Missional Entrepreneurship in Action: A Fresh Expression Immersion Experience at Ridgetop Coffee and Tea

Launching a fresh expression can be incredibly exciting. While a passion for starting something new is important, it must also be tempered with thoughtful reflection, prayer, and discussion. Before launching a new fresh expression consider asking yourself – and others – these important questions to discern if this is, in fact, what God is calling you to do. Is this a “good idea” or is this the best idea? How would I know? Doing the right thing at the wrong time can easily become the wrong thing. Is this the right time to launch a fresh expression? How would I know? Have I spent quiet time in silence and solitude over a period of time listening to what the Father desires? Is this centrally rooted with the end goal being discipleship among primarily non-churched people, or is this suited to serve primarily for those already convinced of the way of Jesus? Is my heart in the right place? Is my motive to lead something and be in charge, to look important, to try to win the approval of others or God, or am I doing this to see God’s mission advance and see people come to encounter God amid community with others? Who else might I ask to help me discern if this is, in fact, something worth pursuing? What else would join the team of this fresh expression to ensure that it’s not entirely on my shoulders? Imagine Jesus asking you the question he asked the blind man Bartimaeus: “What do you want me to do for you?” If Jesus asked you that regarding your fresh expression. What would you say? If we were, in fact, to launch this fresh expression, what would be the first three practical steps we would take? What will it require of me (i.e. time, energy, faith, margin in my schedule, courage to push out into something new, etc.)? Am I willing to pay that price? What would this require of your team (i.e. time, energy, faith, margin in their schedule, courage to push into something new, etc.)? Are they truly willing to pay that price? What kinds of specific and practical support would I need for this to flourish (i.e. blessing from my home church, a prayer team, funding, a leadership/ministry coach, ongoing training, relationships of encouragement, etc.)?

Have you ever been out on a boat—whether a cruise ship or a small fishing vessel—so far from shore that there was no land in sight? For seasoned sailors, that may be no big deal. But for those who have yet to get their sea legs, the first experience of open water can feel a little disorienting. How, when you are surrounded by nothing but sea and sky, do you know where you’re going? How do you make sure you’re heading in the right direction—and that the land you eventually reach is the land you actually meant to reach? As passengers, we’re usually not in the control room. We don’t see the compass, the GPS, or the radio connecting the boat to someone guiding the journey. Even when we can’t see it, there are waypoints directing the vessel toward its intended destination. The same question applies to us as dinner church leaders: How do we ensure our dinners don’t drift off course? It’s easy enough to find a room, prepare a meal, and invite our neighbors to the table. But is there more than that? And how do we make sure that, week after week, we’re actually going somewhere—that we are truly encountering Jesus as His church—rather than simply becoming a group of friends who enjoy eating together? There are several waypoints that can help guide a dinner church: ongoing training, regular team huddles, and frequent connection with the Dinner Church Collective community, to name a few. But I want to share one simple tool we use to help keep our dinners from drifting: the development of clear core values . The Oxford Languages dictionary defines a core value as “a principle or belief that a person or organization views as being of central importance.” As your dinner church moves from infancy toward maturity, you need guiding principles. These values help shape who you are becoming and clarify why you do what you do. It’s especially helpful to narrow these down to a few simple, memorable statements. Clear core values make it easier for new team members to understand what’s happening when they inevitably ask questions like, “What are you doing here?” “Why are you hosting this dinner?” and “What is this meant to accomplish?” Jesus speaks to the importance of the inner life in Luke 6. He says, “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). What is inside eventually comes out. The same is true for our dinner church communities. What sits at the core of what you do—what you intentionally value, talk about, pray for, and train toward—will shape what your community becomes. At our dinners, we spent time prayerfully narrowing down the values we wanted to embody, drawing on books, training, and lived experience. We worked to keep them simple and repeatable so they could be easily shared and revisited whenever it felt like the boat was drifting. These values have become our GPS waypoints—quietly but consistently keeping us on course. Below are the core values we use, along with a brief explanation of why each one matters. Everyone Belongs Come one, come all! We will welcome everyone to the family dinner table. Luke 14:13–14; Matthew 25:34–40 We wanted to communicate clearly that this dinner is truly for everyone. There is something deeply powerful about the welcoming nature of a Jesus-shaped table. In a world where many people have experienced church as unwelcoming or exclusive, we felt this needed to be a primary waypoint guiding our dinners. Stories Matter We will seek to know not only our guests’ names, but their stories as well. John 15:12 Names matter—but stories go deeper. As we gather around the table week after week, our hope is to move beyond surface-level connection into meaningful relationship. When we know one another’s stories, we create space for honest conversation, deeper prayer, and shared life. Jesus-Centered We will share the Good News of Christ through a brief teaching from one of the four Gospels. Through warm hospitality, authentic conversation, and lives that reflect Christ’s love, we will remain Christ-centered in every part of every dinner. 1 Corinthians 2:1–5 Our dinner churches must never become just another place to eat. Without the life-changing presence of the Holy Spirit, we lose the power to bring about real transformation. We are setting a Jesus table—period. This is our primary waypoint, and it guides everything we do.  So what about you? What core values guide your dinner church? And how are you intentionally guarding against the drift?

