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RCITI's Origin
The
Rural Communities in Transition Initiative is a partnership
between the Burlington district of the United Methodist Church, Rural
Advancement Foundation International-USA (RAFI), and other service
providers to respond to the needs of rural clergy within the Burlington
district in a way that provides a model for other districts.
RCITI’s Mission
Rural Communities in
Transition Initiative is helping
rural pastors discern and respond to the needs of rural communities in
transition, connecting them with the resources they need to honor the
past, face the present realities and move forward with hope, embracing
the best of both the old and the new. RCITI will do this by providing
resources and educational seminars in areas such as mental health,
economics, job retraining, viable farming strategies, bridging
cultural divides, and support to individual pastors.
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Objectives
During the period of this grant,
RCITI will develop
curricula and resources to address the needs stated by rural clergy
focus groups. Some of the primary issues are:
1. How
do we support individual clergy in their ministry to their communities?
2. How
do we help clergy respond to the needs of the individual parishioner in
changing times?
3. How
do we assist the congregation in moving through this transition as a
Christian community?
4. How
do we address the structural issues that lay behind these changes?
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“Praise the Lord, O my soul. He
waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by
the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants
for man to cultivate- bringing forth food from the earth…”
Psalm 104:1,13-14
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