In this reflective yet eminently applicable book, pastor Charles E. Cotherman, executive director of the Center for Rural Ministry, challenges our assumptions through stories that showcase the power and beauty of a faithful presence in seemingly insignificant places. Drawing on his lifetime of experience in rural communities and churches, Cotherman demonstrates the outsized impact we can have when we have the courage to stay, root where we're planted, and serve God with joy. 

The Center for Rural Ministry is pleased to offer this free printer-friendly study guide- perfect for reading groups and churches looking to facilitate deeper conversation around the book...

Executive Director, Center for Rural Ministry

Charles E. Cotherman (PhD, University of Virginia) serves as executive director of the Center for Rural Ministry and assistant professor of biblical and theological studies at Grove City College. He is lead pastor of Oil City Vineyard Church, a congregation he and his wife planted in 2016 in a corner of rural western Pennsylvania they have always called home. He writes on rural ministry, small-town America, church planting, and American religious history and has taught church history at Fuller Theological Seminary and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He currently serves as a member of the Brookings-AEI Commission on US Rural Prosperity, a bipartisan endeavor to strengthen economic opportunities, resilience, and quality of life across rural America. His books include Strip Mine Jesus: Hope for the Rural Church, Small Towns, and Overlooked Places (Baker Books) and To Think Christianly: A History of L'Abri, Regent College, and the Christian Study Center Movement (IVP Academic). He also served as contributing co-editor of Sent to Flourish: A Guide to Planting and Multiplying Churches (IVP Academic).