When congregations say, “We’re too old and tired to start something new,” I understand. Carrying the weight of keeping a church going—especially after years of service—can feel exhausting. But here’s the surprising truth: stepping into a simple new mission may be the very thing that breathes new life into you. Here are five reasons why:  1. New Mission Rekindles Old Fire Remember when your faith felt vibrant—when you couldn’t wait to see what God would do next? Starting a Fresh Expression isn’t about adding more work. It’s about recovering that sense of adventure with Jesus. Nothing wakes up weary hearts like seeing God move in new ways. 2. Purpose Gives Energy Fatigue often comes not just from doing too much, but from doing the same things over and over. When you begin to pour your love, prayers, and presence into new relationships, you may find energy you didn’t know you still had. Purpose has a way of renewing strength. 3. Community Restores Joy Starting a Fresh Expression often happens around tables, hobbies, or simple gatherings. That means laughter, friendship, and shared meals. These are the things that restore joy—not only for those you reach, but for you too. 4. Sharing Your Story Reignites Gratitude You’ve walked with God through decades. When you share that story with someone who’s just beginning to wonder about faith, it does something powerful: it reminds you how faithful God has been. Gratitude has a way of lifting the heaviest weariness. 5. God Loves to Work Through Weakness When you feel old or tired, you’re not disqualified—you’re actually in the sweet spot. As Paul wrote, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). God has always delighted in using those who feel small and limited. What feels like the end of your capacity may be the beginning of God’s miracle. And being part of that miracle is one of the most life-giving experiences of all. Maybe you don’t recognize the treasure of what you bring to the mission field right now. But you’ve seen God’s faithfulness through decades of change and have a unique perspective on God’s promises. You know what really matters—love, relationships, and faith—and aren’t swept up in the latest fads or influencers. While younger families are often running at breakneck speed, you have the gift of time and presence. One “old and tired” church is now humming with sewing machines and faith conversations every week. Another “old and tired” church is excited about opening up a Board Game Café in the heart of small town Appalachia. Yet another “old and tired” church swaps recipes and stories every week as they cook for Dinner Church and delight as all walks of life around table together at the weekly Community Dinner. The Bottom Line You don’t have to be young, flashy, or full of energy to start a Fresh Expression. In fact, if you think you are “old and tired,” you might just be perfectly positioned. God is not finished writing stories through you…and your community may need your faith, presence, and wisdom now more than ever.

I have spent a large portion of my studies exploring visual theology, especially in the context of worship. What is the proper place of images in our devotion, and how do they communicate the Gospel message in and of themselves? When I come across an image that particularly moves me, I take notice. I was recently visiting with life-long friends from my college days. For many of those years, we lived in a tight fellowship around mission, music, conversation—and yes, around a table. Whether in a college dining hall or other mealtime moments, we shared something profoundly connective as we gathered for food and fellowship. Formed Around a Table Within hours of my visit, their daughter Anna Rose posted a print of a piece of art she created, and I was immediately taken by its composition. The piece is entitled A Place at the Table , and it captured my attention at once. (She is a gifted artist and entrepreneur, and I would commend her work for your consideration: https://www.goodseedcraftco.com .) It is easy to feel isolated, disconnected, and alone in this chaotic world. We have more means of communication than ever, and yet, as U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy has reported, we are living through an epidemic of isolation and loneliness. He writes: People began to tell me they felt isolated, invisible, and insignificant. Even when they couldn’t put their finger on the word “lonely,” time and time again, people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, from every corner of the country, would tell me, “I have to shoulder all of life’s burdens by myself,” or “if I disappear tomorrow, no one will even notice.” (There is an 82-page report on this epidemic of isolation available here ) A solitary existence lessens us and detaches us from true community and connection. All of us, at some level, are wired for relationship. We can recall the creation account in Genesis 2:18, where God says, “It is not good that humanity should be alone.” We were created with a deep need to belong—to family, to community. In this broken and complicated world, that need often becomes distorted, and we try to fill it with other things. The pandemic accelerated this, as have social media and now artificial intelligence. God With Us Though Christmas may be in the rear-view mirror, we would do well to remember its central message: Emmanuel—God with us. The entire biblical narrative is anchored in this truth. God created us in His image for fellowship with Him. We fractured that relationship through disobedience, and the rest of Scripture is fundamentally about