhere
Acknowledgements
Notes
The Author
1. The Beginning and Baptism
2. The Spirit Drove Him into the Wilderness
3. Proclamation and Calling Disciples
4. Listening and Telling Stories
5. Walking on Water. Or Not.
6. Coming to the Cross
7. Resurrection Happens
8. Good News Everywhere
Acknowledgements
Notes
The Author
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Praise for Flyover Church
“Flyover Church is yet another reason why I’m so thankful for Brad Roth’s pastoring and writing. This book is full of arresting stories, nuanced insights, and fresh and faithful readings of the Scriptures—all expressed in beautifully written, memorable prose. Here is a Harvard-trained pastor who loves Jesus and bales hay. This book is indeed the ‘lean yet weighty’ volume that Brad aspired to write. Read it for pleasure and profit.”
STEPHEN WITMER, pastor of Pepperell Christian Fellowship, council member of The Gospel Coalition, and author of A Big Gospel in Small Places
“In this book, Brad Roth opens the soul of the small-town pastor, describing our struggles and challenges, not to cause us to abandon ministry but to give us hope and perspective by helping us understand ourselves and the communities we serve. Writing with personal reflection, insightful research, and theological clarity, Roth gives us insight into what it means to be a rural pastor. Like his previous book God’s Country, this book is invaluable and is on the must-read shelf of books on rural ministry.”
GLENN DAMAN, author of The Forgotten Church, When Shepherds Weep, and The Lighthouse: Discovering Security in the Radiance of God’s Character
“With his inimitable writing style, Brad Roth weaves snapshots from Christ’s time on earth (as the quintessential rural minister) with snippets of wisdom and insights gleaned from his and other pastors’ decades of rural living and ministry. Flyover Church is a beautiful tapestry that is compelling, authentic, vulnerable, and hopeful.”
RON KLAASEN, executive director emeritus of the Rural Home Missionary Association
“Flyover Church is a gift to the whole church. Brad Roth offers a compelling portrait of rural churches, a portrait whose beauty is drawn from the hope and hardships of ministry in rural places. This book offers important truths about the rural church, and in doing so reminds us that these congregations are full of deep and meaningful ministries.”
ALLEN T. STANTON, consulting fellow at University of the Ozarks and author of Reclaiming Rural: Building Thriving Rural Congregations
“With an artist’s pen, Brad Roth engages the reader’s imagination in Flyover Church. His love for the ways of Jesus and how they can be experienced in rural ministry provide a treasure of wisdom. I highly recommend this book as a rich source of encouragement for those in small places.”
DAVID PINCKNEY, regional director for Acts 29