A Cross-Atlantic Conversation on Discipleship with Mark Robinson

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Show Notes

In this special crossover episode between Fresh Expressions North America and Fresh Expressions UK, hosts Mark and Heather dive into a rich conversation on discipleship. Mark shares his journey into the Fresh Expressions movement, while Heather highlights recent work in the Church of England around the Fruitfulness Framework—a research project exploring the spiritual impact of fresh expressions of church. Together, they reflect on how starting fresh expressions is not only forming new disciples but also renewing discipleship within the inherited church.

Mark Robinson: With over 20 years of experience in various media-related roles across multiple sectors, Mark Robinson worked at Tearfund. He subsequently built a successful freelance career. In the past five years, Mark served two years as Marketing and Communications Officer at Trinity College Bristol and has led communications at Fresh Expressions since 2022. Raised charismatic Catholic in Ireland, he rediscovered his faith after a 10 year hiatus through a low Anglican church, opening his eyes to the idea of doing church differently. Mark is married to Ruth—an ordained Church of England priest—and they have boy–girl twins and lives in West London.

In Season 6, we’re diving into discipleship—exploring what it means to follow Jesus and share Jesus in our everyday lives and how churches can cultivate a culture of discipleship that is more than curriculum within their communities.

Email us: podcasts@freshexpressions.com

Interview Summary

“If you’re feeling a nudge—it’s probably God saying: just do it. And if that feels scary, you’re probably in the right place.”

—Mark Robinson

What happens when an Irish media professional finds his way back to faith through Alpha, joins a scrappy church plant, and ends up helping lead a national movement for church innovation? Mark Robinson’s journey is as winding as it is inspiring. As Head of Communications for Fresh Expressions UK and host of the Mission Shaped podcast, Mark brings a storyteller’s sensibility and a disciple’s heart to the movement. In this conversation with Heather Jallad, he reflects on the power of contextual mission, the importance of telling our stories, and the wildness of the Spirit that keeps us from becoming too domesticated.

From Deconstruction to Discipleship: A Personal Journey

Mark’s story begins in Dublin, raised in a charismatic Catholic household where faith and guitar-led worship were part of the rhythm of life. But like many, he drifted during his university years, spending a decade away from faith. His return came through the Alpha course—and, providentially, the woman who would become his wife. He found a spiritual home in Oak Tree Church in West London, a community that showed him church could be authentic, humble, and powerfully transformative.

“When I walked into Oak Tree, it felt like what church was always supposed to be. It was a homecoming.”

That rediscovery led to work with a UK development charity and eventually into the Fresh Expressions movement, where his media background and faith journey now converge.

Telling the Stories That Matter

As the host of the Mission Shaped podcast, Mark has made it his mission to elevate stories of everyday pioneers—those starting Fresh Expressions in pubs, gyms, wrestling rings, TikTok accounts, and liminal spaces that defy categorization.

“People tend to say, ‘My story’s not that important.’ But those are often the most powerful stories.”

Mark emphasizes that storytelling is essential—not just to inspire others, but to remind pioneers they’re not alone. He curates stories through relational networks and invitations, knowing that many British pioneers hesitate to self-promote. But when they do share, the impact is profound.

He highlights several favorites:

• Wrestling Church: A bonkers yet beautiful community where more people are baptized through amateur wrestling events than Sunday services.
• TikTok Church: Led by a self-proclaimed dork with terrible production, yet reaching people in surprising and Spirit-led ways.
• Asylum: A decades-old punk and metalhead community that defies conventional church expectations through patience, presence, and prophetic listening.

“Established churches look at these and think, ‘That shouldn’t work.’ But it does.”

Measuring Fruitfulness, Not Just Attendance

One of the challenges both UK and US Fresh Expressions leaders face is the pressure to quantify success in traditional terms—attendance, budgets, buildings. Mark notes the Church of England’s ongoing work on a Fruitfulness Framework, which shifts the focus from numbers to transformation.

“Are their lives being transformed by the power of the Spirit? That’s the real question.”

This reframing allows pioneers to celebrate micro-movements, seasonal communities, and long-faith journeys without feeling the weight of institutional expectations.

Singing Our Song: What Gives Him Hope

Looking ahead to 2025, Mark says the UK Fresh Expressions team is intentionally stepping into a new season of discernment and creativity.

“We’ve been around for 20 years. We’re finding our own song—and we want to help others find theirs.”

With denominational partnerships shifting, the movement in the UK is embracing its young adult phase: confident, still learning, and eager to help others discover how the Spirit is moving in their context.

“We’ve been slightly domesticated—but the Spirit is wild.”

For Mark, the hope is rooted in contextual mission—especially in a post-COVID, post-institutional world where distrust in traditional church structures is high but spiritual hunger is growing.

“We can’t have a scarcity mindset. The opportunities are abundant.”

Every episode of Mission Shaped ends with a call to courage. When asked what he would say to someone feeling called to start something new, Mark doesn’t hesitate:

“Just give it a go. Come alongside others. Trust God. He won’t let you down.”

Sometimes all it takes is one story, one step, one spark to begin something that might just change everything.

Reflection Questions

1. Are there stories in your context that need to be shared, even if they seem small or unfinished?
2. How can you reframe success away from numbers and toward transformation?
3. What is your relationship to liminal spaces—places of waiting, unknowing, or transition?
4. How do you or your church make space for non-traditional, seasonal, or experimental expressions of faith?
5. Are you listening to where the Spirit is blowing—or trying to control the wind?
6. What’s holding you back from “just giving it a go”?