A New World Needs a New Church

It's hard to describe exactly what season the rural and coastal church is in right now. But one thing is clear: the season has changed. And so has the world around us. One missional author put it simply: "If you have a new world, you need a new church. You have a new world!" 

Not long ago, Presbyteries were mostly made up of congregations with their own ministers. That's no longer true in most rural and coastal areas. Today, there are very few ministers in these communities. In their place, we have something just as valuable: strong, capable lay leaders. But the wider church hasn't always kept up with this shift. In many ways, it still expects things to work the way they used to, even though the season has clearly moved on. 

This new season asks something of us. It asks us to stop overloading our lay leaders with endless meetings. It asks us to stop expecting them to simply repeat what ministry looked like in the past. It asks us to make sure our training and education actually reflect the reality of ministry today. And it asks us to think practically about how we support and encourage lay leaders in whatever gifts they bring. 

Some of the best moments in Saltbush's work happen at our gatherings, retreats, and simple visits with congregations. We sit with people from all over the state, listen to their stories, and share in Christian community together. But almost every time, we hear the same thing underneath those stories: weariness. Burden. 

It's worth sitting with these words from the Gospel of Matthew: "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." These words are hard to live out fully, especially when the very church meant to offer that rest is sometimes the one placing the burden in the first place. 

Our lay leaders often hold their whole church community together. With so few ministers around, Presbyteries rely on them heavily. In their towns, they're often seen as the face of the church, the presence that shows up in times of struggle and pain. They support others through faith, through hardship, through everyday human need, often without much support themselves. 

Over the past couple of months, Saltbush has held gatherings in Lake Cargelligo and Gloucester, and a Lay Leader's Retreat at Galong. People travelled from every corner of NSW to be part of them. These were times full of warmth and encouragement, but also honesty, people spoke openly about the weight of expectation, the distractions they carry, and the seasons of change they're living through. 

At Saltbush, our core purpose is simple: to walk alongside our lay leaders, wherever they are and however many (or few) of them there are, and to keep exploring what faith and Christian community can look like today. 

We're deeply thankful for the time we've shared with communities over these past months, and we're already looking forward to the years of ministry and encouragement still ahead.