“I miss Mayberry,
sittin’ on the porch drinking ice cold Cherry Coke,
where everything is black and white.
Pickin’ on a six string,
where people pass by and you call them by their first name,
watching the clouds roll by.”

—”Mayberry” by Rascal Flatts

Growing up in middle class suburbia, I knew little about folks who lived in small towns. I wasn’t sure if there were really people who had shotguns in the rear window of their pick-up trucks (and who could open the hood and fix just about any problem the truck had) or if this was just a myth.

Plus, if there were such people, how could they possibly live life without the plethora of fast-food options that surrounded me on every corner?

What the heck is the point of just cruising around small towns as rural folks supposedly did?

Then, things changed. As a wide-eyed youth worker ready to take on the world, I found myself in unfamiliar surroundings: small town ministry. I quickly realized I had a lot to learn as I lived life and did youth ministry alongside faithful followers of God living in some of the most unpopulated areas of our country.
What I experienced in the small town was a pure form of organic youth ministry that I find beautiful and refreshing.

I have since moved on to youth work in a larger city, but I miss Mayberry youth ministry.

What about you? God is doing a fresh work in small towns, and you might need to consider joining Him in it.

Below, I identify six exciting characteristics of small town ministry that are worth paying attention to.

Warmth and Generosity
It has been my experience that some of the warmest and most generous people live in small towns. They don’t have a reputation to keep up or anything to prove. They are secure in themselves and have hearts that simply care. They care about others, God, the Word, their church and their town.

One of my greatest moments in ministry came when our church leadership became aware of a lady in our small town community that needed an immediate organ transplant to save her life, but her family was short on funds.

One of the elders did a quick look at the balance in the church’s checking account and boldly said, “We can’t let this lady die while we have money sitting in the bank.” Within seconds, we approved a heap of money that eventually saved this lady’s life. I wanted to jump out of my chair, do a little dance and shout for joy.

This is just one of many examples that small town youth workers would share about witnessing the Spirit of God moving in powerful ways through hospitality and generosity.

Family Longevity
In urban and suburban cities, it is difficult to find people native to the area. Not so in small towns. Family longevity is a huge perk to youth ministry in a small town. It is not uncommon to find generations of the same family worshipping under the same roof on a Sunday morning. How cool is that!?

With families staying planted in a single community, kids actually grow up together, go to school together and live just a few blocks from each other. Youth workers in highly populated areas only dream of this type of connected community.

Grassroots Ministry
“What in the world is a ‘pig pickin’?” was one of the initial questions of my first assignment in a small town on the east coast. Little did I know I was about to witness (and taste) one of the delightful expressions of a small town potluck. Boy was it good!

Revivals, holiday traditions, donated and sacred items scattered around the church, old buildings, yearly youth events, and more—all of these are pieces of the fabric of small town ministry.

Once I even had the privilege of attending a Hawaiian Luau that took place around Easter. Silly, you say? What does that have to do with the cross and resurrection? Not slick or strategic enough for you? It was a smash hit!

Those doing ministry in cultures that overemphasize new and high-end programming in youth ministry need a lesson or two from youth workers who are regularly reaping kingdom fruit in settings that value community, group identity and getting others in on the fun. Small town ministry is a more simple and relational way of serving God and people, and it is very effective.

The Power of Networking
Jim Hodgson is a youth ministry veteran turned educator at Oak Hills Christian College in northern Minnesota. Jim has spent decades observing and serving in what he calls “rurban churches,” where rural/small town meets urban/suburban. He agrees with many youth workers who have witnessed firsthand the effectiveness of networking in small towns.

“Ministry leaders in small towns have to network to make a difference for Christ because our challenges and area are so large,” says Jim.

It is beautiful to watch youth pastors and parachurch youth staff work together with Christian leaders in social service agencies and youth ministry volunteers to love on kids! I believe some of the best ministry happens in country and small town settings as long as ministry leaders can push past the temptation to isolate.”
The more small town youth leaders that I talk to, the more networking is talked about as a powerful leadership tool in their ministry settings.

Greater Focus
In suburban and urban settings, youth workers struggle to answer crucial questions when it comes to targeting a specific audience.
Which schools should we focus on?

Which neighborhoods should we be using our resources and time to reach?

Do you spread yourself thin to try to reach everyone?

Some small town youth workers would laugh at such ridiculous questions. The specific and strategic ministry focus of a small town is awesome! In many cases, there is only one high school in the community, one Friday night hangout and a very defined target audience—the students growing up in that town. What a gift for effective, fruit-bearing ministry!

Kids Who Desire God
Of course all kids need God, but there is a mysterious thing going on in small towns: Kids there have a big spiritual appetite for God.

When kids grow up without the pressure, technology, pace and options of city life literally standing in their way, they are more spiritually open and hungry for truth than their suburban/urban counterparts.

I can’t quantify it, put it into a formula or prove it—I just believe it to be true. Something about the dynamics of small town life, church and family dynamics, and small town students allows for effective outreach, deep relationship, exciting ministry on school campuses, life-changing discipleship and leadership and character development.

Bottom line: Small town youth ministry has “it”—the undeniable yet hard to explain perfect storm of the right elements that allows ministry leaders and churches to make large deposits into the kingdom of God.

Justin Fender, youth pastor at Calvary Baptist Church of Roanoke Rapids, N.C., sums it up nicely when he says, “Ministry in a small town requires a lot of effort; it might be hard for some to get used to, but it can be very rewarding. These small towns may get overlooked when youth workers send out their resumes, but (at the end of the day) these students living in small towns deserve a powerful youth ministry as much as those in metropolitan areas.”

Is God calling you to serve kids in a small town? If so, know that God is behind you (and Andy and Opie probably are, too).