Welcome to Rural Mission Sunday 2026

Thank you for registering.

This year, our focus is on Thankfulness for those in our Rural Communities. Together, we want to look closely at our villages, hamlets, and valleys to recognise and celebrate the “Hidden Rural Saints” or “Unsung Rural Stars” who quietly keep our communities alive.

From the farmers working the land to the local shopkeepers, volunteers, and neighbours who watch out for one another, rural life thrives because of these unsung individuals. We invite your church and wider community to use this day – Sunday 12 July 2026 – as an opportunity to say a tangible, heartfelt ‘thank you’.

Below, you will find a range of resources that will be helpful to plan your service, host community events, and share stories of gratitude. From our fully downloadable resource pack to thank you cards that you can buy from us to send, we hope these materials inspire deep connection and celebration both within and beyond your church walls.

Downloads

CLICK HERE: Main material

Ideas and resources for a service to mark Rural Mission Sunday in your church and community, including prayers and practical hints and tips on thanking the unsung stars of our communities!

CLICK HERE: Supplementary material

Additional prayers and an discussion starter

Promotional material

Poster and invitation templates for you to use to promote your event

A6 postcard portrait

A6 invite with space

A4 poster

A4 poster with space

A3 poster

A3 poster with space

‘Welcome’ postcard

We will be posting Rural Mission Sunday updates on The Arthur Rank Centre Facebook page so like and follow to stay in touch!

A Prayer for Rural Mission Sunday 2026

Creator God,
You are the Lord of the harvest,
and your presence is woven into the changing seasons
and the quiet rhythms of our countryside.

Today, we open our hearts in thankfulness
for the communities in which we live, work, and worship.

We praise you for the beauty of the earth,
for the fields that feed us, and for the life that thrives
in our villages and rural spaces.

We give you profound thanks for the “hidden saints” among us –
those whose steady, quiet service keeps our communities alive.

We pray for our farmers, working the land in all weathers;
for our volunteers and community organisers, who give freely of their time;
for local shopkeepers, post offices, and service providers;
and for the neighbours who watch out for the lonely and vulnerable.
Though their work may often go unnoticed by the world,
we know it is seen and valued by you.

Grant us, Lord, eyes to see these gifts of grace in one another.
Strengthen our rural churches to be places of genuine welcome,
hubs of support, and channels of your hospitable love.
Help us to look beyond our own walls,
connecting deeply with our wider communities,
that we might share your hope and walk together in gratitude.

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, the true vine who sustains us all.

Amen.