On Saturday, August 22nd, 2026, I attended the follow up conference for Rural & Small Town Churches: Embracing the Silos in Franklin, Indiana at Tabernacle Christian Church. If you recall, Pittsboro Christian hosted the precursor to this conference on June 4th in our fellowship hall.
 
The Region was gifted a grant from the Lilly Foundation to explore the vital role rural and small town churches play in the life of the Region. Currently, 80 percent of the 148 churches affiliated with the Christian Church in Indiana (Disciples of Christ) are found either in a small town or rural areas.
 
Rev. Dr. Christal Williams, Regional Minister, shared with those in attendance that the rural and small town churches in the Indiana region are the “backbone of the Christian Church in Indiana (DOC)” which is now 187 years old.
 
In addition to opening and closing remarks by Dr. Christal, there were two keynote speakers - Rev. Dr. Rae Karim and Rev. Dr. Kory Wilcoxsen. Dr. Rae spoke of grief in our congregations due to loss, change, or transition. Dr. Kory spoke about the book, Thriving Church that he coauthored with Erin Cash. The back of the book sums up the contents nicely: “Based on a five-year study of over 20 diverse churches, this book uncovers the 10 core traits that consistently appear in thriving congregations. Packed with real stories and practical action steps.  Thriving Church provides a clear blueprint for your congregation to embrace its unique identity and flourish. Thriving Church is for congregations planning to have a thriving ministry - even congregations for whom growth is unlikely.”
 
“Although Thriving Church is a very good read (I have a copy in my office if you’d like to borrow it), I would like to highlight a few of the points that Dr. Rae made. Even though Dr. Rae’s presentation was directly related to small town and rural churches, the information that she shared is applicable to everyday life. 
 
Dr. Rae began by defining grief as a “natural response to loss, change, or transition that results in the expression of feeling and emotion.” Many in the Pittsboro congregation are dealing with grief - perhaps the loss of a loved one, change due to loss of independence, or a transitioning due to the onset of a health issue.
 
Dr. Rae went on to say that in order to navigate change well, we must do three things:
 
     1. Acknowledge that change has happened, will happen, or is going to continue to happen.
 
     2. Admit to yourself how you feel about that change.
 
     3. Accept the change. Change will occur whether you want it to happen or not.
 
We must acknowledge, admit, & accept change in order to address change. It may help to reframe the change in order to accept the change. For example, instead of feeling angry or forlorn when thinking that you are no longer able to drive, think instead that you will be spending more quality time with your friends and family members as they drive you to and from appointments or take you shopping. Perhaps this will give you an opportunity to discuss important matters with them that you have been putting off.
 
If facing a health diagnosis that has curtailed activity that you truly enjoyed, perhaps you could reframe your thinking to begin thinking of other activities that may be enjoyable and connect you with someone you’d been wanting to spend more time with. It is so important for your mental health to change how you look at, think about, or talk about something. Rarely does a major health change or the effects of the aging process on our senses that impact our day-to-day routines, reverse itself.
 
Engage a trusted individual to help you become creative in reframing an issue that has been negatively affecting you. You’ll find that your spirits will lift and you may find more enjoyment in your life than you once had. As a result of the changes in your life, continue to seek out others to engage in ministry with as you continue to “do” ministry with one another at Pittsboro Christian Church.

You are loved,
Pastor Karen