Most village churches feel that they are under-resourced and it is not uncommon for rural clergy to feel already over-stretched. The idea of taking on board the challenge of developing discipleship and mission programmes might not be always welcome in some rural parishes. But neither mission nor discipleship is optional; rather, they go to the heart of who we are and why we are here.

As Secretary of the national Rural Evangelism Network (of which the Diocese of Oxford is a participant) I realise that specialist mission societies are too few and too small to make much of an impact in rural mission. After all, one sixth of the UK population live in rural settlements with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants – mostly in smaller villages. In a largely post-Christian and pluralistic society it is the churches and Christians located in rural communities that have to take up the challenge.

In some aspects of mission rural churches out-perform their urban counterparts. They are more integrated into the life of the wider community. Recent research revealed that 70 per cent of rural social capital comes from the churches. Of the ‘Five Marks of Mission’, now widely accepted by Anglicans, most rural churches engage well with ‘responding to human need through loving service’, ‘seeking to transform unjust structures in society’, and ‘environmental action’.

We do not generally do so well with the other two marks of mission: ‘proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom’, and ‘teaching, baptising and nurturing new believers’. The characteristics of rural communities tend to inhibit overt evangelism but there are many ways in which the gospel can be proclaimed using appropriate methods. Some of these are set out in the Knowledge Exchange section of the REN website at www.ruralevangelism.net.

But in my view we do well to link the concept of discipleship with that of mission. Scripture reveals that each Christian has a unique role within God’s purposes. Progress as Christ’s disciples should lead to the discovery and development of the gifts God has given to enable each of us to fulfil God’s purposes, and how to do so in harmony with all the other gifts within each local church. If we get that right then effectiveness in mission will inevitably follow.

Rev’d Barry Osborne heads up theRural Evangelism Network in which representatives of the Churches and mission agencies working in rural areas, share insight and experience, and encourage good practice in rural mission.