Fresh expression

Fresh expressions (Eng. Fresh Expressions ) is the name for a series of new ecclesial groups that have developed within the Church of England since 1990.

They believe that the British society of the 21st century is very different from the forms of society that prevailed at the founding of the most classic parishes. Do you go about assuming that the traditional expressions of church for the majority of the UK population have become insignificant. Fresh expressions are characterized by a lack of formal adherence to traditional patterns of church life, language and places of encounter.

This new movement is trying to make the Gospel to the people important that previously unchurched. While 70 % of the UK population at a census in 2001 said they were Christians, reported less than 15 % of the population that they regularly attend religious services. Members of such groups are trying to redefine what church is. The statistical coverage of the Church of England from the year 2007 showed that now tens of thousands of people in England belong to such groups.

There are now available for a variety of audiences Fresh expressions. These include, inter alia, the skateboarding and BMX culture in Essex, coffeehouse culture in Kidsgrove, artists and creative people in London, students in Southampton, surfers in Cornwall, Asians in Birmingham, Manchester city center residents and children in Portsmouth.

In September 2005, the movement of the Church of England and the Methodist Church of Great Britain was officially recognized as an organization and encouraged. Fresh Expressions has a core team of 15 people and is headed by the Commissioner of the Archbishop Graham Cray, formerly Bishop of Maidstone.

The development of the ecumenical Fresh Expressions initiative based on the report of the General Synod of the Church of England in 2004. Methodist side of the movement is documented in the article "Change the Church in a changing world". The " United Reformed Church ," the " Congregational Federation " and " Ground Level Network " are just as formal partners.

In Germany, sets Michael Herbst, professor of practical theology at Greifswald, one for taking the idea of ​​fresh expressions in the Protestant churches. He was next to the Anglican Bishops Steven Croft and Graham Cray one of the main speakers at the Conference for Community Innovation "Community 2.0" in March 2011 in Filderstadt -Bernhausen near Stuttgart.