Are fresh expressions proper church?Are fresh expressions proper church?

•what is at the heart of church?what is at the heart of church?•what must always happen in church?what must always happen in church?•what can change?what can change?•how can we preserve our identity?how can we preserve our identity?

SHARE websiteSHARE website

•Distill the essentials of the churchDistill the essentials of the church•Describe the richness of the churchDescribe the richness of the church•Discern and define the presence of Discern and define the presence of the churchthe church•Derive the practices of the churchDerive the practices of the church•Develop the maturity of the churchDevelop the maturity of the church

EcclesiologyEcclesiology

Holy

“UP”

Apostolic“OUT”Catholic “OF”

“IN”

One

Enduring Marks

Four linkedJourneys

Jesus focusJesus followers

Church is any expression of the

life of Jesus in communal form

OHCA

A fresh expression is a church plant or a new A fresh expression is a church plant or a new congregation. It is not a new way to reach peoplecongregation. It is not a new way to reach people

and add them to an existing congregation. It is notand add them to an existing congregation. It is notan old outreach with a new name. (rebrand) Nor isan old outreach with a new name. (rebrand) Nor isit a half way house, which people belong to for a it a half way house, which people belong to for a

while, on their way into Christian faith, before while, on their way into Christian faith, before crossing over to ‘proper church.’ crossing over to ‘proper church.’

This is proper church.’This is proper church.’

Graham Cray. Graham Cray. An Introduction to fresh expressionsAn Introduction to fresh expressions

‘ ‘ What then are the marks of the church in a What then are the marks of the church in a post modern culture, that is , post modern culture, that is ,

of an emerging churchof an emerging church

‘‘The traditional church must recognise that muchThe traditional church must recognise that muchof what we recognise as traditional today was itselfof what we recognise as traditional today was itself

once revolutionary and even ‘emerging’ and once revolutionary and even ‘emerging’ and therefore to be open to today’s creative thinking.therefore to be open to today’s creative thinking.The latter should be wary of loving newness for The latter should be wary of loving newness for

newness’ sake.newness’ sake.

Learning ChurchLearning Church related to the apostlesrelated to the apostles

•biblical and contemporarybiblical and contemporary•authorative and tentativeauthorative and tentative•prophetic and pastoralprophetic and pastoral•gifted and studiedgifted and studied

Caring ChurchCaring Church related to each other related to each other

•share in togethershare in together•share out togethershare out together•share with each othershare with each other

Worshipping ChurchWorshipping Church related to God related to God

•biblicalbiblical•congregationalcongregational•spiritualspiritual•moralmoral

Evangelising Evangelising related to world outsiderelated to world outside

•understand identity and vocationunderstand identity and vocation•message which is revealed and contextualmessage which is revealed and contextual•church must be itself- community of lovechurch must be itself- community of love•fidelity to scripture and sensitive to peoplefidelity to scripture and sensitive to people

The challenge of fresh expressionsThe challenge of fresh expressionsto ecclesiology- reflections from the to ecclesiology- reflections from the

practice of Messy Church.practice of Messy Church.

Claire Watkins and Bridget ShepherdClaire Watkins and Bridget Shepherd

Can a community not centred Can a community not centred around personal faith, around personal faith,

the Eucharist or Sundaythe Eucharist or Sunday worship be church?worship be church?

‘ ‘ Through true hospitality and creativity, Through true hospitality and creativity, those who come move from being clients for those who come move from being clients for

whom we provide . They become guestswhom we provide . They become guestsfor whom we care. They also become co-creatorsfor whom we care. They also become co-creators

with whom we are partners.In the end, even with whom we are partners.In the end, even the distinction between host and guest dissolvesthe distinction between host and guest dissolves

and so all age, Christ centre community emerges.and so all age, Christ centre community emerges.

