Church attendances are down. Smaller churches are doing it tough. What’s a smaller or average-sized church to do?
Easiest is to try to do the same, just a little better. But if you’re really desperate, try something completely different.
Likewise, if you want to start a new church, maybe throw away your mental picture and do something that fits the culture and needs of the area you’re in. It may not look at all like “church”, but it just may work.
That’s the idea behind Fresh Expressions. Read about it (below) or jump to some examples.
Fresh Expressions UK
Fresh Expressions started 20 years ago as a new church movement in England. Recognising the growing gap between contemporary cultures and the traditional church, several denominations saw the need for something different. They were inspired by a number of experiments already occurring, some running for more than decade.
The Fresh Expressions organisation aims at equipping ordinary people to form new Christian communities which will be “primarily for the benefit of people who are not yet members of any church“.
There are four core values:
- Contextual: culturally appropriate to the local people.
- Missional: aimed at people who don’t currently attend church.
- Ecclesial: it is a church in itself, not a halfway house to “real church”.
- Formational: aimed at making disciples, not just attendance.
Some Fresh Expessions churches are associated with regular churches while others are totally new. Some meet in church buildings, but others meet in cafes, pubs or other public places.
One of the best known types of Fresh Expressions is Messy Church, specifically aimed at families with children. It generally includes creative activities suitable for all ages, a meal and celebration.
Fresh Expressions process
Unlike some other church planting moves, Fresh Expressions don’t start by sending a team to a new location to start a worship service and invite people along. Instead the process is more organic and grows out of the community around about.
How many?
Accurate statistics on Fresh Expressions churches are difficult to obtain. But it seems that there are thousands of English Fresh Expression churches (estimates vary wildly) with more than 50,000 people part of one of them. A large number of attendees are young
Fresh Expressions worldwide
The Fresh Expressions movement took off in the US in 2010. It has similar aims, to be an appropriate Christian community for those who won’t or don’t attend regular church. The US Fresh Expressions movement offers conferences, training courses, podcasts and resource material. One popular type of Fresh Expressions in the US is Dinner Church, where people share in some of the normal activities of a regular church service, but informally around a meal.
There are also Fresh Expressions in Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland.
Examples
In the following examples, the photos are links to further information.
57 West
When an attempt to set up a Christian community in a coffee shop in southeast England didn’t work out, God brought along a bunch of rough sleepers. 57 West has become a place for community to grow, to hear about Jesus and be transformed by Him. Services are on Saturdays, and include a meal, sharing of Christian faith through life experiences, and a smoking break.
Community dinners in Seattle
With their 90-year old church slowly dying, the pastors decided to try something different. A meal, music and a message. It was so successful that now the church has evolved into ten dinner churches meeting all over Seattle, and mostly attended by people who previously had little or no church connection. The churches talk about inspiring topics, build low-income housing, and help people back to a meaningful and sustainable life. There are dozens of Dinner Churches in the US.
Thirst, Cambridge, UK
Mums with school age kids get together on Friday mornings to pray for their school. More people join in. Realising (and sympathising) that many people don’t enjoy what conventional church entailed (sitting on hard pews, being talked at, not knowing how to behave) they begin to meet in other ways. Friday meetings with coffee and pastries, stories of God at working in people’s lives, times of creative reflection, discussing Rob Bell Nooma videos, sharing bread & wine. And there’s Tuesday Bible study.
Thirst is inclusive, mostly led by women, not attached to a church (though recognised by the Church of England) and sees many people belong before they believe. The leaders believe it is important to listen to the people in their community.
Messy church
There are almost 1,700 Messy Churches around the world. They are designed for families. The photos may look like children’s craft events, but the organisers are firm they are a form of church which caters for all ages (adults and children); Jesus and the Bible are encountered through story, creative activity, celebration and community; and community is expressed via a meal.
Sunday Active
A church in a new urban area in southeast England has started this Sunday group which meets first for exercise (a run, a walk, or interval training), some kids’ activities, a light breakfast, then an interactive presentation on an aspect of spiritual health. There is also a weekly coffee morning where new friendships are developed, and a home group which includes worship, prayer and teaching.
Gateways Christian Fellowship
Gateways Fellowship in Berwick-on-Tweed (on the England-Scotland border) grew out of the local church recognition that few children, teens and young families were attending church. Now a monthly lay-led gathering oriented towards young families includes prayer, Bible, singing and a meal with a relaxed community feel. Another monthly meeting takes things a little deeper, and there is a small group for those who want to go deeper still.
Read more
Photos: Main photo: 57 West (Fresh Expressions). Diagram (Fresh Expressions). Example photos: 57 West, Seattle Dinner Church, Thirst, Messy Church, Sunday Active, Gateways.
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