Called to the Centre?

The rhetoric of this second phase of Fresh Expressions seems to place a large focus on embedding fresh expressions in the ordinary life of the traditional church. Fresh Expressions, as an institution, is moving towards the centre. My personal vocation has always been to the edges, and hence I personally react against this move towards the centre. It may be that the move towards the centre is correct for Fresh Expressions, but my question is whether this centripetal movement is missional suicide for fresh expressions.

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Comments

[Tony]

Sounds to me like it's just returning to its roots. It was always mostly a marketing slogan.. now it's going to degrade to launching more coffee mornings & drift into irrelevance - so be it. You don't need cute phrases to live on the edge, you just need to do it.

Adding 'traditional church' to anything kills it stone dead.. the average 'traditional' church has more life in the graveyard surrounding it than inside.

[Eric White]

"but my question is whether this centripetal movement is missional suicide for fresh expressions." Undoubtedly and sadly - Yes. But my prayer is that we don't repeat the errors of history.

[stf]

posted my thought in the wrong place. sorry

For many spiritual searchers and post-modern pilgrims, the mainstream nature of Fresh Expressions is deeply problematic. Many questions will be asked such as: 'Do I want to be part of a mainstream, hierarchical institution?' If the answer is no, then we will have failed in this part of the missional task and so, whilst I recognise the importance of the relationship to centre, it seems that we need to nurture the new emerging edges rather than the edges defined by the centre.

if you could unpack that I'd really appreciate it. If FE is just about adding bums to now empty pews it is suicidal. I believe it's more about bringing Jesus to people and allowing them to be transformed so that they, like him, will begin to operate on the margins bringing hope and life in real everyday events. Not sitting in church listening to a bloke (or even a woman) in funny clothing (and who is afraid to shake their hand for fear of 'contamination'!) drone on about something totally irrelevent

sorry cynical I know but isn't that what institutions do ... and another reason to get back to basics meet in small groups and share life (including nursing those with swine flu in our midst!)