The Guide

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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Below is a list of the 41 questions (with answers) included in the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) pdf file which can be downloaded here. Each of these 41 questions will soon be available on individual webpages, so that you don't have to download the whole file just to read one question and answer, and so that comments can be left on relevant pages.

If you have a question that isn't covered in the FAQ, or if any of these questions and answers spark off more questions, please leave a 'comment' at the bottom of this page so that the whole Share community can respond and help you find answers.

Alternatively, you could provide an answer for someone, or comment on someone else's answer.

Frequently Asked Questions:

  1. A question markHow do you define a fresh expression of church?
  2. Is the opposite of a fresh expression a stale expression of church?
  3. Are fresh expressions really church?
  4. What is covered by the term fresh expressions?
  5. So when two Christians meet at a bus stop, is that a fresh expression of church?
  6. Are fresh expressions 'fresh expressions of mission' or 'fresh expressions of church'?
  7. Is there a difference between fresh expressions and church plants?
  8. How can I start a fresh expression?
  9. What is happening in the Church of England?
  10. What is happening in the Methodist Church?
  11. What is happening in other denominations and streams?
  12. How can I find out more?
  13. Can fresh expressions just do their own thing or are they accountable in some way?
  14. Are fresh expressions trying to build church or kingdom?
  15. Young people at Garage PraiseWhen will fresh expressions join the proper church?
  16. Is it right or biblical to form congregations made up of the same kind of people?
  17. How are fresh expressions funded?
  18. Is there any biblical basis for fresh expressions of church?
  19. Will fresh expressions last or will they just be yet another fad?
  20. What part do the sacraments play in fresh expressions of church?
  21. Are fresh expressions really having an impact on the rest of society?
  22. Isn't the more traditional or inherited way of being church more appropriate?
  23. Do fresh expressions work better in suburban areas rather than in rural or urban ones?
  24. Are fresh expressions really reaching people who have never been members of the church or who left a long time ago?
  25. How do fresh expressions relate to the rest of the church when they are so individual?
  26. Do fresh expressions really reach out to people across the social spectrum?
  27. My minister is not interested in fresh expressions. What can I do next?
  28. Aren't fresh expressions really just pandering to a consumer society?
  29. An outside baptismWhat is the difference between fresh expressions and emerging church?
  30. What about communion and baptism in fresh expressions?
  31. Hasn't the church always done this kind of thing? It's not particularly new is it?
  32. What's driving all of this? Is it just declining numbers?
  33. Are fresh expressions really reaching people right outside the churches or just those on the edge?
  34. The numbers involved are very small, aren't they? Is this really a significant movement?
  35. What statistics are you basing your activities on?
  36. Is all of this just for the evangelicals?
  37. So how will we hold together the old and new in one church?
  38. Are there any dangers in moving forward in this way? Haven't there been scandals in the past?
  39. What is a pioneer minister?
  40. What is a Bishop's Mission Order?
  41. What kind of training is available for those wanting to start or be involved in fresh expressions?

 

Comments

Christian Goths

Posted by Craig Andrew Gilman on 10 October 07 - 12:27

I'm trying to build a network of Christian Goths in the UK. I've got links to a few like the Goth Eucharist in Cambridge, Asylum London, and Ara Nights Manchester..Oh and I believe Coventry cathedral are doing a Compline service on Wednsdays for Goths... anybody else?

Posted by Alison Noakes on 10 October 07 - 16:20

Pauline Warner is involved in the Coventry cathedral project with Goths - I'm sure she would love to hear from you, and is a wealth of information. Hopefully you can find her email address online (Superintendent in Nuneaton Circuit of Methodist Church) as wouldn't want to publish her email address here without her permission.

where to expand to?

Posted by Sara Ball on 02 December 07 - 00:28

Hi guys, beautiful site, thanks. We are a group of friends who've been meeting together for about a year expressing church by trying to allow space to love each other, love God and love our community. This mostly involves talking (sometimes about God) and eating, telling godly play stories to the children, and working on developing a fair trade cafe for the villages. Surprisingly, this seems to be attractive as church, and we are growing. We now have 6-7 regular families, which including children can be 27 people if everyone comes, and we have at least two other families who are interested. BUT we can't really invite them because they won't fit into any of our houses. What do we do? Split up? Limit numbers? Move to a village hall and change our character completely? I think this is a common problem/stage (thank God!) and would really appreciate other people's stories/advice.

Posted by Andrew Wooding on 14 December 07 - 14:46

Thanks for the nice words, Sara, and what a great problem to have.

I wonder if you might find the following page helpful:

God grows church through reproduction
http://www.sharetheguide.org/section1/2/reproduction

God bless,

Andrew

school based congregation

Posted by Michael Whittock on 18 February 08 - 18:23

We are preparing to begin a school based congregation.We want to find out from the school community what they think . Does anyone have experience of doing this which they could share?

Car Heaven?

Posted by John Parker on 25 April 08 - 11:30

As a confirmed petrolhead & having met many others [Christian & other], I am eager to explore the idea of running something which mingles the mission role I am engaged in & my interest in cars. Has anyone heard of or experienced anything similar, or anything which has a different focus [motorbikes etc]but uses a model I might use? John