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chapter 4

fresh expressions of church

This chapter will identify a number of ways in which `church' is being

expressed. It cannot offer an exhaustive list, but simply some examples 

of key themes and ideas. We expect there will be more expressions and 

(as we discuss in the next chapter) under God it is right that a variety of

ways develop in which different sets of people can connect with Christian

community.

Some common features are found in several of the expressions of church

that are described here:

  The importance of small groups for discipleship and relational mission.

  These churches do not meet on Sunday morning. This is a response 

to the large changes in lifestyle in our society over the last 30 years.

  These churches relate to a particular network of people. For example, 

a workplace church will relate to those who work in that company or

organization, and school based church will use the relationships that 

are built by people who go to, or whose children go to, the same 

school.

  These churches are post denominational. Although the leadership is

often part of a denomination, the members may feel themselves to 

have come from a range of denominations. In churches where the non 

churched are coming to faith, then members will typically have a fairly

slender denominational identity.

  Some of these churches may have a connection to one or more

resourcing networks, including Soul Survivor, Holy Trinity Brompton, 

New Wine, Reform and St Thomas Crookes in Sheffield. The local 

church may find it has more in common with churches from outside 

its area than with other churches in the deanery.

a variety of fresh expressions

What is set out below illustrates the diversity of fresh expressions of church.

The list is in alphabetical order. The sections aim to give some snapshot

features of each type of expression of church without going into exhaustive

detail.

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