The history of the Church and the mission of God is one that has always developed, adapted, innovated and been re-formed over centuries. There have been movements and missions focussed on church planting, engaging with social justice, developing monastic communities, building community and retreat houses, starting contextual initiatives and projects to serve the needs of its community. These, and many more, born out of a passion to live out faith and love of God have interpreted their tradition in radical, authentic ways have tried to make a difference – to transform lives and communities for Christ – and it has not always worked out and they got things wrong. But they were responding to what they thought God was calling the people of God to do and be. It can be complex and messy but, at the same time, beautiful, sacred and transformative.
New Christian Communities (NCCs) or sometimes referred to as Fresh Expressions of Church are deeply rooted in the tradition of God’s mission to love and share Jesus Christ’s good news. New Christian Communities listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying, listen to their context, building on the foundations of our faith and practice, open to what the Holy Spirit is prompting us to be and do.
All of this often comes under the umbrella term of ‘Pioneering Ministries’ which refers to the many ways our God helps churches wrestle with how to share the good news of Jesus Christ with those who are not engaged with or interested in their local church or the Christian Faith. God calls people to use imagination and innovation in being brave, creative, open and generous in how we share and connect people with the story of Jesus Christ; reconciling humanity and restoring creation around us.
You will find on this page many different resources that will help you get involved in pioneering new forms of church and further information to help you where you are. If you would like a conversation to discuss anything on this website, then please get in touch:
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| Revd Lee Barnes Adviser for Fresh Expressions of Church Contact Lee |
Ruth Day |
God is missional (meaning that God wants everyone to know they are loved and invited to know Jesus Christ)
God asks us to join in with what God is already doing in people’s lives or wants to do – our part is to try and figure out what this means and then respond. Many are finding that new expressions of Christian community are having a real impact in reaching people who are not part of any church. As a Diocese, through our Transforming Church. Together strategy, we are committed to have a form of church in every community, and one church to which all can belong growth, and New Christian Communities are one of the key ways in which we can do this.
God is creative
Pioneering mission allows for imaginative responses to God’s call on the people of God, whilst we continue to invest in our existing congregation (what the previous Archbishop Rowan Williams called “the mixed economy”).
God is collaborative
The vast majority of New Christian Communities are parish-based, and require us to work together in our local community. We discover that we need one another, and that God uses people’s gifts in unexpected ways.
God is adventurous
Many of the movements, charities, projects and initiatives that currently exist now and in the past have started from very small beginnings, one or two people taking a risk to step out into the unknown, by faith in Christ. To follow Jesus Christ commits us to a journey and that usually means to the edges and the corners of our society.
God is exciting
New Christian Communities allow us to dig into the best of our tradition; enable us to look out of the corner of our eyes at what God might be calling us to do; release gifts and vocations in people who did not realise they possessed them; and use the mustard seed of resource that we have available to us to see what God can do.
God is loving
Jesus Christ left a simple command for us to love one another. After we listen we need to act on the outcomes to serve the community. A key value is that it is not about doing stuff to people, or even for people, but ideally with people. This then shifts the focus away from people being consumers towards community and participation, which is important both in terms of discipleship (we learn as we do) and relevance, because things are shaped together.
New Christian Communities or NCCs (sometimes referred to as Fresh Expressions of Church or FXs) are creative, exciting and different ways in serving those who do not currently engage with a church community. NCCs are missional, contextual, formation and ecclesial (have elements of ‘church), meeting on a regular basis, at least once a month. A New Christian Community is a place / space where people can connect with God, belong and learn about following Jesus in their life in a context they can relate to. In other words, they:
Serve those outside the church
Listen to people and enter their context
Make growing with Jesus a priority
Form an expression of community (church) for others in their everyday lives
NCCs are not better or more important than the existing church. They are not in competition with each other, they are companions who complement the mission of God together. Many existing churches will already connect effectively with people on the fringe and while NCCs may do similar they often go beyond the fringe. Both are needed and vital, together they can affirm and support each other – this is sometimes refereed to as a mixed-ecology of church or a mixed-economy of church. One of the priorities of the national strategy of the Church of England is “To be a church where mixed ecology is the norm – where every person in England has access to an enriching and compelling community of faith by adding new churches and new forms of Church”.
