Be a bad farmer

On Tuesday, June 22, Small Town Summits hosted an online Summit for pastors and lay leaders from around New England (and other parts of the country). It was a sweet time of conversation and prayer, and John Hindley, an author and Acts 29 church planter in rural England, shared some thoughts with us about small-town/rural ministry. John’s talk was refreshing and deeply encouraging. In particular, two things particularly struck me. John reminded us from 1 Corinthians 3 that we will be rewarded according to our labor, not our results. God sees and knows what we do, even when the results seem paltry. John also encouraged us to be bad farmers! He meant that we are to sow the gospel seed on all soils (as in Jesus’ parable), and what farmer does that?! And we’re to preach in every season, and what farmer sows when it’s not growing season?! We’re to be lavish in our speaking of the gospel word, leaving the results to God. Small-town ministry is a privilege, and I’m grateful that God has called gifted, tenacious, eloquent people like John Hindley (and all the others at our online Summit) to this work.