Despite the tough economy, many churches are still finding ways to keep people coming. It's 50 miles from Columbia to Holliday, four miles from Holliday to Madison, and fifty long miles home for David Holmes, a self-proclaimed circuit minister.

"I think about the people who were circuit riders on the horses, how they used to get around, how long it would take them," Holmes said.

Holmes drives from church to church on Sundays. Two sermons in two towns, all to help the people stay connected with their faith.

"They probably couldn't do it if they weren't yoked together," Holmes said.

"When you have such a small membership, you know, it gets harder and harder to make ends meet," Paula Delaney, a Madison congregation member, said.

"Their position as far as finances and congregations are similar. They're a little bigger than we are but neither of us can afford a full time minister for each church," Guy Callison, a Holliday congregation member, said.

So Holmes drives from his house in Columbia to Holliday for the 9:30 a.m. service, then hops in his truck to get to Madison for service at 11:00 a.m. Holmes didn't always make the trek every week. He started off as a fill in at the pulpit, but didn't think he could do it full time.

"At that point we did a search for a permanent minister and after a few weeks or months of looking, he applied for the job, and the rest is history," Callison said.

"We were just so fortunate that he was interested in these small communities," Delaney said.

"We provide a place for him to stay when he's up here for a couple of nights a week, which makes it handy," Callison said.

Handy for Holmes to play a bigger role in the community.

"It helps people feel like I am more a part of the community, which is what I really want. Even though I don't live here all the time, I'm up here two and a half, three days a week," Holmes said.

"He knows so many people in the community, even outside of our churches. Whenever he's here and here to stay he may go to the ball game, he may go to Casey's, hang out at the local cafe, so he is acquainted with our community and we feel like he is part of our community," Delaney said.

Holmes' role in the community strengthens their faith as well as his own. Holmes says he won't be moving to Madison or Holliday any time soon because of his family's ties to Columbia. But, he plans on continuing his sermons in the two towns for as long as he can.

When Holmes isn't behind the pulpit, he also works on small home construction jobs and pilots hot air balloons.