Transforming Church in Rural America
Hummers, Satellites, Sacred Cows and Tractors.
Honestly. This story is about all of those. But if we back up a bit, it’s about the Great God of the Universe who set the Church, His bride, apart as the hope of the world. The hope of the WORLD. Not just the hope of the metropolis, or suburb where the streets are lined with nice cars, big houses, and Starbucks on every corner; but the hope of the STICKS. Those places that have been marginalized by pop culture. Those places that don’t have a stop light, let a lone a Starbucks. This book is a story of God’s faithfulness through Shannon O’Dell and Brand New Church, and gives us a great big story of our GOD, and of hope, no matter where ministry finds you.
I don’t know about you, but I long for movement. I long to be a part of something prevailing, something that’s going somewhere, something bigger than me. All too often rural america is seen as just the opposite. Church or not, nobody wants to go to rural america. You don’t hear people say, “I’m gonna get out of this suburb and grab an old farm house and some land.” “I was thinking I was going to move as far away from Starbucks and the Gap as I can get.”
What I love most about this book is that God led Shannon to something bigger, something prevailing. God did what God always does when we let Him, HE turned old into new, HE turned what was static, into a movement, and HE did all of that right in the middle of rural america. He called Shannon to leave his large suburban church and head out to the sticks. He led him to change the way that ministry in rural america is looked at. He led Shannon to buy a Hummer loaded with satellite equipment. Seriously.
God has this incredible way of using people to tell His story. God is shouting His story through Shannon O’Dell and Brand New Church. If you’re in ministry or love the Church (big C) I hope you’ll grab this book and give it a read. I hope that it will stir your passion for God’s Kingdom, and I hope that no matter where today finds you, that God will stir something in you the will push you into HIS dream for your life.
