Rural Church Renewal

Hosts: TJ Freeman, Joe Wagner, and Josh MacClaren

Summary: In this episode of Rural Church Renewal, TJ Freeman discusses the heavy burden and opposition faced by church leaders, especially in small, rural congregations. Sharing personal experiences from his ministry in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, TJ offers practical advice on enhancing leadership culture through unhurried prayer, relational intimacy, and strategic decision-ma...

Hosts: TJ Freeman, Joe Wagner, and Josh MacClaren

Summary: In this episode of Rural Church Renewal, TJ Freeman emphasizes the role of church governing documents like bylaws, church covenants, and statements of faith in maintaining a healthy church. From personal stories about his own challenges in rural ministry, TJ shares practical advice on how to review, respect, and progressively update these documents for the benefit ...

Hosts: TJ Freeman, Joe Wagner, and Josh MacClaren

Summary: In this episode of Rural Church Renewal, host TJ Freeman welcomes Anthony Caiola to discuss the integration of counseling and discipleship within the church. They explore the importance of viewing counseling as part of disciple-making and share practical ways to equip church members for these responsibilities. Anthony emphasizes the necessity of pastors being emoti...

Hosts: TJ Freeman, Joe Wagner, and Josh MacClaren

Summary: In this episode of Rural Church Renewal, TJ addresses the frustrations of pastoring a church that resists leadership. He shares insights on staying committed, loving the congregation, and shepherding them willingly. Drawing from Charles Dickens' 'Great Expectations' and biblical passages, TJ emphasizes the importance of humility, patience, and enduri...

Hosts: TJ Freeman, Joe Wagner, and Josh MacClaren

Summary: In this episode of Rural Church Renewal, TJ, Joe, and Josh discuss the impactful role of grace stories, or testimonies, in highlighting God's work within every church member. They emphasize the importance of guiding new converts to share clear and focused testimonies that spotlight Christ's transforming power. The conversation touches on the challenges an...

Hosts: TJ Freeman, Joe Wagner, and Josh MacClaren

Summary: In this episode of Rural Church Renewal, hosts TJ, Joe, and Josh discuss the challenges of implementing change in rural churches. They highlight the importance of patience, understanding congregation dynamics, and pacing oneself. The episode offers personal anecdotes demonstrating how rushing changes can lead to resistance and emphasizes the value of building trust...

Hosts: TJ Freeman, Joe Wagner, and Josh MacClaren

Summary: In this episode of Rural Church Renewal, pastors TJ, Joe, and Josh discuss the urgent need for church planting and revitalization in rural areas, despite the challenges faced by struggling churches. They emphasize that God's mission includes bringing His glory to every corner, including remote places. They share personal experiences and scriptural insights to ...

Hosts: TJ Freeman, Joe Wagner, and Josh MacClaren

Summary: In this episode of Rural Church Renewal, TJ, Joe, and Josh discuss the significance of deeply held convictions in driving church growth and health, rather than just following plans or models from large churches. They emphasize the importance of being motivated by biblical convictions and genuine love for Jesus and the congregation. Their conversation includes the p...

Host: TJ Freeman

Summary: In this episode of Rural Church Renewal, TJ Freeman addresses the challenge of low congregation engagement in rural churches and the misconception that ministry work is solely the pastor's responsibility. He emphasizes the importance of equipping church members for ministry, as outlined in Ephesians 4, and discusses how to shift the consumeristic mindset prevalent in many congregations. TJ di...

Host: TJ Freeman

Summary: In this episode of Rural Church Renewal, TJ Freeman, a rural pastor, discusses the importance of praying before Sunday sermons. Whether you are the one preaching or not, taking time to pray for the ministry of the word in your church can make a significant impact. TJ shares his experience of arriving at a church where a group of elderly women regularly prayed for the service and its attendees, ins...

Host: TJ Freeman

Summary: In this episode of Rural Church Renewal, Pastor TJ Freeman discusses the importance of recognizing who your church is accountable for. He shares his experience at Christ Church in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, and emphasizes the need for healthy rural churches to glorify God. TJ explains that churches are responsible for two groups: their congregation and the local lost population. He offers practical ...

Host: TJ Freeman

Summary: In this episode of Rural Church Renewal, host TJ Freeman interviews his dear friend, Sam Hahn, about his experiences with ministry burnout and feeling abandoned by God. Sam, a former pastor who transitioned to missionary work in West Africa, shares his deeply personal story of struggling with depression, the loss of his father, and the difficulties of adapting to a new country and ministry role. T...

Hosts: TJ Freeman & Josh MacClaren

Summary: In this episode, Pastor TJ Freeman and Pastor Joshua MacClaren, discuss the challenges and rewards of rural ministry, focusing on the importance of cultivating partnerships. They share personal experiences about feeling isolated and the steps taken to connect with other like-minded pastors and organizations. The conversation covers how partnerships can enhance ministry effect...

Host: TJ Freeman

Summary: In this episode of Rural Church Renewal, TJ Freeman shares insights on making church leadership meetings spiritually enriching. Discussing his experiences with elders' meetings, TJ emphasizes the importance of incorporating spiritual practices like singing, scripture reading, and praying into meetings. He suggests ways to foster soul care among leaders through sharing about each other's ...

Host: TJ Freeman

Summary: In this episode of Rural Church Renewal, TJ Freeman speaks on the unique value and role rural churches play in showcasing God's glory. TJ emphasizes that God is the one who established the church and that it serves a specific purpose in its community, however remote. He uses analogies like soccer positions to explain how each church must understand and take responsibility for its specific are...

Hosts: TJ Freeman and Joe Wagner

Summary: In this episode of Rural Church Renewal, hosts TJ Freeman and Joe Wagner discuss the pivotal role of deacons in rural churches and provide practical advice on how to raise up qualified deacons. They highlight the importance of identifying and encouraging potential deacons based on biblical qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3, the need for prayerful consideration, and the value of b...

Hosts: TJ Freeman and Joe Wagner

Summary: In this episode of Rural Church Renewal, TJ Freeman and Joe discuss the power of equipping church members to care for one another through personal testimony and informal counseling. They explore how sharing grace stories, including struggles and triumphs, can foster a supportive community where members turn to each other for wisdom. The conversation emphasizes the biblical foundati...

Hosts: TJ Freeman, Joe Wagner, and Josh MacClaren

Summary: In this episode, rural pastors TJ Freeman, Joshua McLaren, Joe Wagner, and guest Casey Nowlin discuss the challenge of managing pastoral responsibilities, focusing on creating effective goals and habits. Casey shares insights from his 16 years in ministry, emphasizing the importance of discipline and habitual practices grounded in Scripture for personal growth and ...

Host: TJ Freeman, Joe Wagner, and Josh MacClaren

Summary: In this episode of Rural Church Renewal, TJ Freeman, Joe Wagner, and Joshua McLaren discuss the value of not being isolated as rural pastors and the benefits of forming cohorts to enhance pastoral skills and spiritual growth. They recount their experience with the Simeon Trust, an organization aimed at improving preaching through collaborative workshops. The pastors...