Re-imagining the movement

Fresh Expressions is a movement full of practitioners and pioneers re-inventing their practice of mission and the landscape of church to meet the opportunities of this changing world of ours.  Culture is moving fast and its an honour to be around so many people seeking to adapt and create new ways of being Church.  As the world moves around us we are looking to find Jesus at work and to join in with what He's doing.  

But its important that these changes happen right through the movement and so over the past few years leaders from different denominations, streams and Fresh Expressions have been chatting regularly about how Fresh Expressions can adapt as a movement and what the future holds. 

The next few months are an important stage in this process as we re-imagine our communications including launching a revised and renewed website.  

Chatting with Phil Potter recently he shared his desire for Fresh Expressions to become what he called an "all-channel network."  What would we need to do as a movement to decentralise all our communications – to allow voices from every part of this movement to be heard rather speaking always from the centre?  An all channel network would communicate in a number of ways but always putting the emphasis on hearing from the diversity of the movement.  Hearing from different partners.  Hearing from grassroots projects making a difference on the ground.  Hearing from leaders young and old, known and unknown.  Hearing from people attending Fresh Expressions for the first time.  Many voices but one movement.  Thats the dream.

You may have noticed the first step in the overhaul with a new logo being used for Fresh Expressions on the publicity for November's 'On the Road' gathering in York.  This new branding seeking to emphasise our diversity, to emphasis movement but also to mark a new start for Fresh Expressions.  We'd love to know what you think of it and will begin to start using it in the coming months. 

During August we will also begin to preview our new look website.  It'll be simplified, freshed up and aim to provide more space for the whole of the movement to communicate.  What this space for more details but a sneak preview is below. 

And lastly, we've been very excited to be working on a Fresh Expressions Phone App over the past few months.  It'll be Free and aims to give everyone in the movement the opportunity to easily share their stories.  It will also give us a much simpler and more direct way to keep you informed about everything going on in the movement.  Watch out for the new App in early September.

We're so excited to be sharing these developments with you and hope they'll provide a platform for genuine change and real inclusivity in this movement of ours.  As we launch them we'd love your feedback and so do write and let us know or contact us through our social media to share your thoughts.

Article by Andy Freeman.

Andy's community interest company Space to Breathe is providing support and logistics for Fresh Expressions in the area of communications.

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