It started with a simple question. What’s next?
For Justin Ruble, that answer didn’t look like another church building. It looked like a tent.
Ruble, who spent about eight years pastoring near Lebanon, said he felt called to step away and try something different. That led to Exodus Ministry, a traveling effort built around tent revivals, public gatherings, and handing out Bibles.
You may have seen them recently at the Cherry Blossom Festival on the square. Tucked in among food vendors and craft booths, they were doing what they always do. Talking with people. Praying. Sharing their message.
Ruble describes the goal in pretty plain terms. Reach people who may not be connected to a church. But also, he says, help “revive” the church itself. In his view, when a church is strong and active, it naturally reaches more people.
Where they go next isn’t mapped out months in advance. It’s more of a wait-and-see approach. Ruble says they pray about locations and follow what feels right. Most of their work has been around the Ozarks, but they’ve traveled as far as Tennessee and parts of the Midwest.
As for labels, he doesn’t spend much time on them. His background crosses several denominations, and he admits it’s hard to fit into one box. He laughs about it, saying they’re a little bit of everything.
What matters more, he says, is the work itself.
That includes inviting others to take part. Some help with events. Others just show up and support in different ways. Ruble says anyone interested can reach out through their website or social media.
At the heart of it, his message stays close to home.
There’s a lot of talk about mission work overseas, and he supports that. But he also believes people sometimes overlook the needs right in front of them. The neighbor down the street. The family across town.
For Ruble, that’s where the focus should be, too.