restoration—about God drawing us back into the relationships we were made for, with Him and with one another. The biblical promise, ultimately, is the promise of God’s presence. Jesus embodied this reality through a ministry of with-ness. He was with people regardless of their allegiances, social status, gender, faith, or lack thereof. He was with sinners and tax collectors, traitors and the infirmed, Roman soldiers, uneducated fishermen, and learned scholars alike. A Place at the Table Many of the stories of Jesus unfold around food and shared meals, which brings us back to A Place at the Table. The artwork captures a vision of community gathered around a meal—perhaps strangers, perhaps lifelong friends, perhaps family. This is the heart of the Dinner Church mission. It portrays a table where lives are nourished—body, soul, mind, and spirit. Some recent statistics suggest a renewed interest in Christianity, and I hope and pray that is true. Still, there are many who will never darken the door of a Sunday morning church service. For them, it is unfamiliar terrain—something they do not understand or feel equipped to navigate. Honestly, I do not believe that is what Jesus intended. The Church is not a building, nor is it confined to a Sunday morning experience. It is something more. I’ve found myself saying this often lately: the Church is a community of faith—people doing life together with Kingdom purpose and mission. It is a 24/7 reality, a place of life, hope, comfort, and peace in Christ Jesus. While some may hesitate to enter a traditional worship service, many will make room to share a meal and experience genuine community when given the invitation. This is why the Dinner Church mission is so essential. It is a place of connection with Almighty God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Everyone is welcome. Everyone belongs. Everyone has a place at the table.

I’m the granddaughter of a grower, a horticulturist, and a pioneer who supplied the Eastern United States with delicious fruit and beautiful plants for decades. Growing up, I learned early that fertile fields don’t just happen—you prepare them. You walk the boundaries, test the soil, remove the rocks, and pray for rain. You learn to trust that the seeds you plant will bear fruit in time. That rhythm—preparing, sowing, tending, and trusting—has shaped how I see the church and the mission of God. Jesus tells a story in Matthew 13 about a sower who scatters seed with generous abandon. Some falls on rocky ground, some among thorns, and some on good soil that produces an abundant harvest. The sower’s work is not to force the growth, but to prepare the soil and make room for the Spirit’s increase. I think that’s what we’re doing in the Fresh Expressions movement—cultivating the kind of soil where the gospel can take root in the hearts of people who might never find their way into a sanctuary. When the Fields Called Wesley In the spring of 1739, John Wesley faced his own “field moment.” His friend George Whitefield invited him to preach outside the walls of the church—literally, in the open air—to miners and laborers who would never set foot in an Anglican parish. Wesley was hesitant. He had been formed as an Anglican priest, faithful to the order and rhythm of the church. But when he saw the crowds who were spiritually hungry yet far from the pews, he wrote in his Journal: “At four in the afternoon I submitted to be more vile, and proclaimed in the highways the glad tidings of salvation.” — John Wesley’s Journal, April 2, 1739 Today, fewer than 1 in 3 Americans attend church services regularly, with only about 20% attending weekly and over half (57%) rarely or never participating in traditional religious gatherings. Meanwhile, nearly 30% of Americans now identify as religiously unaffiliated—a number that continues to rise each year. https://news.gallup.com/poll/642548/church-attendance-declined-religious-groups.aspx Yet, research consistently shows strong spiritual curiosity. For example, a recent study found that 66% of U.S. adults—even across generations—say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus that is still important today, and nearly a third of all Americans consider themselves “spiritually curious” despite not attending church. ​ https://georgebarna.com/2025/02/most-americans-believe-in-a-supreme-power/ These trends echo the challenge that John Wesley faced—many people are unlikely to come inside church walls, but they remain deeply open to spiritual conversations and new expressions of Christian community outside traditional settings. That moment changed everything. Wesley didn’t abandon the Church of England; he sought to renew it from within by reaching those it had overlooked. His heart was not to create a rival church, but to extend the reach of grace—in his words to, “spread scriptural holiness throughout the land.” He knew the gospel could not be contained within the walls of even the most faithful parish. That is the beauty of the Methodist movement and perhaps what I most highly regard in Wesley’s theology. This important contribution to contemporary to Christian theogy is a both/and ness or as Wesley scholar Paul Chilcote refers to it “conjunctive theology” rather than either/or theology, that fleshes itself out in practical ways across our bridgebuilding tradition. Preparing the Soil Then and Now Wesley’s decision to take to the fields was not rebellion—it was reclamation. Both/And. He understood, as Jesus taught in Matthew 13, that the Word of God often meets resistance, but when the soil is ready, it multiplies thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold. The