10 kinds of fresh expression of Church – listed a-z
1
Alternative worship …
emerged in the late 1980’s; the famous early example was the Nine o’ Clock service (NOS). Many
subsequent events owe much to that creative style, though distancing themselves from all forms of
abusive leadership. They often provide a safety net to catch Christians leaving charismatic or evangelical
Churches. They seek to be responsive to post modern culture, expressing preferences for ambiguity and
antiquity. Their inner sense of community is strong, the worship highly creative. But outward facing
mission is often weak, not least because their members are in recovery from poor past experiences of
Church. They should not be thought of as youth churches in that their age group is older and wider.1
2
Café church …
is an attempt to group examples that seek to engage with café culture and whose external characteristic is
a deliberate change of ambience and “feel” when people meet corporately. People sit and talk around
small tables with drinks and snacks. Interaction rather than spectating is encouraged. Venues include
youth clubs, cafés and pub rooms. Café is different from Willow Creek in that it is about creating a sense
of community rather than creating a learning environment for the seeking consumer. The mission style is
relational. It can narrow the gap between what is encountered in an Alpha course and what is often
negatively experience through Sunday church.2 The related notion of “table fellowship” goes back Jesus
and the 12 disciples. It has the potential to create significant meeting between people and to encourage
the exploration of life and of the gospel.
3
Cell plants …
move the heart of church from congregation to small group. There are a number of models advocated
[Metachurch, G12, BEC] but all believe the major functions of church – worship, teaching, building
community and engaging in mission, take place in Cell, not just in congregation. Cell exists to multiply,
but some argue it was not designed to stimulate growth but only to channel and develop it. Cell plants
are not transitions of existing churches to cell thinking - but ‘fresh expressions of church’ for nonchurched people done from scratch with small teams. The other cell planting pattern is the creation of
parallel cell churches to congregations. There is some evidence that cell makes church more effective in
discipleship, lay ministry and evangelism, so others are changing existing churches to this model.3
4
Churches arising out of community development …
are most commonly found in areas of social deprivation and of significant dislocation from existing
forms of church. Sometimes the planting method has been intentional, appropriate to the level of social
need and the mission context. Sometimes the forming of church has surprised a Christian group engaged
in the community development programmes. Community building in partnership seems the best way
forward, in working with the urban non-churched, who are suspicious of all overt church approaches.4
Community development (with a long-term view to church planting) in affluent areas of new housing is
now beginning to take place also.
5
Midweek church
Depending on which figure is taken from Peter Brierley’s The Tide is Running Out, between 9% and 12%
of attendance occurs midweek.5 Where these serve groups of people who make this their congregation,
they are more helpfully thought of as churches rather than just services. There are stories of increased
recognition given to midweek communions, provision of midweek church for the elderly, lunch time
church for the business community and the creation of worship, tailored to children and accompanying
adults, at the close of the school day.6 Most Messy churches meet midweek. At times the attendance can
be as large as Sunday and it offers the scope to widen the diversity offered to a given community.
1
There are recorded stories of most of these kinds of fresh expression in the Encounters on the Edge series. These
may be ordered on the we. Go to www.encountersontheedge.org.uk. G. Lings, The enigma of Alternative worship:
Encounters on the Edge, no.12 (Sheffield: Church Army) p. 6.
2
G. Lings, Café Church 1 and 2 – nos 33 & 34; The X factor within – rural café, no.45.
3
G. Lings, Has Church reached its Cell Buy date? no. 3, Soft Cell no. 20, Rural Cell Church no. 28.
4
G. Lings: Living Proof no.1, Unit 8 no. 2, Across the Pond no. 6, Stepping Stones no. 18.
5
P. Brierley, The Tide is Running Out (Christian Research, 2000) pp. 157-185.
6
Re the elderly G. Lings, People Try to Put us Down no.40; re Places of work,, Oasis: Work in progress no. 24; re
Children Never on a Sunday no.11.
