Faith in Rural Communities

Our vision is to build socially dynamic and economically vibrant rural faith communities across every town and crossroads in North Carolina.

We believe what is needed for rural churches and communities to thrive and prosper is already there. So, through Connect Coaching, we locate the powerful intersection between church assets and community opportunities.

CONNECT Coaching

Connect increases community engagement through coaching, resources, and grant assistance. Participating churches create a team of 6-8 church members who are ready to lead their church’s local missional engagement. These teams meet monthly with a Rural Center coach. The program assists the church in determining their resources, understanding the trends and opportunities in the larger community, and developing a strategic plan for increasing their impact outside the walls of the church.

We are now accepting applications for our 2024 cohort of Connect Church!

The deadline to apply is September 30, 2023 and faith communities will be notified of their acceptance by November 30, 2023.

Click here to apply!

Through partnership with The Duke Endowment, Faith in Rural Communities works with churches from the mountains to the sea of North Carolina. We have worked in over thirty counties in the state. This program is provided free to rural United Methodist Churches through a grant from The Duke Endowment. Scholarships are available to other denominations.

What We Offer

• Monthly coaching for a team of church leaders
• Assistance in understanding the community’s and the church’s assets
• Networking with other churches asking the same questions
• A grant up to $10,000 for Duke Endowment eligible churches to launch a new or expanded missional engagement project

If you have any questions about the program or application, contact Darren Crotts at dcrotts@ncruralcenter.org.

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