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The Guide contains how-to-do-it advice on starting, developing and sustaining fresh expressions of church based on shared experiences.
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Posted by: Andrew Wooding - 20 April 2009
I'm currently part of the leadership team in the Anglican Church of Second Life where I go by the name Helene Milena. Running church online seems to make things move even faster than in other forms of fresh expression from what I can tell, presumably because of the sheer pace of change on the internet. Online church is also something that seems to be classed as even more unusual than many other fresh expressions, although I would dispute that. From my point of view, church via a skate-park or in a surfing community seems equally unusual and way outside my experience. I'm sure it all depends on what you are used to. 
Fresh Expressions of church seem to start from the vision and enthusiasm of one person or a group of people. It takes vision and drive and persistence to start anything new. But what happens when the original leader(s) feel called to move on? Who takes on the leadership? Each group will have developed in its own particular way. Does a new leader have to have come up through that particular fresh expression in order to understand what makes it tick and so take it forward well? Is it better to have someone one new come in to bring fresh vision?
I know Dave Male moved from The NET. How did that work out? i-church also has experienced a change of leader twice in my time of being a member. It's obvious that nothing can continue with the same leadership for ever. Change happens in both traditional and new groups and is sure to bring out insecurities in the process. What are the opportunities and challenges of leadership succession in a fresh expression?
Note: If you can help Ailsa with her question, please leave a comment below.
Comments
Freshness at any cost?
Posted by Mark CE on 22 April 09 - 06:59
I belong to Soul Survivor Watford - the fresh expression that was fresh before the term 'fresh expression' was invented!
But my DDO tells me (and he's right) that SSW cannot be considered a "fresh expression" that I could include on my "potential pioneer minister CV of freshness."
Soul Survivor Watford is no longer fresh. Even though the original leader (who remains very fresh!) is still there.
This blog post is asking vital questions about any expression of church (whether 'fresh' or not, and whether or not the leader moves on). ie "What is at the heart of this expression of church? What is/are the core values and callings of this community of people? What is it about the togetherness, the community-ness of this group of people that makes us an expression of the church of Jesus Christ worth preserving - ie what do we value more than being 'fresh'?
I think people worry about losing the freshness of their expression, as though the only alternative to freshness is staleness. But perhaps there is another alternative to freshness: graceful maturity!
In any normal church it is often a change of leadership that gives the most significant "freshness" boosts, often including a painful changing of the guard, perhaps losing something of value in the process, and gaining other values.
Freshness at any cost would call for completely new leadership. Allowing our once fresh values to gain maturity, perhaps at the cost of freshness, would suggest promotion from within or something similar.
Whatever happens I would suggest losing the "fresh" from the title! 2 reasons: 1 "Freshness" is a very dubious core value for any expression of church.
2 If you're still calling yourself a fesh expression after a certain length of time (cue Bon Jovi) you give fresh a bad name.
Posted by Pam Smith on 22 April 09 - 13:31
I've had the interesting experience of being on the one-year East Midlands Mission Shaped Ministry course at the same time as taking up the post of priest in charge of i-church and I've found the process you need to go to in starting a new FX is also very valid to coming into an existing one. Establishing values, working out what group(s) you're there for, looking at what's already out there and listening to what is needed, looking at how people move into discipleship - every session has had some relevance to steering any expression of church IMO, new or established.
And then there is the question of who really is the leader - one of my favourite icons of leadership still has to be Lucy in Prince Caspian, told by Aslan to follow him even when the others can't see him and are grumbling at her for taking them the wrong way. The leader of course is not Lucy, but Aslan - she's just showing them where he wants them to go.
Of course in real life we have to be careful that we know who we're really following!
The Net Church
Posted by Ross Garner on 25 April 09 - 22:23
posted by Ross Garner
Moving On
Posted by Kate Kendall on 07 May 09 - 10:34