condition of the soil, in fact, did not prevent the Sower from scattering it generously if even perhaps, haphazardly. Wesley began organizing those who responded into small groups, or “societies, class meetings, and bands” where people could confess their sins, hear the stories and learn the ways of Jesus, and care for one another. Those early Methodists became gardeners of grace—cultivating holiness through community, discipline, and mission. That same pattern continues today in Fresh Expressions of church. We’re not creating something entirely new; we’re tending the fields Wesley and the circuit riders once rode through, believing again that God’s grace precedes us, is already at work, and wants to reach every person, in every place. We need only tend the soil of our communities. Whether it’s a dinner church, a running group, a recovery circle, or a coffee shop community, these expressions of church echo Wesley’s field preaching: going to where people are, not waiting for them to come to us. Sent in Pairs: Luke 10 and the Circuit Riders When Jesus sent out the seventy-two in Luke 10, He gave them clear instructions: “Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves… Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.” (Luke 10:3–4) He told them to rely on the hospitality of others, to speak peace, and to heal. The mission was mobile, relational, and dependent on the Spirit. Those instructions could easily describe the circuit riders of early Methodism. They traveled light, trusted God to provide, and sought out people who hadn’t heard the good news. They were sent to proclaim grace, form communities of faith, and nurture discipleship in barns, taverns, and on front porches. Quite frankly, this depended on the everyday Christian and the ministry of the laity. The only way the Methodist movement was able to move across the American landscape was due to the empowerment of the laity. Today is no different. The people called Methodist speak to this value in our connectional system. These fresh expressions of church are one more way we can empower and deploy our laity while recapturing our Wesleyan roots like the circuit riders who paved the way for us today. Where might God be calling you to cultivate the soil in your own community? Who are the people on the edges—the ones who aren’t coming to church but whom Jesus longs to reach? How might you go, as Wesley did, to where the people already are? The circuit riders’ lives were marked by both grit and grace. They rode hundreds of miles through harsh weather, often sleeping outdoors (and sometimes even on horseback), driven by a conviction that no soul should be out of reach of grace. Their legacy reminds us that innovation in mission is never about novelty for its own sake—it’s about love that refuses to be limited by buildings or boundaries. Today’s Fresh Expressions pioneers share that same resilient spirit, seeking out the people and places where grace permeates the soil and seeds beg to break through. Cultivating Fields of Renewal Wesley often said, “The world is my parish.” It was both a statement of boldness and humility. He didn’t mean he owned the world; he meant the world was entrusted to him as a field of mission. Every village, every person, every pub, every workplace—each was soil in which the Spirit was at work. Today, our fields might look different—online spaces, neighborhood parks, assisted living facilities, tattoo parlors, or CrossFit gyms—but the call remains the same: to cultivate soil where grace can grow. When we experiment with new forms of church, we’re not forsaking the old fields; we’re expanding the boundaries of the parish. A Call to Go and Grow As the granddaughter of a grower, I know that preparing soil is slow, patient work. You can’t rush a harvest. You have to tend to what’s beneath the surface, trusting that God is already at work long before the first green shoots appear. As a Methodist, I recognize the same pattern in Wesley’s movement. His ministry took root because he went to the people and nurtured what God was already growing. Fresh Expressions today are simply another season in that same story—another generation of Methodists called to go, to till, to tend, and to trust. “I look upon all the world as my parish; thus far I mean, that, in whatever part of it I am, I judge it meet, right, and my bounden duty to declare unto all that are willing to hear, the glad tidings of salvation.” — John Wesley, Journal, June 11, 1739 As Jesus said to His followers in Luke 10, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” (Luke 10:2) The same is true today. The harvest fields around us are ripe—with people longing for belonging, meaning, and hope. The invitation is simple: Go. Prepare the soil. Trust that God is already scattering seed generously. For the “both/and” Wesleys, John and his brother Charles, there was no holiness apart from social holiness. Put another way, there was no holiness of heart apart from life. The linchpin, “The only thing that counts is faith working itself out through love.”-- Galatians 5:6 For the Wesley’s, holiness of heart and life is the goal toward which every Christian life should move. Ask God to show you one “field” near you where the soil might be ready. It could be a local café, a dog park, a recovery meeting, or a place you already spend time. Pray for the people there. Listen for their stories. Ask God how you might join God to bring peace and presence, not programs and plans. Because the same Spirit that sent Wesley to the fields is still sending us— into the world that is, even now, God’s parish.

