Rural Youth Ministry

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Rural youth ministry is an amazing adventure—a truly unique beast, different from serving in the inner city or the heart of suburbia. But even though our culture is becoming increasingly urban and suburban, rural youth ministry isn't going away anytime soon.

Brent Lacy is no stranger to the realities of rural ministry—the joys, the challenges, the rewards, the heartaches. He grew up in a rural community and serves as the youth pastor at a rural church today.

Through the pages of this book, Brent examines keys to thriving in rural youth ministry, strategies for building solid relationships, tips on reaching your local schools, wisdom on surviving church politics, ideas on effectively using technology, and advice on adjusting to a new church or community. Whether you're new to rural youth ministry or your life has been forged in a rural setting, this book will inspire you to hold firm to God's calling. You can be successful in your ministry. You can reach your community in ways you and your church never even thought were possible. The work may be long, hard, and messy, but the rewards are amazing.


Brent Lacy is a rural youth pastor, Web developer, homeschool dad, former child abuse investigator, IT technician, writer, and youth lock-in survivor. These all describe the experiences and stories that are part of his time in ministry. Brent has worked to impact the lives of rural students with the gospel for almost 13 years. Brent grew up on 160 acres of corn, wheat, soybeans, and cattle in Southern Illinois. He is currently the student ministry pastor at First Baptist Church in Rockville, Indiana, where he lives with his wife and three kids in the Covered Bridge Capital of the World.