Many New Christian Communities (or Fresh Expressions of Church) are led by lay leaders supported by ordained ministers in a parish. At its best, they can be mutually life-giving to existing ministries. Obviously, overtime they will no longer be ‘new’ and often a particular name will be given to the NCC. A New Christian Community may meet where people already meet each other or in an existing church building, the venue is not the priority, it must work for the people gathering.
A working definition of a NCC may be: “new forms of church that emerge within contemporary culture and engage primarily with those who don’t ‘go to church’”.
New Christian Communities have many names. You may hear them called plants, messy churches, cafe churches, new monastic communities, missional communities, congregations, gatherings, discipleship groups – almost anything! Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury said “church starts where Jesus is with others.”
Not sure if you are involved with a New Christian Community (or Fresh Expression of Church?) This flow chart, which you can download below, may help you:
What is a Pioneer?
Pioneers are people who go to new places to live and tell the story of Jesus Christ in creative, informal ways. They go specifically to places or create spaces where there is no obvious Christian engagement or community, and start where people are at by listening, serving, and loving. Over time Christian community forms through this work, and through the prayer and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Just as with people of every kind of vocation, pioneers come in different shapes and sizes and with different calls and characters. Church Mission Society (also referred to as CMS) describe Pioneers as having a gift for seeing, for imagination, dreaming, inspired not just by what could be but also by a sense of dissatisfaction, holy discontent perhaps, at the way the church is fulfilling its mission and purpose. And in particular this call and gift is exercised among those not currently engaged in the church. The official definition of a pioneer in the Church of England is:
‘People called by God, who are the first to see and creatively respond to the Holy Spirit’s initiatives with those outside the church. They identify opportunities and gather others around them as they seek to establish new Christian communities within their local context.’
But giving pioneering an ‘official definition’ seems limiting, and limited is something pioneers certainly are not! CMS also helps us with noting some of things that pioneers are not. They are not primarily evangelists. They may have a heart to see people become disciples of Jesus, but their primary call is to see new communities of disciples emerge in new contexts. They are not primarily motivated by particular models of church, their gift is to start with context and allow that to shape church. Pioneers are creative and prophetic innovators with a gift for faithfully reimagining church with the community to which they are sent. Across the Diocese of Bristol we have Pioneers involved in starting communities in gardens, schools, forests, cafes and more.
For further information, please visit the following website: What is pioneering? FAQ
Who are Pioneers?
They can be anyone in your church community or beyond! They are often people who start things or think innovatively – from all walks of life and background. They are those always seeking to solve problems, improve methods and find more in life. They possess a holy dissatisfaction that keeps them wanting things to be different. Their faith, the church and their understanding of God’s purposes are subjects they often contemplate.
They’re driven by vision, excited about unseen possibilities and skilled at inspiring others to share this excitement. They often naturally see the bigger picture and initiate action where its needed.
However, they sometimes get bored and tend not to stick with one thing for too long. Despite these traits, they are crucial for progress, especially within the mission of the church.
The church needs people who are wired to think and act in this way for it to evolve creatively and keep up with changing times. Most people accept things as they are but innovators desire change. We want to support and encourage these people across the Diocese both in terms of being part of some of our pioneering approaches to mission but also in relation to their vocation. Please get in touch with Lee Barnes if you have someone in mind that resonates with this picture, for a conversation.
- enable a mixed ecology of church?
- create churches that meet different people groups wherever they are at?
- help pioneers and church planters discern their vocation?
- create mission strategies that are adapted to each and every context?
The pioneer spectrum is designed to help shape constructive conversations.
- It brings practical experience of pioneering mission and missional theology together to provide a rich resource.
- We invite you to take time to engage with the pioneer spectrum and its theology.
- Then we invite you to explore the elements of the toolbox and apply them in your ministry. Enjoy!
Who is it for? The pioneer spectrum is designed to help shape constructive conversations.