Advent has become my favorite season in the church calendar. It is the first step in the cycle of light as darkness is dispelled. We often begin the Advent season with these words from Isaiah 9:2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. Advent focuses on preparation for the 2nd Advent of Christ and his return, the consummation of the Kingdom of God. We are also preparing to celebrate His 1st coming; Christmas and Incarnation, a mission to redeem & rescue humanity. Advent Spirituality has various themes; expectation, preparation, reflection and most of all Advent is anchored in HOPE. Romans 13:11-14 reminds us: You know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness & put on the armor of light; It’s About TIME! Advent calls us to see time not only in calendar days but through the lens of eternity, with an eternal perspective. Hope draws us into a holy longing to see God’s Kingdom come and God’s will being done as in heaven, so on earth. Sometimes this world can be hard, cold, painful, unjust and cruel. We suffer in a harsh and sometimes brutal environment which seems even more so in these days of cultural and political polarization and divide. We often sense a brokeness that we don’t know how to mend. Yet, in Advent we are reminded that this is not the ultimate reality and we are invited to long for a world made new by the grace of God. I’ve lived in Florida for nearly forty years, a place where beauty surrounds me on every coastline—even if hurricanes visit more often than I would like. However I grew up in North Georgia. I’ve always been a mountain boy at heart, most at home in the rarefied air of high altitudes. I may live in a state where the highest mountain is Disney’s Space Mountain, but part of me will always be more at home in steep elevations, peaks and crags and navigating winding, switchback roads. I get glimpses in pictures, postcards and visits to places like Banner Elk, North Carolina or Jackson Hole, Wyoming and the Grand Tetons and now, after a bucket list trip to Scotland, the Scottish Highlands! They create in me a deep longing, reminding me there’s another world beyond the flat land where I now dwell, a vertical world where my heart has taken up residence. I carry these images with me, in my head and on my phone as a reminder of the joy I find in these places. Jesus gave us an equivalent of a collection of postcards from home. In parables, meals, moments of healing, and boundary-crossing conversations, Jesus gave us glimpses of life in God’s kingdom—images starkly at odds with the world as it is. Through prayers, silence, contemplation, deep community and friendships, we can be transported to touch a life where there is no more pain or suffering, no more disease of grief, no more heartache, no more death. Jesus’ stories and interactions serve as a reminder that the world will not always be the way it is. And this kingdom is not only for “the sweet by-and-by.” It is breaking in now . Though we may not yet experience the absence of darkness, we can attend to the glimpses and manifestations of the light of Christ now. Fresh Expressions has this kingdom focus as we see people coming to faith, being welcomed and becoming a part of a faith community, doing life together, exploring the higher aspirations of God’s Kingdom. Whether it’s at a coffee shop, a playground, a gym, a dinner table, you name it - we are seeing the world changed, one life at a time. If one of God’s attributes is that God is truly omnipresent (meaning God is everywhere), we cannot confine God to Sunday mornings and a building where the church meets. Jesus commissioned the church to; go and make disciples and this happens anywhere and at any time. Fresh Expressions is truly an Advent Mission positioned with light and hope in a world desperate for both. We have our own “snapshots” of Kingdom life ( you are welcome to enjoy these stories here ). So in these Advent days, we hope; we trust; we are encouraged. We open the scrapbook, Kingdom Postcards of God’s promises and remember the world to which we truly belong. Hebrews 11 reminds us that our spiritual ancestors “saw the promises from a distance and welcomed them,” longing for a better country, a city and heavenly residence. We too are sojourners—citizens of a kingdom still coming, yet already at work among us. As Augustine would say, We long for The City of God ! Advent is a season of promise. And at Christmas that promise is realized in Jesus. A seminary professor once asked, “Did Jesus fulfill all the Messianic prophecies?” The answer was, “Not yet—but He fulfilled enough of them to assure us that He will fulfill the all of them.” Will this world be made right? Will pain and suffering someday be no more? You betcha! We glimpse it now where self-giving love turns the other cheek, extends grace, crosses barriers, and turns strangers into friends. This is how the Kingdom comes…and we see this happening daily through the Fresh Expressions movement. Advent gives us a promise to hold. Let us cling to it with hope and expectation as each week we light another candle and through our lives, manifest that light in the world.

