The Fresh Expressions Podcast

What if the solution to the loneliness epidemic is as simple as moving into the neighborhood? In this episode, host Heather Jallad sits down with Sean Bailey and Josh Jackaway from Apartment Life to explore how the church can play a vital role in fostering community in apartment complexes. Together, they discuss the transformative power of intentional relationships and partnerships with local busi...

What should a lifelong pastor do when they encounter hostility towards the church that they can't seem to overcome? Discover the twists and turns that took Chris Battle from ministering in a typical Baptist church to growing food and exploring discipleship with his neighbors. Join Heather Jallad as they discuss new ways of being the church, connecting with neighbors, and addressing significant iss...

How did Pastor David Carter go from skeptic to passionate advocate for Fresh Expressions of Church? Today, his revitalized congregation includes Adventure Church, a Running Club, and more. Tune in as Heather Jallad unpacks David’s journey and reveals how these innovative gatherings are transforming both his church and the wider community.

Is your church ready to serve during a disaster? Emergencies often reveal who we truly are—whether it’s individuals, congregations, or Fresh Expressions communities. In this special bonus episode, we explore stories from North Carolina following hurricanes and flooding. Fresh Expressions leader Luke Edwards shares how churches—especially new and organic expressions—have been uniquely positioned to...

What if belonging could come in a bottle? That’s the promise of Coop’s Soup, which chef and pioneer Cristin Cooper started after her own experience of loneliness. In this conversation, Heather and Cristin discuss the journey of leaving her church job and explore building community through sharing a bowl of soup. This episode will leave you hungry for food, friends, and a deeper experience of God’s...

Have you ever received a present that seemed like it was a better fit for the giver, not the receiver? In this episode, we hear from one of the founding voices of the original Fresh Expressions movement in the UK, Mike Moynagh. We’ll discuss how loneliness is experienced in the UK and how a church is transformed when it is treated like a gift given to bless the world

In 2023, homelessness hit an all-time high in the United States. But simply providing shelter is seldom enough. How can churches provide the “full community” people need to turn their lives around? And how could it affect the congregation itself? In this episode, you’ll hear from Gabrielle Clowdus of Settled, a movement to help churches develop permanent supportive tiny home villages designed to a...

What does freshly baked bread have to do with the loneliness epidemic? Could experiencing Christian community be as simple as sharing a meal? In this interview, Kendall Vanderslice shares how her passion for baking and sharing meals has helped her overcome loneliness and dive into Christian community.

Victor Glover found life in Christ while in prison and began to share his faith with others there. In this episode, you’ll hear how Victor worked with God to love, serve, and build community in an unexpected place. Listen and be reminded of how Christian community can transform lives, even in the loneliest of places. Fresh Expressions is a worldwide movement of everyday missionaries who want to se...

Being a part of a group, or even a church, doesn’t mean you feel like you “belong.” In this episode, David Kim of Made to Belong helps us explore what it takes to build a community of belonging. You will learn about five practices he has identified for cultivating community in a disconnected world both inside and outside of our inherited forms of church. Fresh Expressions is a worldwide movement o...

When we go to church, we bring our stories with us. Our stories can color how we experience Christian community, and even affect the larger community. Fresh Expressions Pioneer Elaine Heath and church planter Charles Kiser are co-authors of Trauma-Informed Evangelism: Cultivating Communities of Wounded Healers . Motivated by their own experiences, they have worked to create expressions of church t...

“Loneliness isn't just an uncomfortable feeling; it's dangerous to us as individuals and as a society.”  In 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy went so far as to declare it an epidemic. "Being socially disconnected is...[as detrimental as] caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day..." Failing to address it would lead Americans to "further retreat to our corners—angry, sick, and alone." But w...

What happens when you follow the passions God has given you? Can God use your passions to help address some of the major issues facing our culture? In this bonus episode of the Fresh Expressions podcast, you’ll meet Alan Graham and hear how his passion led him to start Community First! Village, a master-planned neighborhood where the chronically homeless and mission-minded Christians live side by...

