Fresh Expressions of Church: A Reimagining of Community

1. http://davemale.typepad.com/churchunplugged/

2. Fresh Expressions of Church The problem is we have too many churches, the solution is we need a whole lot more.

3. My story

4. Published in 2004. Over 30,000 copies sold. Huge influence in UK. Ecumenical, across the denominations, FX organisation. Worldwide influence, third FX Conference in South Africa in 2016

5. Definitions A fresh expression is a form of church for our changing culture established primarily for the benefit of people who are not yet members of any church. ‘the birth and growth of Christian communities that serve people mainly outside the church, belong to their culture, make discipleship a priority and form a new church among the people they serve.’ M. Moynagh, Church for Every Context, introduction p x.

6. This is not new but fresh

7. The Mixed Economy both-and continue to grow and develop the church as it is establish fresh expressions of church

8. Some tributaries of the present situation • 1960’s discussions , little congregations • WCC, Lesslie Newbigin, John Taylor, David Wasdell etc • 2. Charismatic renewal movement • 3.Church Planting. • Breaking New Ground, 1984,Dawn 2000. • 4. Theology of mission, Missio Dei, David Bosch etc • and Five Marks of Mission. • 5. Churches Missionary Activity • of the Second Vatican Council • 6. Gospel and culture network. Contextualisation • 7. Missionary leaders. • Vincent Donovan, Roland Allen, Donald McGavran

9. Seeing in a New Way Know how to see

10. “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” Marcel Proust

11. A missional re-engagement with society

12. 2007 Tear Fund survey of 7000 adults in contact or not with church

13. “While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed to see that the city was full of idols.” Acts 17 v 16 “ this majority (66%) presents a major challenge to churches. Most of them are unreceptive and closed to attending church; churchgoing is simply not on their agenda.” Churchgoing in the UK. A research report from Tearfund. April 2007

14. Playing Away

15. A re-imagination of what church is (and could become)

16. “ the theological doctrine of the church cannot be simply expressed in abstract terms about the churches timeless nature. It will have to provide points of departure for reforming the church, for giving it a more authentic form. Faithfulness and the fresh start are not antitheses in the history of the Spirit.” Jurgen Moltmann, The Church in the Power of the Spirit

17. A re-orientation towards whole life discipleship.

18. New monasticism • Missional and radical communities • ‘discipleship movement shaped • for mission.’ • Simple church movement

19. Church Growth Research Project Report on Strand 3b An analysis of fresh expressions of Church and church plants begun in the period 1992‐2012 10 Dioceses surveyed. Liverpool, Canterbury, Leicester, Derby, Norwich,Chelmsford, Ripon, Blackburn, Bristol, Portsmouth.1000 fxc put forward, 518 made criteria. https://www.freshexpressions.org.uk/research

20. Headlines On average 10% of church attendance 15% of church communities. In 7 out of 10 dioceses it reversed the decline in average weekly church attendance 20 different models of FX & across socio-economic groups. 75% people outside church, 40% unchurched, 35% dechurched 5820 team sent out, 20,863 now attending. 250% growth rate. ‘ Nothing else in the CofE has this level of missional impact and adding further ecclesial communities.’ 40% started in 2010-2012

21. 20 types of fxc- most common are Messy Churches, Café Churches and child focused church. The average size is 44 and starting team size is 3-12. 91% are new ecclesial groups Large teams and transplants are 1.2%- team 50+ 7.4%-team 20-49 83% parish, 11% deanery and 6% Diocese. 45% progression and 61% pioneer.

22. 33% have communion services 10% Messy Churches 60% weekly gatherings 33% have baptisms 62% of fxc have grown or maintained 10% have died.

23. Health of fxc 82% typical of area 74% all age 60% adults and 40% under 16 (double parish) 75% attending to maturity issues 78% working on discipleship-one to one, small groups, courses and serving in teams.

24. Leadership 48% ordained – 66% male 52% lay- 66% female 84% Messy leaders female 24% attend a Training event 37% no training

25. Ten parameters of fxcs 1. Was something Christian and communal brought to ‘birth’ that was new and further, rather than an existing group modified? 2. Has the starting group tried to engage with non-churchgoers? The aim was for the Christians to change, to fit a culture and context, not make the local people change, to fit into an existing church context. 3. Does the resultant community meet at least once a month? 4. Does it have a name that helps to give it an identity? 5. Is there intention to be Church? This could be from the start, or by discovery on the way. The key is that they are not seen as a bridge back to ‘real church’.