- Individual pioneers
- A team of vocations advisers
- A vocations adviser working with an emerging pioneer
- A church council, church leadership team, regional council who are developing a mission plan or strategy
- A learning community of pioneers and missional leaders
Further reading (from the creators Tina Hodgett and Paul Bradbury), can be found here: Another way of seeing – developments of the pioneer spectrum - CMS Pioneer Mission Leadership Training
Pioneer Spectrum – Range of Pioneer Ministries 
Further reading, can be found here: Pioneering Mission is…a spectrum - Church Mission Society (CMS)
Main website, with resources, articles and tools, can be found here: Pioneer Spectrum - CMS Pioneer Mission Leadership Training
Greenhouse is an initiative from the national Church of England and is part of the church's approach to establishing and growing new Christian communities locally. We often refer to growing new Christian communities as ‘fresh expressions.' The Greenhouse approach is a process that anyone can join in with to help them make their mission plans a reality. This is one of the approaches we are using to develop New Christian Communities, in whatever way they emerge and help more people become Pioneers, aiming to help churches reach out in creative mission. Greenhouse gathers people together who are exploring how to do church differently, to learn, plan, find mutual support, swap ideas and see their NCC grow.
We provide mutually shared space to nurture lay led congregations and to help people develop pioneering skills in just the same way that a Greenhouse helps nurture plants in a safe environment.
Whether you already have an expression of Christian community or are thinking of starting one, Greenhouse will help you through an intentional process of accompaniment and support. No prior experience is necessary to join; just a commitment from your church to give this a go and try it for a couple of years.
What's involved
- Gather a team from your local church who want to start, restart or develop a New Christian Community.
- Join a learning community: meet twice a year with other teams to learn, share knowledge and plan your next steps.
- Use just in time learning: materials called Godsend (web based or in a book) to help you take the next step as you need it. It uses the wisdom and experience of thousands of people who have learned to pioneer before.
- Accompaniment/coaching: experienced pioneer enablers offer support between the learning community gatherings.
The Missional Journey
A foundational principle of Greenhouse is 'listen first'. Greenhouse encourage a simple process that enables a New Christian Community to evolve by listen to God and your community, respond with loving service, growing community, exploring discipleship and sharing faith, evolving worship/church.
Who is Greenhouse for?
Greenhouse will suit anyone who feels called to establish and grow new, robust Christian communities among people who don’t yet know Jesus where they live, work and have friends. You don’t have to be ordained (but you can be) and you do not even have to be attending church on a regular basis to be a part of this movement. If God is calling you to join in, you can.
If you're looking for support setting up a Greenhouse or wanting to talk to others who are already part of this approach in other areas or to seek some seed funding to get something started, please contact our Adviser for Fresh Expressions of Church, Lee Barnes
There are many different forms of New Christian Communities of Fresh Expressions of Church, and many are unique responses to their context and the culture they are seeking to engage with. There is no one-type-fits-all and, hopefully, there are may future types that will emerge that do not currently exist! Some of the more common types include:
Café Church
Café Church is a loose format that can include worshipping communities meeting in a hall to a group of people meeting in a local café. Key elements of it are the informal, interactive style that takes place over food and refreshments.
Church Plants
Church planting is one way of establishing a new, local church. It involves a group of individuals led by a ‘planter’ (ordained or lay) who work together to create a new Christian community in a particular area with a distinct focus. Reaching and engaging people who do not have a ‘church home’ by creating a community of worship, formation and service. One of the most fantastic examples in the Diocese of Bristol would be the Hazelnut Community Farm, for further information and resources go to their website: Hazelnut Community
Forest Church
Those engaged in Forest Church are seeking to meet with God in and through their connection with the natural world. The hope is that Forest Churches will become a spiritual home for those outside the traditional church who relate better to outdoor spirituality than gatherings in a church building. Forest Church is a contemporary movement, with roots in the long Christian tradition of engagement in nature, such as the Celtic and Franciscan approaches. Those engaged in Forest Church are seeking to meet with God in and through their connection with the natural world.