I’ll never forget the conversations my spouse and I had about whether to have a child. Were we ready? Did we have enough saved? What about our busy schedules? There were plenty of reasons we could rattle off that would suggest we wait. But here’s what we realized: if we waited for the “perfect time,” we’d never take the leap. New life is never born out of perfect circumstances. Rather, it’s born out of love, courage, and trust that God will provide what we need along the way. The same is true for the church. With cultural shifts, financial uncertainty, and so much change in the air, it might feel like now is the worst time to try something new on the edges of your current mission and ministry. But in reality, it may be the best time. Here are five reasons why: 1. People are spiritually hungry. If you’re in church every week, it can feel like the only people who care about God are the ones already there—the faithful few who show up, serve on committees, and keep things running. From inside the walls, it may look like nobody else is interested. But step outside, and you’ll see a different picture. Spiritual hunger is everywhere. It’s the young professional who scrolls through mindfulness podcasts late at night because she’s desperate for peace. It’s the neighbor who keeps a crystal on his desk because he’s looking for healing and energy. It’s the retiree who spends hours on ancestry sites because he’s searching for connection and meaning. It’s the college student asking, “What’s my purpose?” while nursing anxiety over the future. These are people longing for hope, belonging, and something deeper than what they’re finding. They may not be coming to church—but that doesn’t mean they aren’t hungry for God. The question is: are we willing to meet them in their hunger? 2. Passions can be what makes faith come alive What if the things that make you come alive—whether it’s hiking, painting, cooking, or playing cards with friends—weren’t “extras” to squeeze in after “real life,” but places where God’s Spirit is inviting us to sink in and explore with others. We live in a dis-integrated world, where we are not sure how our work life, family life, free time, and faith connect. But Fresh Expressions weave together the things that bring you joy, the God who is the source of that joy, and the people around you who may discover faith through those very same passions. What if God never meant for life to be so divided? In a fractured world, Fresh Expressions bring wholeness. They remind us that God doesn’t just show up in sanctuaries—God shows up in our everyday passions. And when we share those passions with others, they can become doorways for people to encounter Jesus in ways that feel authentic, integrated, and deeply human. We become more alive, and they do too. 3. Good conversation changes lives. If our world needs anything right now, it’s honest, hopeful conversation. Too often, people only encounter church as a one-way monologue—someone speaking from a pulpit. But what many are longing for is dialogue. They want a safe space to wrestle with questions, share their stories, and make sense of a changing world. Around a table, with a cup of coffee or a shared meal, conversations can open doors that sermons alone can’t. Fresh Expressions create those spaces for dialogue—where the gospel can be shared not just in words, but in relationships and mutual conversation. 4. Playfulness breathes new life. One of the overlooked gifts of Fresh Expressions is their spirit of playfulness. And that playfulness is contagious. It reawakens joy in Christians who have been burned out by institutional maintenance. It helps congregations remember that following Jesus is not just about duty or obligation—it’s also about delight. What if we began hosting a neighborhood dinner, not as a “program” but as a chance to laugh, share stories, and savor food together.? What if instead of chasing the middle schoolers out of the parking lot after school, we cranked up the music and started enjoying popcorn and cornhole together? Playfulness creates space for delight, and delight creates space for connection. And when we invite others into this kind of shared life, faith doesn’t feel like an obligation—it feels like joy catching hold. We begin to see Jesus not as the taskmaster of our duties but as the playful Savior who delights in setting people free. In a world that feels heavy with anxiety and division, Christians who live with playfulness, curiosity, and generosity shine like sparks in the dark. And those sparks? They have a way of catching on. 5. We can reframe church for a new generation. If there’s one word that describes our culture right now, it might be cynicism . Generations are growing up in a world of broken promises—institutions that fail, leaders who disappoint, divisions that deepen, and a constant stream of bad news in the palm of their hands. Cynicism feels like a shield: if you don’t trust, you can’t be hurt. But shields also keep out the very things that give life—love, hope, and belonging. This is why reframing faith for a new generation matters so much right now. Cynicism doesn’t just make people skeptical, it slowly erodes the capacity to imagine a better future. It leaves people resigned, tired, and disengaged. If you can’t trust anyone or anything, then what’s left to build your life on? And here is where the gospel speaks with surprising urgency. An encounter with the living God cuts through cynicism in a way nothing else can. Fresh Expressions arrive not with easy answers or trite slogans, but encounters with the disruptive, healing presence of Jesus. Imagine what happens when someone discovers that God is not a manipulative authority figure looking to entrap them, but the One who loves them without condition, whose mercy is from everlasting to everlasting. For a flourishing future, we don’t need more clever spin or moral guilt-trips. We need a generation who has tasted the goodness of God for themselves—who have found a hope sturdy enough to withstand the world’s brokenness and a love strong enough to build new communities of belonging. The Bottom Line If you’re waiting for the “perfect time” to start a Fresh Expression, you’ll wait forever. But if you take a step of faith now—imperfect as it may feel—you might just make room for God to birth something new. And here’s the surprising thing: when you take that leap, it’s not only your community that comes alive. You come alive. Your leaders come alive. Your church comes alive.  There will never be a perfect time to start a Fresh Expression. There is only now.

