Share

What is the Guide?

The Guide contains how-to-do-it advice on starting, developing and sustaining fresh expressions of church based on shared experiences.

What is in it? 

The Guide will contain five core sections:

• What are fresh expressions all about?
• How might we start a fresh expression?
• How might we develop our fresh expression?
• How can we sustain our fresh expression?
• How might we support fresh expressions?

Content for the first two sections is available now. We are developing material on 'forming community', 'evangelism', 'discipleship' and 'worship' for the third section, and we have started adding pages to the last two sections.

All the material is based on listening to hundreds of different stories on how fresh expressions begin and are sustained.

If you have suggestions for what should be included, please 'comment' at the bottom of this page.

In time, we hope practitioners will help us develop additional zones – eg, 'fresh expressions among young people' and 'fresh expressions in rural areas'.

We see this as a long-term project.

How is the Guide being developed?

We want the Guide to be highly interactive – to draw on users' experiences and to include some of their stories.

To kick start the process, we are offering some initial thoughts based on what we have seen and heard.

There are lots of case studies and examples already and we want you to add more.

There is space on every page for you to add your comments, to interact with the material and to comment on each other's comments. (In order to comment, you need to Join Share and then Log in.)

In the light of these comments, parts of the Guide will be re-written and offered afresh to practitioners – 'This is what we think we have heard. Have we got it right?'

Again, users will be able to comment, providing a further chance for us to update the Guide.

This interactive process will be continuous.

The editor is Mike Moynagh, Andrew Wooding manages the site, Emma Garrow researches and writes the case studies, and there is an editorial team at present comprising Steven Croft (chair), Bob and Mary Hopkins, George Lings, Pete Pillinger, and Mike and Andrew.

Is this you telling us what to do?

Content won't be top down ('We're telling you how to do it'), nor will it be bottom up ('Let's create knowledge Wikipedia style'). Content will be created side to side.

From one side there will be an offering of what we think works best. This will be based on the experience of practitioners and research, which is increasingly available. From another side, there will be the reaction of the Guide's users.

Constant interaction between the two will enable our shared understandings to continually evolve.

The content is very much our first thoughts on these subjects. We are not at all sure that we have got them right. In some cases we are flying a kite, trying out an idea to see whether it resonates with those who are pioneering new forms of church.

We don't want the Guide to reflect the opinions of a few, but to be the shared wisdom of the pioneer community as a whole. So please add your comments to the pages. What have we left out? What do you disagree with? How far does what we have written connect with your experience?

Your comment could be a great help to other users of the Guide.

Why do we need the Guide?

Because fresh expressions are too important to be done without any attempt to discover what works well.

Would you expect to become a top footballer without learning the best techniques? What would you think if your doctor refused to adopt better ways of doing things?

In fresh expressions we are seeking to serve other people. We have a responsibility to them (and to God) to do this the best we can.

The Guide is a resource to help practitioners do their best. They can learn from other people's experiences - What went wrong? What worked well?

Why keep inventing the wheel?

Maybe you have experience and knowledge to share. Why keep it locked up in your head? Here's a chance for you to help other people.

What are the principles behind the Guide?