Book Recommendations

Ammerson, Nancy, et al. Studying Congregations. Nashville: Abingdon, 1998.

Anderson, Hannah. Humble Roots — How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2016.

Barton, William. Parables of a Country Parson. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 2008.

Bickers, Dennis. The Tentmaking Pastor. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000.

Bierly, Steve. Help for the Small-Church Pastor. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.

Bierly, Steve. How to Thrive as a Small-Church Pastor. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.

Burt, Steve. Activating Leadership in the Small Church. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania: Judson Press, 1988.

Carson, D.A. Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2008.

Crandall, Ron. Turn Around Strategies for the Small Church. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995.

Daman, Glenn. Shepherding the Small Church. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2002.

Daman, Glenn. The Forgotten Church. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2018.

Dorr, Luther. The Bivocational Pastor. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1988.

Dorsett, Terry. Developing Leadership Teams in the Bivocational Church. Bloomington, Indiana: CrossBooks, 2010.

Dudley, Carl S. and Walrath, Douglas Alan. Developing Your Small Church’s Potential. Valley Forge, Pa.: Judson Press, 1988.

Dudley, Carl S. Making the Small Church Effective. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1978.

Eclov, Lee. Feels Like Home — How Rediscovering the Church as Family Changes Everything. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2019.

Eclov, Lee. Pastoral Graces — Reflections on the Care of Souls. Chicago: Moody Press, 2012.

Farris, Lawrence W. Dynamics of Small Town Ministry. Bethesda, Maryland: The Alban Institute, 2000.

Flora, Cornelia Butler, et al. Rural Communities, Legacy & Change. Boulder: Westview Press, 1992.

Foltz, Nancy, ed. Religious Education in the Small Membership Church. Birmingham: Religious Education Press, 1990.

Funk, Abe. Hope for the Small Church. Belleville, Ontario, Canada: Essence Publishing, 2005.

Goreham, Gary A., ed. Encyclopedia of Rural America. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 1997.

Hall, Eddy, Bowman, Ray, Machmer, J. Skipp. The More with Less Church: Maximize Your Money, Space, Time, and People to Multiply Ministry Impact. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2014.

Hansen, David. The Art of Pastoring — Ministry without All the Answers (Revised Edition). Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Books, 2012.

Herbert, George. The Country Parson. London: Forgotten Books, 2015.

Hughes, Kent & Barbara. Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2008.

Hunter, Kent R. The Lord’s Harvest and the Rural Church. Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1993.

Johnston, Ron. Reality Check for the Church — Discovering a Unique Vision for the Small Church. Winnipeg: Word Alive Press, 2013.

Jung, L. Shannon and Agria, Mary A. Rural Congregational Studies. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1997.

Jung, L. Shannon et al. Rural Ministry: The Shape of the Renewal to Come. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998.

Killen, James L. Pastoral Care in the Small Membership Church. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2005.

Klassen, Ron and Koessler, John. No Little Places. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996.

Klassen, Ron, Wells, Barney, and Giese, Martin. Leading through Change: Shepherding the Town and Country Church in a New Era. St. Charles, Ill.: ChurchSmart Resources, 2005.

Kloppmann, Karl. A Men’s Ministry for the Small Church. Longwood, Florida: Xulon Press, 2004.

Lacy, Brent. Rural Youth Ministry. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2018.

Longenecker, Harold. Building Town and Country Churches. Chicago: Moody Press, 1973.

Longenecker, Harold. Growing Leaders by Design. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1995.

McCarty, Doran. Leading the Small Church. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1991.

McIntosh, Gary. One Size Doesn’t Fit All. Grand Rapids: Fleming H. Revell, 1999.

McMullen, Shawn ed. Releasing the Power of the Smaller Church. Cincinnati: Standard Publishing, 2007.

McMullen, Shawn ed. Unleashing the Potential of the Smaller Church. Cincinnati: Standard Publishing, 2006.

Madsen, Paul O. The Small Church — Valid, Vital, Victorious. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania: Judson Press, 1975.

Nebel, Tom. Big Dreams in Small Places — Church Planting in Smaller Communities. St. Charles: ChurchSmart Resources, 2002.

O’Brien, Brandon. The Strategically Small Church. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2010.

Pappas, Anthony G. Entering the World of the Small Church. Bethesda, Maryland: The Alban Institute, 2000.

Pappas, Anthony G. ed. Inside the Small Church. Bethesda, Maryland: The Alban Institute, 2002.

Plueddemann, James E. Leading Across Cultures — Effective Ministry and Mission in the Global Church. Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Books, 2009.

Ray, David R. The Big Small Church Book. Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press, 1992.

Ray, David R. The Indispensable Guide for Smaller Churches. Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press, 2003.

Roth, Brad. God’s Country — Faith, Hope, and the Future of the Rural Church. Harrisonburg, Virginia: Herald Press, 2017.

Ruffcorn, Kevin E. Rural Evangelism. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1994.

Sample, Tex. Ministry in an Oral Culture — Living with Will Rogers, Uncle Remus, and Minnie Pearl. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1994.

Schaller, Lyle E.The Small Church Is Different. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1982.

Schaller, Lyle E. The Small Membership Church: Scenarios for Tomorrow. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994.

Sherman, Jennifer. Those Who Work, Those Who Don’t — Poverty, Morality, and Family in Rural America. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2009.

Smith, Lee J. Reflections of a Small Town Pastor — Engaging in God’s Mission in Smaller Places. Minneapolis: NextStep Resources, 2013.

Stowell, Joseph. Shepherding the Church. Chicago: Moody Press, 1997.

Strauch, Alexander. Leading with Love. Littleton, Colorado: Lewis & Roth Publishers, 2006.

Thiessen, John C. Pastoring the Smaller Church. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1962.

Urbanska, Wanda and Levering, Frank. Moving to a Small Town. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996.

Van Yperen, Jim. The Shepherd Leader. St. Charles, Ill.: ChurchSmart Resources, 2003.

Vance, J.D. Hillbilly Elegy. New York: HarperCollins, 2016.

Vaters, Karl. The Grasshopper Myth: Big Churches, Small Churches and the Small Thinking that Divides Us. NewSmallChurch.com, 2012.

Vaters, Karl. Small Church Essentials. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2018.

Wagley, Laurence. Preaching With the Small Congregation. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1989.

Wagner, E. Glenn. Escape from Church, Inc. — The Return of the Pastor-Shepherd. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999.

Wallace, Robin K. and Heck, Terry R. Worship in Small Membership Churches. Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2007.

Walrath, Douglas. Making It Work: Effective Administration in the Small Church. Valley Forge, Pa.: Judson Press, 1994.

Wilkinson, Vernal. The Bible, Live — A Basic Guide for Preachers and Teachers in Small Churches. Denver: Outskirts Press, 2011.

Willimon, William H. and Wilson, Robert L. Preaching and Worship in the Small Church. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1980.

Wright, Walter C. Relational Leadership (Revised and Expanded). Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Books, 2009. 

Witmer, Stephen. A Big Gospel in Small Places: Why Ministry in Forgotten Communities Matters. Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Books, 2019