I’m a Holiness, Pentecostal, Anabaptist. You won’t find that combination coming together very often anywhere, but I have found that all three streams work well within the Fresh Expressions movement. Some might assume that the Holiness/Pentecostal part makes sense with Fresh Expressions, but how can the Anabaptist part work? Afterall Fresh Expressions is a movement founded within the Church of England? How does Anabaptist belief and practice fit with that? Let’s remember that the Fresh Expressions movement took root in the fields of post-Christendom England just a few decades ago. Christian leaders among the church of England noticed that people were gathering in places outside the four walls of the church buildings to encounter God. Relational connections, networks of friendships were organically forming for mission in places of hurt, brokenness, marginalization. And outbreaks of the Spirit were happening. People were finding Christ in fresh and new ways. The church was happening among people that would never “go to church.” To their credit, the Anglican church leaders asked how can we support these movements and cooperate with what God was doing. Thus started a movement, the Mission-Shaped Church movement, as one of the founding documents was titled. It led to the Fresh Expressions movement in the UK and spread to North America. The Anabaptist movements have their origins 500 years ago in Europe, in the fields of post Christendom as well. In this case though, the Anabaptists were openly rejecting the Christendom alignment of church, state and culture. But like present-day Fresh Expressions, they represented the movements of Jesus happening outside the sanctioned four walls of the church and it’s hierarchies. As such, the two movements both started with Christians gathering outside the sanctioned practice and programs of the established church. And so we might expect that there’s much to learn from each other. Allow me to explore a few places where some of these learnings can happen. Christian leaders among the church of England noticed that people were gathering in places outside the four walls of the church buildings to encounter God. Post Christendom The medieval structures of the church, sponsored (and paid for) by the state, organized the church towards buildings, placing church authority in the offices of the priest/bishop, and coordinating the worship service and other programs of the church towards a uniform liturgy for all churches across the world. It was all part of Christendom. Anabaptists critiqued all of this, much of it for good reason. And this gave impetus for a reexamination of church outside the structures of the four walls of the Christendom church. In some ways, Fresh Expressions is doing today what Anabaptists have been doing for 500 years, the birthing of church expressions outside the walls and programming of institutional structure. Along with all this came an Anabaptist suspicion towards what had become the centralized leadership structures of the church and its proclivity towards hierarchy. Plagued with corruption, and abuse of power, Anabaptists left these medieval church hierarchies for more collaborative, organic forms of leadership. They sought to develop leadership “among” a people, not “over” a people. Five hundred years later, as we try to organize church outside the four walls of the church, what Fresh Expressions calls a ‘blended ecology,’ leadership will need to be organic in similar ways, doing the work of coalescing groups on the ground into the work of the Spirit. Anabaptists have some theology and history to offer Fresh Expressions in these tasks. But of course, it goes without saying, as with all movements, that over time institutions and bureaucracies get set in their ways. Five hundred years of Anabaptist history has shown how some of the best ideas on collaborative leadership, mutual and communal discernment, can go awry. Fresh Expressions has much to offer Anabaptists in this regard. Their work in training and developing new kinds of leaders can reinvigorate the Anabaptist work of developing leaders. Fresh Expressions can reinvigorate old histories, while Anabaptists can help in not repeating old mistakes. If Anabaptists have the history, Fresh Expressions has the energy. Anabaptists bring wisdom. Fresh Expressions brings the ”fresh” eyes. Together, I believe, a dialogue can ignite both for the work of Christ’s kingdom. If Anabaptists have the history, Fresh Expressions has the energy. Community and Discipleship Anabaptists see the church as more than a collection of individuals who gather to receive religious goods and service from the professionals. American churches have sometimes fallen into that trap. Fresh Expressions and Anabaptists alike resist that consumer approach to church. For Anabaptists, the community is central to the life of the believer. This Anabaptist focus wards off the consumerist tendencies of our culture. For Anabaptists, fellowship around a table at a potluck meal is almost sacramental. It is a special place to encounter Christ. The church is an alive organism of the Holy Spirit whereby we discern life together and the salvation made possible in Jesus Christ becomes real and lived together. Christianity is not a religion. Church is not a set of programs. It is a way of life given to us in Christ, lived out under His Lordship over a community, made possible by the Holy Spirit. Discipleship moves to the forefront for Anabaptists because Christians can no longer depend on the culture of Christendom to support Christian life. It must be the church community itself that generates culture and life sufficient to nurture our souls into faithfulness. And so the church as a community, alive with the gifts of the Spirit, eating meals at a