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I've always been a bit apprehensive about the 'belong, believe, behave' model of discipleship, as people's perceptions of 'behave' vary so much, and I wonder if this is an issue in fresh expressions? Reflecting on my own experience, I would say that a fresh expression begins with loving service. To love and to serve is the calling of all Christians and the church catholic (universal), but so often we have loved and served with the agenda of drawing people in to us and assimilating them into our model. 

Cross cultural mission that leads us into loving and serving and which builds community where people interact, must be, by its very nature, inclusive. In that process of starting a fresh expression we build a community where people are themselves, a safe place where people are not judged but seek to learn and grow together. That learning and growing is in dialogue with one another, with the expectation that in dialogue either party is open to spiritual evolution. As a result of that precious dialogue and relationship with those outside of the church, I have not always toed the traditional church line as I have sought to serve and love those around me both in Christ and in a manner meaningful to them.

What I have discovered and had the privilege of helping to build are rich communities, full of diversity, life and colour, filled with the creative Spirit as all are included, and all gifts are used. That is not to say that I haven't challenged those with behaviour that is destructive to the community and beyond, or indeed to themselves. But in contrast to a traditional church, my inkling is that there are some people who are given responsibility and leadership roles in fresh expressions who would I fear be discouraged, judged or ignored in more traditional churches.

So I am pondering, can all who seek to follow Christ be part of fresh expressions? What does it mean today to behave? Who gets to decide?

Cris Acher describes himself as an entrepeneur, having set up a café church, and then founding Nexus Art Café in Manchester. He is now in North Wales with a brief to begin fresh expressions in the Conwy area.

Encounters on the Edge (no. 42: Across a Threshold)

I was struck by the roles played across the whole Threshold history by doctors. Since Paul White's books in the Jungle Doctor series, we have been used to the pivotal role of the overseas medical missionary.

Up till now, I have also imagined that St Paul made tents because he needed to eat. I now wonder if I have misunderstood all this.

Could it be that Paul made tents because it put him in the market place? He met people in a neutral space but also produced something of value to them.

In today's cross-cultural mission at home, could the tent makers of tomorrow be doctors and nurses, solicitors offering legal aid, hairdressers, coffee-shop staff even plumbers and electricians – anyone who meets people in a neutral environment and offers something of value to them, including a listening ear in an environment of trust?

If they were also church planters and leaders, it would mean the forms of church grown would have to be simple and with the work shared across the people of God because they would not have the time or calling to be full-time pastors.

Is this a possible vision for the new pioneer ministers?

George Lings is the director of The Sheffield Centre, Church Army's Research Unit. He specialises in church planting and fresh expressions, and Anglican ecclesiology. He writes the quarterly publication, Encounters on the Edge, which can be ordered here.

If you have something burning to say and want to contribute to the Share weekly guest blog, please contact Andrew Wooding.

One cannot deny that most of our congregations are largely made up of older people - that is, people over the age of 55. It is also true that large amounts of resources are invested in maintaining the status quo - time, money and dedicated pastoral care by professional ministers and lay people. The fact that our congregations are mostly made up of older people is often perceived by church leaders and mission strategists as a problem rather than a challenge.

Of course it raises concerns about the future of tomorrow's church. But equally our aged congregations should not cause us to overlook their spiritual needs as they are today's church, not tomorrow's church. What is often not understood or seen is that our aged congregations are an untapped resource for mission in reaching not only their own peer group, but also the younger generation.

In this sense, older churched people feel that they have become invisible, both in terms of their faith-sharing skills and their non-involvement in the decision making processes related to mission strategy. It can often be assumed by younger church leaders that they know what older people want and desire to help their spiritual development. There is a great desire for older people (often returning to church with a Sunday School knowledge of the Christian faith) to want to go deeper and to be disciples.

Reaching older people is often focused on visiting the elderly frail in care homes (who only represent about 4% of our elderly population) and running luncheon clubs mostly catering for women over the age of 75. Although this is highly commendable and provides a much needed service, it does not cater for the thousands of isolated frail and disabled older people living alone at home. What about their spiritual needs?

It does not cater for the invisible sons and daughters of the '60s, now aging, and the up-and-coming boomer generation with no experience of the church. They will not be coming back to church because they were not there in the first place!

What about the many recently retired non-churched men who are bored out their skulls? They are not too keen in joining luncheon clubs for the elderly frail. What can the church offer them? Is this not a challenge for fresh expressions of church?

Mike Collyer CA is a member of The Sheffield Centre team. He explores evangelism, spiritual needs and fresh expressions of church for older people, which has resulted in the publication of a series of papers entitled Discovering Faith in Later Life, and he also produces an information bulletin giving details of courses, books and resources, which is available to people via email distribution (more information here).

Mike Collyer and Claire Dalpra have co-written a page on Share called: Fresh expressions for older people.

If you have something burning to say and want to contribute to the Share weekly guest blog, please contact Andrew Wooding.

Here are just three of the headings from my reflections, with principles learned. I share them as they may be helpful to you.

• Risk and support - There were elements of risk on all parties. It felt very 'on the edge' of the safety of the church, where 'ministry' and how to do it had been ingrained and learned through experience and training. Forming a good level of support was vital, for accountability to the wider church, and for a sense of connection and place to reflect with various levels of leadership.

  Principle: form strong links with those who have an interest in the ministry, with regular meetings and reports

• Church - It felt difficult to maintain the link with the local parish and with church in general. This was probably due to time constraints, but also reflects a sense of feeling 'dislocated' from inherited church and its models of worship and ministry. I felt stretched in two distinct directions: church and 'the edge'. I felt called to minister on the edge, so had to let go of the other to some extent, whilst maintaining a healthy spirituality and discipleship.

  Principle: learn to live with the paradox of being of the church, but (often) not physically in it

• Unknown - Although not attending congregational church, God was very much with me (and everyone) in Yorkshire ArtSpace – the place of mission. Prayer was key, asking for the Spirit's leading every day and for encounters with people there. Conversations happened through openness – a deliberate (although I was led to it) attitude of remaining open to the different people and what God might be doing in their lives. I would silently ask 'what are you doing in this person's life Lord, and how might you want me to join in?'

  Principle: Be open to being a 'catalyst' to the Spirit in every encounter

Colin Brown is currently working in Cornwall, as 'Creative Arts Evangelist' amongst the artistic community in and around Falmouth.

If you have something burning to say and want to contribute to the Share weekly guest blog, please contact Andrew Wooding.