Course Dates:
January 20 – February 28, 2025
Pre-requisites for this class are IFDC910 & IFDC920
Need the password? Contact us
This class takes a drive down the backroads of our rural communities, exploring cultural, social, economic, and spiritual realities present in rural communities. Special attention is given to the need to explore the needs of the community and how rural ministries can help. Learners will leave this course with fresh resources for how a church might best connect with these needs.
In addition to Blackboard interactions, 1 required Zoom meeting will be held weekly on a day and time determined by the class and instructor. The meeting will be recorded.
Learners are required to have the following books for this class:
- Rural People and Communities in the 21st Century: Resilience and Transformation (2nd edition), by David L. Brown & Kai A. Schafft
- The Forgotten Church: Why Rural Ministry Matters for Every Church in America, by Glenn Daman
This course is eligible for 3.0 CEU.
Quick Info:
Number of weeks: 6
Price: $125
CEUs: 3.0
Required books?: Yes
Live video session?: Yes, required
Part of a certification or series of courses?: Yes (IFD Certification in Rural Ministry)
Pre-requisites for this class are IFDC910 & IFDC920
Need the password? Contact us
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Sandi Perl has extensive experience with rural ministry, in addition to decades of academic training. She has lived in rural upstate New York all her life, and “big” churches in her community routinely have fewer than 250 persons in attendance. As a Licensed Local Minister in the United Methodist Church, she served 15 years in rural ministry before her retirement in 2022. In addition to bachelor’s degrees in social work and in management, Sandy has earned a master’s degree in education, a master’s degree in divinity, and a Doctor of Ministry degree.
Past Students Said…
“I found the Zoom portion of the course to be of significant value. Face-to-face exchanging ideas and comments is much more enlightening than reading a post and trying to figure out exactly what was meant.”