Lucy MooreLucy Moore

•strong theme of communitystrong theme of community

•church to the unknown Godchurch to the unknown God

•church litechurch lite

‘‘Is Messy Church an appropriate environmentIs Messy Church an appropriate environmentfor people to learn the life of faith, if they for people to learn the life of faith, if they

are wanting or willing to learn?’are wanting or willing to learn?’

•communitycommunity•community and or communioncommunity and or communion•ecclesiological overflowecclesiological overflow•contextual-cultural assumptionscontextual-cultural assumptions•reality of church which resists the reality of church which resists the setting of clear boundaries /setting of clear boundaries / simple identificationssimple identifications•journey into discipleshipjourney into discipleship

‘ ‘ a place of the outpouring of grace and thea place of the outpouring of grace and theSpirit in ways appropriate to the people Spirit in ways appropriate to the people

present ,with all their personal and culturalpresent ,with all their personal and culturalparticularities, a place of encounter with theparticularities, a place of encounter with the

Risen Lord whether or not all recognise Him.’Risen Lord whether or not all recognise Him.’

Messy church offers hospitalityMessy church offers hospitalityIt offers opportunities to experience It offers opportunities to experience

community and communion with Christ.community and communion with Christ.

A stretched notion of church.A stretched notion of church.‘ ‘ It is a place where the body of Christ is It is a place where the body of Christ is offered on behalf of others, an offering offered on behalf of others, an offering

through which the body of Christ can be through which the body of Christ can be encountered and known.’encountered and known.’

Two structures of God’sTwo structures of God’s redemptive missionredemptive mission

Ralph D WinterRalph D Winter

New Testament Church New Testament Church created along synagogue lines embracing the created along synagogue lines embracing the community of the faithful in any given placecommunity of the faithful in any given place

Missionary bandMissionary bandsemi autonomous group of committed workerssemi autonomous group of committed workerswho affiliate themselves as a second decisionwho affiliate themselves as a second decisionbeyond membership in the first structurebeyond membership in the first structure

Modality Modality is a structured, complex and is a structured, complex and diverse fellowship in which there is no diverse fellowship in which there is no distinction of sex, age, wealth, culturedistinction of sex, age, wealth, culture

Emphasis on nurture and fellowship, stable Emphasis on nurture and fellowship, stable with relatively low demandswith relatively low demands

Sodality Sodality is a structured fellowship in is a structured fellowship in which membership involves a second which membership involves a second decision beyond modality membershipdecision beyond modality membershipand is limited in some way.and is limited in some way.

Often dedicated to one task,it is deeply Often dedicated to one task,it is deeply relational and task orientated.relational and task orientated.

•both structures are churchboth structures are church•missional energy tends to be in sodalitymissional energy tends to be in sodality•assume modalities need to be establishedassume modalities need to be established rather than mission sodalitiesrather than mission sodalities•which structure is best suited for church plantingwhich structure is best suited for church planting•if the modality is doing its job should be more if the modality is doing its job should be more sodalitiessodalities

Homogeneous Unit PrincipleHomogeneous Unit Principle

HU is ‘a section of society in which all membersHU is ‘a section of society in which all membershave some characteristic in common.’have some characteristic in common.’

people like to become Christians without crossing ,people like to become Christians without crossing ,racial, linguistic or class barriers.racial, linguistic or class barriers.

•riches of cultural diversityriches of cultural diversity each church should be rooted in the soil of its local cultureeach church should be rooted in the soil of its local culture

• unity of the churchunity of the church how express the unity of the body. Single new humanityhow express the unity of the body. Single new humanity

•a HU cannot be complete in itselfa HU cannot be complete in itself•balance need to evangelise and livebalance need to evangelise and live in love and justicein love and justice•relation to local culture-idolatrous /self centredrelation to local culture-idolatrous /self centred•what binds might be evilwhat binds might be evil•realist attituderealist attitude•cheap grace or ask too muchcheap grace or ask too much•church as sign of eschatological hopechurch as sign of eschatological hope