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We think most fresh expressions will develop as follows:

The fresh expressions journey

As you will see from the caption above, we call this the fresh expressions journey.  

We can unpack this a bit. A couple of Christians starting a fresh expression in the workplace or a church planting team on a housing estate would begin by loving other people and listening to them. There is more about loving and listening here.

They would then build community, find ways of encouraging individuals to explore Jesus, and as these individuals came to faith, help them to become church in their own particular setting. There is more about building community here.

Of course, you don't stop 'loving and listening' once you get to 'exploring Jesus' or 'becoming church'. Eventually, these stages will happen at the same time as each other. Loving and listening won't stop once you start building community. And building community won't stop once you start exploring Jesus. This is shown in the diagram below:

A fresh expression might start with 'loving and listening', which remains a vital part of the whole journey. 'Building community', which may occur very quickly, adds another dimension, and this too continues for the rest of the journey.

Individuals are encouraged to 'explore Jesus', which for some people will evolve into life-long discipleship. As they get drawn into Christ's love, they find themselves 'becoming church'.

For Christians who facilitate this journey, prayer and listening – both to God and to the people they are called to serve – is central at every stage. Just as they seek to bless other people, they are blessed by them.

From 'building community' to 'exploring Jesus'. Showing Christ while you 'love and listen' and 'build community' can open individuals' hearts to 'exploring Jesus'. There is more about this here.

Showing Christ may consist of four elements:

• God talk - sharing your faith naturally in everyday conversations and providing occasions that provoke people to think about Jesus.
• Mission worship - opportunities for people who don't go to church to encounter Jesus through suitably flavoured tastes of worship.

• Creative expressions of spirituality - encouraging individuals to express their spiritual longings and understandings through painting, photography, poetry, pottery and other creative ways.

• Acts of kindness - activities (hopefully involving the whole group) that reveal Christ's heart of love.

From 'exploring Jesus' to 'becoming church'. 'Exploring Jesus' may involve mentoring individuals on a one-to-one basis or forming a small group. Building on spiritual insights they already have, individuals are given an opportunity to walk towards Christ at their own pace. There is more about this here.

If appropriate, they are not encouraged to join 'the main church', which is the traditional approach. They are invited to discover what it means to be church themselves as they meet and relate to each other, and seek the Spirit's guidance.

Church begins to develop when people gather round Jesus and experience growth in all four dimensions of UP, IN, OUT and OF – the marks of church described in Are fresh expressions proper church?

The fresh expression journey should be both ongoing and life-giving. So it is suggestive to draw a DNA helix with the four strands intertwining as the life of Jesus is reproduced:

It is important to remember that 'becoming church' is not the end of the story. Part of being church is the ability to re-enter the creative life-giving process by which another group of people get the chance to form a Christian community.

Of course, fresh expressions of church vary immensely, so the diagram should not be seen as a straitjacket - 'This is how everyone must do it.'

Rather, it should be seen as a helpful journey that many fresh expressions travel, each finding its own unique route. Often the stages overlap and sometimes they are taken in a different order. The process should be bathed in prayer.

Here is a fuller description of the fresh expressions journey.

Does this account of how fresh expressions develop resonate with your experience? Is it helpful? We feel that there is still lots to learn about this, so your comments would be most welcome.

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