Free Resources

Over the years Fresh Expressions has collected what we’d like to call ‘tried and tested’ resources.  These come in a variety of forms but are produced by people we trust and have made an impact in the contexts they’ve been used in.  As ever we would want to stress that context is vital – so please don’t use any of the following as a model or method without thinking about its impact on the ground.  A resource built and practiced in San Francisco may work very differently in Hunters Bar.  That said, everything below is free to download and use.  Please do credit those who’ve created these resources.

Three Minute Guides 

In 2015 the team created seven short 3-minute guides which you can download for free.

The topics include:

  • What are Fresh Expressions of Church?
  • 5 Reasons to start a Fresh Expression of Church
  • How to start a Fresh Expression of Church
  • How to start making disciples
  • How to grow and make disciples
  • Reproducing your Fresh Expression of Church
  • How to measure fruitfulness

Essential FX

The Experience of Pioneers

A wonderful paper produced by Beth Keith and the Church Army

The Experience of Pioneers

Methodist Fresh Expressions

This download is a summary of the Methodist Church vision for Fresh Expressions.

fresh-expressions-in-the-methodist-church

Also here is a wonderful article written by Graham Horsley in the Autumn for 2017 reviewing Methodist Fresh Expressions in the UK

Connexion mag 17final

Anvil Journals

Church Mission Society produce a regular online missions journal called Anvil.

Previous issues include:

Pioneering on New Estates

Evangelism 

Missional Entrepreneurship

Research Papers

The following research papers have been made available with kind permission from their authors.

Andrew Roberts – Discipleship in Fresh Expressions 2009

Beth Keith – New Housing Research 2010

Andy Dodwell – The Place of Scarments in Fresh Expressions

Built_on_the_Word._The_Theology_and_Use_of_the_Bible_in_the_Australian_Anglican_Fresh_Expressions_of_Church

Steve Corbett – Fresh Expressions Church Re-Imagined 2008

Olive Drane Sanctus 1 2003

Alan Bing – Analysis of fxC surveys in 2017

The Apprentice Training Resource

https://apprentice2jesus.net

Fresh expressions in the Church of England research

The Church Army’s Research Unit has conducted two major pieces of research into fresh expressions of church in ten dioceses of the Church of England, as part of the Church Growth Research Programme. You can find its most up to date research and download it at their website.  It’s called The Day of Small Things and was compiled by George Lings.

The Church of England’s ‘Living Ministry’ research programme published in May 2021 ‘The Mixed Ecologists: Experiences of Mixed Ecology Ministers in the Church of England,’ by Ruth Perrin and Ed Olsworth-Peter. It represents the stories of 17 clergy engaged in both pioneering and inherited expressions of church. Mixed ecology ministry is a key part of the Church of England’s new Vision & Strategy work and this report explores what it looks like in practice and its implications for clergy, congregations, and those they seek to reach.

Denominational statistics

Most denominations have only limited statistics on fresh expressions of church, as part of their overall statistics.

Church of England statistics department (including fresh expressions 2010 PowerPoint)

Methodist statistics for mission (including limited information about fresh expressions of church)

URC statistics

The Salvation Army statistics

Office for National Statistics: 2011 Census, Religious Data

Theology

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.

ANVIL is the journal of mission and pioneer ministry created by the Church Mission Society.

We would also recommend:

Scroll to top