Day: 18 July 2016

Church Army’s Research Unit, led by Dr George Lings, has being working for some years, supported by the Church Commissioners, to provide the Church of England with an overall picture of its fresh expressions of Church (fxC) and an assessment of their overall contribution.

4^th November is the day of a conference in Sheffield at Church Army’s home, to share the results with the wider church. Four elements of research will be woven together by the team:

• What was learnt from the leaders of 1100 fxC, across 21 dioceses.
• What was discovered, in a selection of the fxC, among the attenders and their church backgrounds.
• What fxC thinkers and practitioners believe is crucial to the sustainability of young churches.
• Looking back at the set of dioceses surveyed from 2012-13, what have they done since then and how have they used the research?

This may be the largest body of work on this area since Mission-shaped Church and will set down a marker for some years to come. This wide and rich set of data needs careful explanation to decide what is representative of fxC as a whole and what is particular to certain types of fxC and particular dioceses.  Some headlines from this work will be aired at the Catching Sight day conference in Leicester on 19^th November but its organisers are glad that a deeper look will take place on 4^th November.

The day will include presentations, question times, networking and group application. We hope you will be able to come and contribute, but the conference will be limited to 150 delegates, so please book early to guarantee a place. Bookings close on 1^st October.

Best wishes,

George Lings

Venue            

Wilson Carlile Centre, 50 Cavendish St, Sheffield S3 7RZ. Near to the West Street tram stop – blue route from Sheffield railway station.

Times

10.30 to 16.00, drinks from 10.00, hot lunch provided.

Venue parking

This is very limited – please ask on application and we will try (but not guarantee) to hold a space for you. There is also plenty of pay and display parking available near the venue.

Cost   £20

Accommodation

Limited overnight B&B accommodation the night before (3^rd) and on the evening of the 4th is available at extra cost. Again, this is limited. Please book this separately by phoning the Wilson Carlile Centre reception desk at: 0300 123 2113. If you mention you are part of this conference, you will be eligible for a discount: £34 for a single room and £42 for a double room. You will need to give your credit or debit card details over the phone, but payment will be taken on arrival at the Wilson Carlile Centre in November.

To our Fresh Expressions Contacts:

We want to thank you for your help which gave us the content of our research. Here is the chance for you to hear what it all means. We’d like to invite you to come at a discounted rate of £15 to the launch of the material. Please let us know in your application which fxC you were in when we contacted you.

To book, email a.wooding@churcharmy.org.uk to request an invoice. Please include your phone number, if you have any food allergies or intolerances, and if you want to reserve a parking space (numbers limited).

"How do we grow both new and existing models of church alonside each other? This conference will inspire and equip you to re-imagine ministry in the Diocese of Sheffield." – Phil Potter

Over 6,000 people in over 80 places in the UK and worldwide have discovered more about fresh expressions of church and have come away with a real desire to work with God and develop their dreams. In a fun and interactive way, vision events give you the chance to:

o   share your story;

o   think about what it is to be church;

o   ask questions;

o   find out about fresh expressions;

o   discover resources;

o   build networks and relationships.

vision events are ideal for complete beginners, those with real questions about fresh expressions and mission-shaped church, people who have started something new and need some practical help, and Christians from all churches and traditions.

Pete Atkins, convenor of the Fresh Expressions training hub, says, ‘Each vision event is carefully planned in partnership with local churches to ensure that it is relevant in that particular area and context.’