Chilling out in church?
People's lives are getting more organised
This creates a problem for fresh expressions (and church generally).
The number of organisations has leapt dramatically, organisations are reaching into more and more parts of life such as childcare (pre-school children go to a nursery rather than being looked after by their parents), and organisations themselves feel more organised – more regulations, more targets and more accountability. We live 'the targeted life'.
Faced with all this organisation, people increasingly prize personal life which is more fluid and spontaneous - 'We'll decide whether to go to the party at the last minute'.
This creates a challenge for discipleship
The church needs to be organised to engage effectively in mission.
But many Christians want to put church into the unregulated section of their lives. They want church to be part of their personal space, free from imposed structures.
This is an issue when it comes to some traditional forms of discipleship. Pre-set disciplines and long-term commitment to a group or a course may jar with the desire for spontaneity.
Can fresh expressions be both organised and disorganised?
Can they organise where necessary, but in ways that allow space, freedom and spontaneity?
Possibilities might include:
- providing short rather than long courses so that people don’t feel that they are locked into a commitment they can’t sustain;
- encouraging individuals to find patterns and rhythms that work for them rather than slotting into a set approach;
- creating a no-pressure culture;
- providing plenty of space for people to chill and relate to one another.
What do you think about the balance between organisation and disorganisation? You may want to comment at the end of the Share page: 
Discipleship is changing as society changes.
For more thought-provoking articles on different aspects of fresh expressions of church, visit the Share website. To discuss with others, join the Share Community.
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