Messy Church
Messy Church is a way of being church for families and others. It is inter-generational; based on creativity, hospitality and celebration. We have a number of Messy Churches around the Diocese.
Missional Communities
There are two sorts of missional community. The first is radical, with a vision of serving and reaching out to the people in the area. Radical communities start out independent from their local churches but may eventually work back to connect with their local church. The second type of missional community starts from a local church and seeks to focus on a particular area of need.
New Monastic Communities
There is no one pattern to the shape of New Monastic Communities, but generally the idea is to try and live a life which points to the Kingdom of God and which tries to live out the values expressed by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Usually, but not always, these communities are ecumenical (welcomes people of all Christian denominations); stresses hospitality; renounces personal wealth; takes a sharing attitude to life; and has a concern for social justice, creation and creativity.
Churches that host outreach and social action groups may like to gently introduce a spiritual element into these spaces, but are not sure how it could work, or what sort of worship would be suitable. Soulspace is a resource that has been created to help you, gently, introduce people to the spirituality of God.
It can be also suitable for teams who are starting New Christian Communities, or for any parish who might want to add a “spiritual extra” to an existing outreach initiative.
If you’re leading an outreach or social action group, or a New Christian Community (Fresh Expression) you could use it to:
- Share Jesus.
- Add a ‘spiritual extra’ immediately before or after an existing outreach activity.
Bubble Church
Bubble Church is a Sunday church service especially for babies, toddlers, and young families.
Café Church
Cafe Church | TheResourceHub and Cafe Church – evaluating a range of approaches – Anglican Church Planting Initiatives
Church Army
Church Army is a movement of evangelists who share God’s love and empower communities through faith and action.
Church Mission Society (CMS)
Church Mission Society (CMS) is a global movement that serves people at the edges of life through peace-making, business and discipleship.
Eco-Church
Eco Church - An A Rocha UK Project Is a scheme run by A Rocha UK equipping churches to care for God's creation through their worship, buildings, land, community engagement, and individual lifestyles.
Flourish
Flourish is a network of new worshipping communities involves primary and secondary schools and FE colleges, and a blend of Church of England and community school contexts.
Forest Church
Links and resources on this website to encourage exploring engaging the Christian Faith in outdoor places and spaces.
Fresh Expressions
Fresh Expressions is a network of networks that connects people who start and lead new forms of church that engage with those who don't go to church.
Godsend
The Godsend resource is designed to resource you and your team as you start new Christian communities.
Grace Network
The Grace Network creates and supports social enterprises which reinvest profits into their local communities through higher pay, community events and giving away free goods. Our local hubs nurture enterprise and human connection through our culture of optimism, hard work, diversity, tolerance and forgiveness. Together, people can thrive, make their ideas reality, and work towards a fairer and more resilient future.
Greenhouse
Greenhouse is a Church of England initiative to equip teams of people to design, grow and cultivate fresh expressions of church.
Gregory Centre for Church Multiplication (CCX)
CCX is a leading centre for church multiplication in the UK to equip and resource the Church to plant, grow and pioneer, reaching new people, in new and renewed ways with the good news of Jesus Christ.
Hazelnut Community Network
Hazelnut Community Network supports churches in creating eco congregations on their land in order to deepen worship, welcome their community, and combat climate breakdown
Messy Church
Messy Church is a way of being church for families and others.
Missional Communities
Missional Community is a flexible term to describe a group of Christian disciples who form community with a particular missionary purpose.
New Monastic Communities: The Society of the Holy Trinity
The Society of the Holy Trinity is a collaboration of diverse, local new monastic communities within the Church of England.
Pioneer Spectrum
CMS Pioneer Mission Leadership Training - A tool to shape constructive conversations around pioneering mission in every place and space.
Soulspace
For groups that host “outreach activities and who want to gently introduce a spiritual element into these spaces, but aren’t sure how it could work, or what sort of worship would be suitable. Here is a resource to help.”
Sportily
Kids Sports Clubs Glos - We’re a place for you to try different sports, make new friends and explore what life is all about.