Research

Research into fresh expressions is currently only embryonic. We will feature here any research articles, books and studies about fresh expressions that we are aware of. Please do let us know about any we've missed.

The Sheffield Centre maintains SCOLER (Sheffield Centre Online Library of Evangelism Research) which makes available free research papers on evangelism and fresh expressions of church.

You can also search for 'Fresh Expressions of Church' on Google Scholar.

Major research projects

The Sheffield Centre's Database for fresh expressions includes reports on Anglican fresh expressions of church by diocese [Sheffield Centre].
Dioceses researched so far are:

• Liverpool Diocese, March 2012 [Download below]
• Canterbury Diocese, June 2012 [Download below]
• Leicester Diocese, October 2012 [Download below]

Books

Mission-shaped Church, 2004 [Google Books] [Shop]

Steven Croft (ed.) Mission-shaped Questions, CHP, 2008 [Google Books] [Shop]

Martyn Percy and Louise Nelstrop, Evaluating Fresh Expressions: explorations in emerging church, Canterbury Press Norwich, 2008 [Amazon]

Journals

Sheffield Centre, Encounters on the Edge, ongoing series [Sheffield Centre]

Essays and study papers

Steve Corbett, Fresh expressions - church reimagined?, 2008 [Sheffield Centre]

Olive Drane, Sanctus1, 2003 [Sheffield Centre]

Andrew Roberts, Discipleship in fresh expressions, 2009 [Contact us]

Andrew Roberts, What Acts 2:42-47 has to say about fresh expressions, 2009 [Download below]

Beth Keith, New housing areas research, 2010 [Download below]

MA dissertations

Revd Nicholas J Haigh, Reconfiguring the System: A sociological and theological enquiry into the emergence of network church within the Church of England, 2004 [Sheffield Centre]

Revd Dr Eleanor Williams, Fresh Expressions in the urban context, 2007 [Amazon] [Lulu] [Interview on emergingchurch.info]

Tracy Robinson, Litury and Identity: What does the Liturgy Make of Me?, 2009 (Interpreting the Effect of The Liturgy on Personal Identity in a Fresh Expression of Church) [British & Irish Association for Practical Theology]

Other postgraduate papers

Andrew J Dodwell, Reflections upon the reorganisation of a church as it becomes intentionally 'mission-shaped' - A case study of Holy Trinity Church Barnstaple, 2010 [Download below]

Undergraduate dissertations

Andrew J Dodwell, A theological examination of the place of Sacraments, and in particular Baptism and Eucharist, in fresh expressions of the Church, 2008 [Download below]

Sabbatical reports

Frances Shoesmith, Exploring fresh expressions of church in deprived urban areas, 2009 [Download below]