26. 6. Is it Anglican or Uniting etc. This is about relationships as much as practices 7. There is some form of leadership recognised within, and also without. 8. At least the majority of members see it as their major expression of being church. 9. There is aspiration for the four creedal ‘marks’ of church, or ecclesial relationships: 10. There is intent to become ‘three self’ (self-financing, self-governing and self reproducing). These factors need contextualisation, but are some marks of advancing maturity.

27. So how are we responding ? “From Safety nets to Fishing nets”

28. 1 There is no return address

29. In working with young people . . . do not try to call them back to where they were, and do not try to call them to where you are, as beautiful as that place might seem to you. You must have the courage to go with them to a place that neither you nor they have ever been before. Christianity Rediscovered: An Epistle from the Masai (1978)

30. Vincent Donovan This is not only ‘Good missionary advice’, ‘a beautiful description of the unpredictable process of evangelization, a process leading to that new place where none of us has ever been before.’ Christianity Rediscovered (1982)

31. Third space 1. Come 2. Go and then come 3. Go and stay

33. Judea Samaria Ends of the Earth Half the picture-concentric Jerusalem

34. The ends of the earth Samaria The eccentric effects… Judea The centre and the Acts story shift Samaria is not a return ticket story moves from a focus on Peter to Paul the Church goes west church is done differently among Gentiles

35. 2 The size of community we are working in is the most significant factor for mission. Multiplication rather than addition

36. Learning from the work of David Wasdell The Urban Church Project produced two reports Let my people grow Oct. 1974 Divide and Conquer June 1975 DW in 2002 ‘We have become involved in the public re-enactment of heresy. We believe and proclaim a gospel of grace available to all but we operate a structure which takes the form of a club with limited membership.’ D. Wasdell, Let My People Grow (London: UCP, 1974) p.7. 2

37. C of E Average Attendance - by parish size 1974 392 20000 plus 265 15000-19999 184 10000-14999 192 8000-9999 191 6000-7999 1 more cleric adds 90, a second adds 81 172 4000-5999 158 2000-3999 1000-1999 116 500-999 69 39 250-499 24 <250 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 Number of Attenders ‘the single-clergy model church levels off at an average congregation of 175, regardless of parish population.’

38. Invisible C of E Permeation of the Community 1974 1.6 20000 plus 1.8 15000-19999 1.8 10000-14999 2.4 8000-9999 3.2 6000-7999 4.1 4000-5999 6.1 2000-3999 Visible and impact 10.6 1000-1999 12.8 500-999 17.4 250-499 21.4 <250 0 5 10 15 20 25 Percentage of the parish who are attending

39. C of E % Permeation of the Community - 2011 1974 % 0.9 20000 plus 1.6 1.8 1.8 2.4 3.2 4.1 6.1 10.6 12.8 17.4 21.4 1.1 15000-19999 1.3 10000-14999 1.8 8000-9999 1.9 6000-7999 2.4 4000-5999 3.2 2000-3999 4.0 1000-1999 5.1 500-999 6.8 250-499 11.9 <250 0 3 6 9 12 Percentage of the parish who are attending

40. Wasdell’s key messages ‘It has become crystal clear that the strategy of growth by addition of new members to existing groups or congregations is self-defeating. As numbers increase, so the quality of life which sustains the group is destroyed. Opportunities for personal learning, participation and maturation, pastoral care, taking of responsibility and use of gifts, all begin to disappear. Now there would appear to be only one alternative to growth by addition, and that is growth by multiplication … then the most important problem to be solved is the question of what that unit looks like and what kind of leadership is required in the church to enable multiplication to take off and be sustained’’[1] [1] D. Wasdell, Divide and Conquer (London: UCP, 1975) p. 16. 15

41. 3 Public worship services probably are not the best starting point ‘ we think we can reach them through church meetings’

43. Prayer Love Relate Create Prayer

44. 4 Who is church for?

45. 4. Why are you here? The church is Gods gift to the world.

46. ‘ the church is missionary by it’s very nature……. the church does not have a mission but the mission has a church.’ Prophetic Dialogue. Bevans and Scroeder "The church is not the sender but the one sent. Its mission (its "being sent") is not secondary to its being; the church exists in being sent and in building up itself for the sake of its mission.“ David Bosch, Transforming Mission.

47. By knowing and loving God and each other, we seek to enable non churched people to develop a real and relevant relationship with Jesus.

48. ‘Are there structures and patterns which let that basic event of encounter happen again and again? Because if not , the church has become something very different from where it started; it’s become a community which says once there was an encounter with Jesus and we like to remember that. We have to ask much more radically , how do we structure a community in which it goes on being possible ,even likely ,that people will meet Jesus and in meeting Jesus will want more people to meet Jesus.’ Rowan Williams

49. The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few, therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.

50. Thirst Café Church