Last week pioneers and evangelists met in Sheffield to share their experiences and reflections on ministry as part of the Action Learning Network. Beth Keith, Learning Networks Coordinator for Fresh Expressions, tells all.
There was a real buzz about meeting together and being able to share stories. There was also the sense that the church is in a time of change. There are more opportunities now for pioneers to develop fresh expressions of church and engage in mission beyond the walls of the church. But it's also a messy time where we are not sure how these ministries will develop and how that will affect the wider church. For some this means a blank slate, developing church from mission, with local expressions of Christian community growing out of the local context. It's an opportunity to be radical and learn as you go, an opportunity for fresh expressions thinking to be influenced by what is actually happening on the ground. For others this means lots of time spent discussing and working through how pioneering ministry will develop, working closely with the established church and supporting those in mainstream traditions to embrace the opportunity the fresh expressions movement brings.
It was clear in talking to the pioneers and evangelists that whilst this season of change brings opportunities it also bringing uncertainty, tension and disagreement. So we need to keep talking, keep the dialogue going between established and emerging traditions. And even though this is at times uncomfortable, an honest and inclusive dialogue should strengthen us all. Pioneer ministry has always happened in the church, but the formal recognition in recent years marks a real shift. The church is working out what this means in practice and for some pioneers it can feel like being a guinea pig. The big challenges such as how we enable and release local leadership, what happens to fragile communities when pioneers move on and how we develop these expressions into mature churches remain. So we need to keep talking, hearing what is happening on the ground and allowing that to shape how we support both pioneers and the wider church as these ministries develop.
Fresh Expression has developed Share, a website which discusses issues related to fresh expressions of church. Hear stories, read about patterns of pioneer ministry, add your comments, questions and share what you are experiencing.
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