6
Multiple congregations …
using one shared building, are growing in popularity once more. It is debated whether this is less
difficult and divisive than starting out in a fresh venue. I hope they will learn the lessons from the early
1990s showing that just doubling up services using identical existing kinds of worship, via administrative
arrangements, does not last. Elements that help give genuine identity to multiple congregations include:
planned divergence of worship style, the provision of dedicated and recognised leadership, a different
mission focus for in each differing congregation and the existence of discrete pastoral care structures for
each congregation. There is some overlap to the midweek category and they do borrow from the
philosophy of many of the other expressions of church explained here.7
7
Network-focused churches …
are a significant departure from the inherited parochial pattern. They have in common their target group
- that is people who find their identity in networks not territory. Their divergence is in the models of
church and mission style employed to reach them. This ranges across Cell, Seeker, Vineyard and social
engagement, with combinations across those choices. They are distinguished from past eclectic churches,
in that by diocesan agreement and often by legal entity, they have no parish territory at all, for which they
are responsible. As such they raise sharp questions about the nature of Anglican existence and are a
group of churches which spark great interest. They are most commonly found in large towns or cities
where networks of people are most apparent and where, because there is a big mission hole, there is a
greater desire to think creatively and commit resources to filling it.8
8
Traditional Resurgence …
describes ancient forms of church inspiring new interest. It includes new congregations formed around
1662 services, individuals preferring anonymous attendance at Cathedrals, people converting to Greek or
Russian Orthodoxy and new Monastic Orders. Examples include the growth since mid 1970’s of the
Northumbria Community9 and the recently launched Order of Mission based from St Thomas Crookes,
Sheffield. Most expressions of this “new monasticism” have a dispersed rather than gathered or enclosed
community. Timelessness of Christian doctrine is affirmed and ethics and liturgical practice are
reinforced by welcome familiarity. At its best here is provision of stability in a swirl of change.
9
Traditional or Conventional Church Plants
In the late 1990s up to 40 of these begun annually, but the diversity of other ways makes them less
frequently started today. They are now regarded as “traditional” when they conform to the following
stereotype. They exist within a parish and serve a geographical sub unit of it. Led by a curate or lay
reader, they take a small congregational team of 20, find a secular building and offer informal services of
a family service type.10 Some are concerned that too often this kind of planting has meant the cloning of
churches that are failing or inappropriate11.
10
Youth congregations …
have weekly worship patterns, recognised leaders, pastoral structures and internally set mission targets.
Although there are notable examples of these, in practice there are as yet relatively few full-blown youth
congregations identified and reported. I don’t count monthly, let alone quarterly youth services.
Increasing numbers of people recognise the validity of youth congregation, as meeting a theological not
just strategic need12. Some repudiate the concept as generationally ageist and unhelpfully homogenous.
However there is a case from cultural considerations to consider. In addition examination of existing
church shows it is dominantly white, middle class and female. It may fail to recognise itself as
homogenous, despite its criticism of others.
For a fuller description of the dynamics of these 10 and others, consult Mission Shaped Church. Since
then the most notable addition is the many hundreds of cases of Messy Church.13
George Lings April 2011
7
G. Lings, Thame or Wild, Encounters on the Edge no.8 (Sheffield: Church Army, 2000)
G. Lings, New Canterbury Tales no. 7; Net Gains no. 19; Do Network Churches work? No. 41.
9
G. Lings, Northumbria Community: Matching Monastery and Mission no.29; Seven Sacred Spaces no.43.
10
G. Lings, Leading Lights No. 9; Dynasty or Diversity – the HTB story no.15
11
S. Murray, Church Planting Laying Foundations (Paternoster 1998) pp. 124-138.
12
G. Lings, Eternity – the beginning No. 4 ; Reading: the Signs no 21; That’s Sorted Then no. 48 and G. Cray,
Youth Congregations (Cambridge: Grove Evangelism booklet no. 57)
13
G. Lings, Messy Church: ideal for all ages? No. 46 And 3 books by L. Moore, Messy Church (BRF).
8