Rural Impact Leadership Conference 2024 draws 160 to Alexandria Covenant Church for worship, practical insights on ministry
The energy and engagement from the 160 people that gathered in person for the third annual Rural Impact Leadership Conference (RILC) was evident throughout the day. In addition, 25 online attendees from 11 states joined the event, which took place March 16, 2024, at Alexandria Covenant Church in Alexandria, MN.
Worship was a blessing!
The conference opened and closed with music sets that bookended the day from a posture of worship! In the opening and closing sessions, Dr. Jeff Clark invited the audience to take a fresh look at the components involved in restoring a missional mindset and pathway forward for their church.
The practical insights and inputs from the day were timely!
Workshops that explored contextual applications and approaches to various ministry areas were scattered throughout the day. This included: “Daily Living as Witnesses,” “Leading Effective Change,” “Discipline That Connects with Your Child’s Heart,” “Building and Supporting a Volunteer Ministry Team,” “Asset Mapping of Congregations,” “Transforming Communities through Cross Cultural Friendships,” “Rewriting the Rural Narrative” and “Community Engagement Through Partnering with Community Leaders.”
In-person participants were also offered pop-up conversations that included: “Youth Ministry Issues in the Smaller Church,” “Faith Formation of Children,” and “How an Evangelistic Culture Change Can Happen for a Congregation.”
It was a full and fruitful day!
Exhibitors offered an array of resources for church ministries and mission. These included: Broken Strength, Child Evangelism Fellowship of MN, Connected Families, ECC Missional Vitality, EvangelismSHIFT USA, Growing Hope Globally, Helping Churches Thrive, Living Works, LunchBox, NextStep Resources, Oak Hills Christian College, Transform MN, Village Missions, WorkForce Hope, and Youth Ministry Consultants.
Alexandria Covenant Church was so welcoming!
We praise God for how He blessed and used this day in the nurture of rural churches. We look forward to the continued effect of the Rural Impact Leadership Conference, even as we anticipate RILC 2025 on March 15!
