Connect Church

Connect Church is sponsored by NC Rural Center. The Connect Church program by the NC Rural Center provides coaching, resources, and grant assistance to North Carolina churches to increase community engagement.

Connect Church - NC Rural Center The NC Rural Center Connect Church program has worked since 2018 with over 100 North Carolina churches to increase community engagement through coaching, resources, and grant assistance. Run by the Center's Faith in Rural Communities team, Connect Church offers churches the unique opportunity to identify the assets they already have to help address current community issues.

Connect Church programmatic work is completed by church teams comprised of six to 10 church members ready to lead their church’s local missional engagement.

Alongside a Rural Center coach, church teams work through our Connect Church curriculum to help their churches: Define and discover their own unique resources Understand trends and opportunities in their larger community, and What Connect Church Offers Monthly coaching for a team of church leaders for one year Directly learning from our Faith in Rural Communities team, which has worked with 100+ North Carolina churches Networking with other cohort churches asking the same questions A grant up to $10,000 for eligible churches to launch a new or expanded missional engagement project 2027 Connect Church Cohort Applications Open July 1 Applications will be accepted for the 2027 North Carolina cohort of Connect Church from July 1 to July 31, 2026 .

Upon program completion, churches may apply for a grant of up to $10,000 to launch a new or expanded missional engagement project. This offer, worth $25,000 in coaching and resources, is available for free thanks to generous funding from our partners.

2027 Cohort Program Timeline July 1 - July 31 : Connect Church applications open September-October : Site visits for selected church teams November : Connect Church cohort notified January : Connect Church orientation event (Raleigh) February : Monthly coaching sessions begin March : Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising (Raleigh) June/July : Regional gatherings (East/West) November : “Friendly Shark Tank” celebration gathering (Raleigh) December : Grant applications due Celebrating the opening of the Western Rockingham Ministry Center.

Creating a Place Where Everyone Is Welcome An unassuming two-story brick building with a sign above the entrance for the Western Rockingham Ministry Center sits facing downtown Madison. On one floor, a local ministry provides food, emergency utility assistance, and emergency medical supplies. On another floor, Connect Church has helped unlock a dream and a larger vision for the future of western Rockingham County.

“My big dream is to make the church a friendly, warm place where people can come and feel included and feel wanted and know the love of Jesus. A place where everyone is welcome. ” The Rev.

Tracy Schumpert, Western Rockingham Ministry Center Dr. Heather Kilbourne View Biography Senior Director of Faith in Rural Communities Senior Director of Faith in Rural Communities hkilbourne@ncruralcenter. org Dr. Heather Kilbourne is the director of Faith in Rural Communities. She grew up surrounded by the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in Marion.

She previously pastored United Methodist churches in rural towns and communities including Hamptonville, Morganton, and Statesville. Prior to becoming a minister, she worked as a nonprofit administrator for Family Services Center and Teach For America. Dr. Kilbourne has always felt a calling to serve marginalized families and communities.

She assisted in starting three Circles communities, a program to help families out of poverty by building relationships across class barriers and increasing individual social capital. She is a former Bridges Out of Poverty trainer. She holds her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina-Asheville, a master’s of divinity, and a doctorate in ministry from Candler School of Theology at Emory University.

In her free time she enjoys hiking, reading, and walking her dog, Hanna. Hamid Kamara View Biography Faith in Rural Communities Senior Program Manager Faith in Rural Communities Senior Program Manager Hamid, a native of Eden, is an accomplished academic and community leader.

He holds a bachelor of arts in chemistry from Fayetteville State University and a master’s in curriculum and instruction with a minor in STEM from Concordia University. Currently, he is pursuing a doctorate of ministry degree at Virginia University of Lynchburg. Hamid also serves as the senior pastor of Bluestone Missionary Baptist Church in Pelham.

With a decade of experience in education, Hamid has now joined the NC Rural Center as the program manager for Faith in Rural Communities. He is also a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Morgan Talton View Biography Church Engagement Specialist Biscuit Enthusiast. Joyful Gardener.

Amateur Runner. Eastern NC BBQ Aficionado. Biscuit Enthusiast.

Joyful Gardener. Amateur Runner. Eastern NC BBQ Aficionado.

Church Engagement Specialist Morgan is the church engagement specialist for the Faith in Rural Communities team. She holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and religion from Winthrop University and a master’s of divinity degree from Duke University. She is passionate about community engagement and empowering people to share their stories as a means of connection.

She is sure life’s mundane ins and outs are inherently meaningful. Pulling weeds in a garden, washing dirty dishes after a meal, and other ordinary tasks are all opportunities for us to grow closer to one another. Morgan grew up along the South Carolina coast and is now grateful to call North Carolina her home.

In her spare time, Morgan enjoys traveling, exploring new restaurants, playing with her Golden Retriever, and spending time with family and friends.