Does your ministry feel insignificant? Churches large and small have struggled with a decline in attendance since pandemic restrictions were lifted. But scripture teaches us not to despise small beginnings. In this episode, Dr. Chris Backert, North American Director of Fresh Expressions returns to discuss the opportunities that lay ahead for churches and church leaders when they embrace small begi...

Over time, it’s natural to become stuck. In your career, relationship, ministry, you name it. Goal-setting and resolutions are great things to do. But what if you could become a person with a more creative spirit and innovative mindset? This episode features an excerpt of a recent webinar where creativity coach and Fresh Expressions Mission Strategist Mitch Marcello will help you understand how pe...

Merry Christmas from the Fresh Expressions Team! In this special Christmas episode, you will hear greetings from our North American team and get a glimpse of what God is up to in the North American Fresh Expressions movement. Fresh Expressions is a worldwide movement of everyday missionaries who want to see churches thrive in the places we live, eat, work and play by leveraging the creativity and...

Many traditional Christians build their weekends around Church attendance, many others are spending their weekends "playing." Hobbies, sports, and other activities provide much more than a thrill or a distraction: they are places where people feel more alive, more embodied, and often build their most profound community. Rather than try to pull people away from their passions, how can church leader...

How does a pioneer stay passionately focused on their mission and deeply rooted in their relationship with God? One way to engage with Scripture for the purpose of understanding how we join God's work in our world.  In this episode, we feature an excerpt of our audio devotional resource Advent Missio Divina.  In this devotional, you'll hear scripture, and be prompted to listen to the Holy Spirit,...

Friend and missional mentor Michael Frost returns to the Fresh Expressions podcast to discuss his book Mission Is the Shape of Water: Learning From the Past to Inform Our Role in the World Today.  Does mission look the same across all times and places? Michael Frost says no in his latest book! He dives into Christian mission through the centuries, examining how context sculpts mission uniquely in...

From the Jesus People movement of the 70s and the “seeker-sensitive” outreach of the 80s, Boomers have shaped the development of the North American Church. Yet, as they approach and enter retirement, for some their church participation is dwindling. Join Jim Divine, who pastors a church in The Villages, Florida, to discuss how churches can help guide the  “Me” Generation to discover their Kingdom...

The weeks leading up to Christmas provide an opportunity for Christians, and even our broader culture, to turn our minds to Jesus. But how do you help Christians reimagine the holiday season that has been co-opted by secular and consumerist practices? How do you take the concepts and traditions, many rooted in high church liturgies, to modern churches, dinner churches, home churches and other fres...

For some Christians, Christmas is a frantic mix of family gatherings, secular celebrations with a special worship service on December 24. But what might it look like or Christians to recapture the sense of Christmas as a season of anticipation and celebration of the incarnation?  In this episode, episcopal priest and Fresh Expressions pioneer Fr. Jon Davis will help you understand the traditional...

Since JD's church in Minneapolis reimagined itself as a Dinner Church, they've reached people in their neighborhood they would never have met before. This shift was inspired in part by their experience at Thanksgiving. In this episode, you will hear J.D.'s story about how they used the lessons of a Holiday service project to help start a different kind of church. Fresh Expressions is a worldwide m...

Halloween has become an increasingly central part of the social lives of families and neighborhoods. So, where do church's fit in? In this episode, Heather is joined by Pastor and Pioneer Kris Beckert whose passion for fall sports, campfires and Halloween is central to how leads both a traditional congregation and Fresh Expressions of Church. Fresh Expressions is a worldwide movement of everyday m...

Fall is here, and the holidays are around the corner! This is a busy season, but it's also a great time for churches and church leaders to connect with your community. Host Heather Jallad is joined by fellow pastor and Fresh Expressions practitioner Brett DeHart to discuss how these Fall and Winter seasons can help you expand the reach of your congregation and bless your community. They discuss wa...