My wife, Roxy, and I both grew up in Phoenix. After agreeing to candidate in a country church near Brewster, Nebraska, we went clothes shopping so we could blend in better with the natives.

I'd heard Brewster was ranch country. Ranches made me think of cattle. Cattle made me think of cowboys. And cowboys made me think of boots. So I figured I should buy a pair of boots. Checking out different styles, I discovered boots came with rounded or pointed toes. Since I'd always worn shoes with rounded toes, pointed boots seemed extreme to me. So, I bought a pair of rounded boots.

When Roxy and I found ourselves candidating in Brewster, sure enough, I was right. Sort of. There wasn't a men's dress shoe in the entire church. But I sported the only pair of rounded-toe boots.

This city boy had a lot of adjusting to do when he moved to a rural pastorate. And since approximately 40 percent of rural pastors are from the city, I suspect I'm not alone. Here were some of the cultural adjustments I had to make ...