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Society in Britain and around the world has changed dramatically in the last 30 years, especially in terms of our understanding of community and how we relate to one another. One of the responses of the “Church“ (Church of England) has been to plant new churches and create fresh expressions of church; churches that relate to our changing context. The Fresh Expressions initiative has been part of Archbishop Rowan Williams’ vision to create a ‘mixed economy church’ of traditional congregations alongside new expressions of church life

There are no experts when it comes to starting and sustaining fresh expressions of church. No one has really been doing it long enough yet to claim to know it all. But we can learn from one another. Having looked at the idea of a ”Missional“ church, it’s also good to read and look at how others are doing it in practice. Of course not all are calling it ”Missional“, and using all their principles, but what is important is that there are people out there trying to change the church so that it remains relevant to the cultural context of the community.

What is important as we search for new expressions of worship/church, or as we seek to be relevant to those around, is that we never change the story, or message of the gospel. It can be easy, as we desire to change, to take on patterns of the world. Where we let the culture convert and conform us instead of the message of Jesus, converting and changing us and others!!

Take a look at the Fresh Expressions website and explore some of the stories, look for principles and values rather than simply models to take off the shelf and follow.
Click here for Fresh Expressions stories

Take a look also at this video about Fresh Expressions, shown on BBC 1 TV program “Songs of Praise”

AND THIS ONE ON THE SKATEBOARD CHURCH: LEGACY XS

Related posts:

1. A new way of doing church?
2. Description of A Missonal Church
3. What the Missional Church Looks like
4. The Missional Church – What it is NOT!
5. Michael Frost on the Missional Church