-----Original Message-----
From: e-xpressions [mailto:112.3@...]
Sent: 25 June 2009 17:23
To: erniemann@...
Subject: e-xpressions June 09

e-xpressions
June 2009


Welcome

Welcome to the June edition of e-xpressions. Sorry it is a little later than
usual. Life has been rather hectic for the Fresh Expressions team over the
last few weeks as we were commissioned
(www.freshexpressions.org.uk/commissioning) for a new phase of work at
Lambeth Palace and worked hard to get our next edition of expressions
(www.freshexpressions.org.uk/expressions) ready for the Methodist Conference
and Church of England General Synod.</p>


Vacancy

Can you grab the attention of a journalist? Unearth and retell encouraging
stories? Place those stories in the media and across our publications and
sites?

Fresh Expressions is looking for a Senior Writer and Media Officer to
research and record stories and to increase our media impact. You will need
to be committed to the idea of new forms of church in a changing culture, be
willing to work from home and travel, be an excellent team player and be
flexible and creative in the way you approach your work. The post is
salaried at £26,000 per annum plus benefits and further details and
application forms will be available from our jobs page
(www.freshexpressions.org.uk/jobs) very shortly.


Quantity or Quality?

We sometimes treat things as alternatives, or even as opposites when both
are necessary. Quantity and quality are a good example of this when we think
of fresh expressions of church? Is it all about getting bums on seats? No,
it might be about getting bums on bean bags - there's no one model! Fresh
expressions is about winning people who are not yet followers of Christ and
who have no active connection to his church. The sheer size of that
proportion of the population is one of our motivations. We have encountered
the love of God in his Son Jesus. He went out of his way and paid an
unbelievable price to reach us, so should we not do the same. Numbers matter
because each one represents a person of infinite worth.

But we cannot be concerned about quantity alone. The ultimate test of any
church, whether in inherited mode or a fresh expression, is what sort of
disciples they make. Church in inherited mode can be out of touch with a
changing culture. Fresh expressions can be so in touch that there is nothing
distinctively Christian about them. Fresh expressions of church are to be
'incarnational'. That means they embody the good news of Christ within the
culture they are trying to reach. But Christ's incarnation led to the cross.
The message he embodied so appropriately, was profoundly challenging to his
hearers. At the same time it was profoundly attractive. He showed them a
better way to live and offered a relationship that made it possible.

If we want quantity - many, many people finding Christ through fresh
expressions of church, we will need quality - Christ-like lives that offer
people a better way to live. What sort of disciples are made through your
church? Have a look at the discipleship pages on Share
(www.sharetheguide.org/discipleship) to find out more.

+Graham Cray


Share

The Share website has a guest blog (www.sharetheguide.org/blog) with new
posts every week from a wide variety of practitioners, theologians and
others. If you have something burning to say and want to write a blog post,
please contact Beth Keith (beth.keith@...).


Podcast

In this month's podcast (www.freshexpressions.org.uk/podcast/jun09) we hear
about a performing arts fresh expression in Wales, one ordained pioneer
minister's story from Rochester and news of fresh expressions in the
sacramental tradition.

Look out for next month's podcast (www.freshexpressions.org.uk/podcast) when
we talk to mission shaped ministry students in Belfast, hear about a café
church in the Midlands and discover why the United Reformed Church has
joined the Fresh Expressions initiative as we meet Francis Brienen, the URC
Secretary for Mission.


Fresh Expressions where you are

We will be in Wolverhampton for Methodist Conference and in York for the
Church of England General Synod during July, as well as Hereford Diocesan
Synod on the 16th of July. Do look out for us at all of these events.

Our mission shaped ministry course
(www.freshexpressions.org.uk/missionshapedministry) begins in Bath in July
annd if you're going to New Wine, Soul Survivor or Momentum over the summer
months look out for Bishop Graham Cray and fresh expressions practitioners
there.


And finally

If you have friends or colleagues who would like to read this regular email
bulletin, they can sign up for it on the Fresh Expressions website
(http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk/e-xpressions).

See you again next month,
The Fresh Expressions team.


--
Order copies of the expressions newspaper
(www.freshexpressions.org.uk/expressions) or mixed economy journal
(www.freshexpressions.org.uk/mixedeconomy) for your congregation.Other
resources and publications are available from our online shop
(www.freshexpressions.org.uk/shop).

Fresh Expressions
Athena Drive
Tachbrook Park
Warwick
CV34 6RQ

Tel: 0300 365 0563
contact@...

Fresh Expressions on:
The web: www.freshexpressions.org.uk
Twitter: www.twitter.com/freshexpression
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2362484289

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