Rural Mission Solutions

Supporting Rural Churches in their Mission

Who We Are

Rural Mission Solutions is a Christian charity that specialises in serving rural churches throughout the UK, providing encouragement and support to enable them to engage with their local communities to express God's love and share the good news. We have a wealth of experience to ensure that strategies are  culturally relevant, appropriate and effective. 


Our Dream

Our 'dream' is to see visible, vibrant, credible and caring Christian communities in every village.  This might well be the local village church, or an informal group of Christians drawn from the local churches.  They will be people engaged with and in their local village, and with a heart to serve the wider  community, rather than self-interest.  Their mission will be to show God's love for all and to share the life-changing good news of Jesus Christ.


The Signpost Logo

Our logo emphasises that there is more than one way to engage in mission, just as there are no two villages or village churches that are the same.  Our many years of wide experience is helpful to those that want to discover the most appropriate and effective pathways of mission.

What we do

Tailored Mission Solutions

The most sustainable strategies are those designed by the local church for themselves. 

We offer  a gentle process that can be delivered in an Away-Day or a series of online coaching leading to bespoke programmes that fit and suit each church.

Mission Can

Be Fun!

Mission can seem difficult to some churches.  It is all too easy to say "We are too small" or "We don't have the resources".  But we have proved that mission can be fun.

We believe God has already given us all we need to do what he is asking us to do at this time.  Realise and release resources through 'Mission Can Be Fun'

Resources for Mission

Rural Mission Solutions has put together a library of mission and outreach resources to support village churches including:


Networking & Online Forums

Rural ministry can sometimes feel isolated.

We host regular Rural Churches Online Mission Forums

Local networking offers encouragement and the opportunity to share experiences and learn from one another.

 We also offer participation in the national Rural Evangelism Network



A Wealth of Experience

Following 25 years of highly successful short-term evangelistic outreaches around the country in a related organisation, the founders of Rural Mission Solutions (formerly Rural Sunrise) introduced a new paradigm for rural mission. Read our fascinating back story here.


Drawing on that previous experience but combining it with the latest effective methods that secular organisations were using to breathe new life into businesses, and ensuring that everything was founded on theological principles, we set about the task to help village churches become more missional in ethos and practice. 


Today, mission activity has been combined with many years of settled pastoral ministry in rural churches, adding a valuable dimension to the broad experience out of which we can help others who want their church to be good news to their local community.

Meet the team and more about Rural Mission Solutions

How we work and can help small churches


We offer a process that is interactive, designed to suit each local situation and  led by an experienced facilitator. Most importantly, we start by carefully and prayerfully listening to understand your current situation, looking at your strengths and weaknesses and then we explore what resources your church might already have. It is important that as many church members participate and actively support the process, which then involves generating ideas and determines the most appropriate course of action. This is followed by implementing that plan into action and then evaluating it's success. Once this has been completed, the final step is to repeat the cycle again without losing momentum.


Our consultations and Individually tailored mission solutions for small churches are free!


There is nothing to lose! We are well aware of how most village churches are under-resourced, and as our heart is to encourage small village churches, we offer a free initial consultation and then subsequently we might charge for essential expenses (e.g. travel).  The charity is funded entirely by donations from individuals and churches.  No appeal for financial support is made.


To find out more, please use contact us below.

Why Village Churches?


Villages vary enormously, by size, shape, and social characteristics. While there are many that have lived in rural areas for many years, many people have moved from towns and cities, choosing to live in the countryside. In the process incomers have changed the nature of many of the UK's villages. They have also often displaced indigenous rural people who now find they cannot afford to live in the countryside.


Over recent years many villages have lost amenities, including schools, shops, pubs and post offices. While the UK's villages have generally become more affluent there is a lot of hidden poverty and deprivation.


Many urban dwellers still have an image of the countryside that is largely a mythical idyll. Whilst there are villages with pretty thatched cottages, some villages are agricultural whilst others are industrial.


Some villages have grown up around a fishing industry while others around other industries such as mining.

Rural communities tend to be small with a complex mix of social types with differing values and beliefs.


All our villages are served by at least one church, though today it might very well not have a service every Sunday. Sadly, thousands of non-conformist chapels closed during the latter half of the twentieth century the church, though village life is a valued part of rural life. Church attendance, as a percentage of the population, is higher than in urban areas, and a recent government survey revealed that 70% of social capital in rural areas is provided through the churches.

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