table, discerning the teachings of Scripture, become a whole way of life that disciples believers into the Kingdom. There can be no consumerism here. This changes the way we think about ecclesiology. Anabaptists focus on practices, that shape beliefs into behavior. The questions we ask shift. When is a community just an affinity group, when is it mission, when is it discipleship? What is the core practices of discipleship and community that ground us in Jesus? As Fresh Expressions builds communities and practices for building communities outside the church, the wisdom of Anabaptists is helpful. The Anabaptist focus on practices, not only beliefs or programs, is helpful. And yet, as Anabaptists seek to avoid their own communities from becoming insular, coercive or sectarian, they can learn communal formation for mission all over again at Fresh Expressions. Together, Anabaptists and Fresh Expressions together, in dialogue, can ignite both for the renewal of the kingdom in our neighborhoods. The Kingdom Versus creedal formulas, Anabaptists tend to focus on Jesus first, his whole life, his proclamation of the Kingdom of God coming in his presence. The gospel is the whole life of Jesus, his victory over sin, death and evil. And so salvation hardly makes sense apart from Jesus’ preaching of the Kingdom of God, the inauguration of the Kingdom, and the living in that Kingdom now in anticipation of its future. Salvation can never be only personal, it is intensely social. And salvation can never be only social, it is intensely personal andn transformation as I personally follow Jesus and make Him Lord of my life. It is this full gospel, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and its inextricable link to the Kingdom that takes us beyond the individualist formulas. The Christendom forces in our history will always tempt us to turn salvation in Jesus into a formula Anabaptists of all streams can learn and be invigorated from the. But we must resist and learn the ways of calling people into something deeper. This is the heart of Fresh Expressions, it seems to me. Anabaptists can help Fresh Expressions with this call to something deeper. But sometimes Anabaptists can also get caught into an echo chamber. Over time our language and skills of communication lose the ability to engage the world outside the church. Fresh Expressions is ever pressing into how we can communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom into broken places. Once again, I believe, that Anabaptists and Fresh Expressions together, in dialogue, can ignite a renewal of evangelism and witness to the kingdom in our neighborhoods. Courage for new adventures must take hold. We’re In New Territory Now In summary, if there’s one thing I have learned from both Anabaptists and Fresh Expressions, it’s that once we understand the social dynamics of the new post-Christendom cultures, our entire missiology and ecclesiology must shift. Old habits must die. Courage for new adventures must take hold. And God is calling us into these new fields of post-Christendom to do mission. And for this calling, I am so blessed to have partaken of both the Anabaptists streams and Fresh Expressions streams of theology and practice. I pray God brings these two great historical movements together more in the future to accomplish great things for the Kingdom of God in Jesus name.

Ever since the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV) took responsibility for stewarding the Fresh Expressions movement (which originated in Great Britain) in the United States in 2012, Baptists from various streams of this vibrant and diverse family have caught its vision and ideals. Globally, Baptists are among the largest denominational families within the Reformation/Protestant tradition of the Christian Church. The Baptist World Alliance, for example, represents 53 million people in 138 countries and territories, with 283 member bodies. This does not include most of the Southern Baptist Convention (with the exception of BGAV and Baptist General Convention of Texas) and independent Baptists, and so it is fair to say that there are some 65-70 million Baptists globally. Baptists in general share several core convictions and missional attitudes that harmonize beautifully with the vision and mission of the Fresh Expressions movement. Commitment to the Great Commission Johann Gerhard Oncken (1800-1884), one of the founders of the Baptist movement in Germany and the rest of the European continent in the nineteenth century, was fond of saying that every Baptist was called to act as a missionary. This commitment to evangelism has been a core conviction of Baptists across the world, as they seek to participate in fulfilling the Great Commission that Jesus gave to his disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). In the twenty-first century, many Baptists have found the perspective and offerings of Fresh Expressions to be an exciting and innovative way to live out their missionary call. In the state I reside in, two-thirds of our residents will not be attending a traditional church service on Sunday mornings. New forms of community life and witness are urgently needed to reach these neighbors, many of whom are spiritually hungry but have no spiritual home. The Fresh Expressions new church plant that I attend (now a mature congregation) started out seeking to reach first and second-generation Koreans and other Asians who lived in the Princeton, NJ area. Now, some 17 years later, the church has welcomed and discipled people from a variety of cultural and racial backgrounds and is a truly global family. Small in size yet bold in vision, the fellowship has started several Fresh Expressions ministries and new congregations, from our locality outwards to several countries.