The featured speakers were Diana Stephen, the PC(USA)'s associate for network support of small and rural churches, and Phil Tom, associate for urban ministry.

"Are you willing to engage in vital ministry? Do you want to get well?" Stephen asked her listeners, mostly pastors and members of small churches. "Vitality doesn't simply happen."

Stephen said she was impressed recently when a pastor told her his small church was involved in a building program when a member asked, "Wouldn't it be wonderful to put this much energy into mission?"

"And they did," she said - while continuing with the building project.

Unlike some other churches in areas of declining population, she said, they weren't satisfied with just trying to survive.

"One good thing about small churches," Tom said. "We're good at loving each other. So when you look out at the congregation on Sunday, you know who is not there."

Tom told the story of a rural congregation in a declining community of about 2,000 people, and had only 16 coming for worship.