The Fresh Expressions Podcast

It's Fall and it's time for another season of the Fresh Expressions Podcast. For over two decades, the worldwide Fresh Expressions movement has helped inspire and equip leaders to start thousands of new faith communities in homes, community centers, dog parks, tattoo parlors, cafes and other unexpected places.  Season Four will help you reimagine how you can leverage the Fall Season and the Winter...

Churches are full of formal liturgies and unspoken traditions. But what kind of shared activities actually form a group of people into a band of missionaries? In this week's episode, reconsider your church's regular practices by listening to David Fitch's talk Practices that Form People for Mission.

When it comes to participation in church, the stats about Millenials and Gen Z are startlingly low. What if part of the problem is the "expression" of church they have available to them? In this talk from Kris Beckert, you'll learn from her experience of forming Fresh Expressions of Church with and for Young Adults. Fresh Expressions is a worldwide movement of everyday missionaries who want to see...

Most people spend the majority of our weeks at work. What would it look like to form a church specifically for individuals within their workplace? And what if that workplace was Disney World? Listen to this recent talk from Steven Barr who has dedicated decades to forming Cast Member Church, an expression of Church reaching the staff and crew at Disney World, and get a glimpse for how your church...

Some churches like to say they welcome everyone, but the truth is that such a Christian community is complicated. In this insightful discussion with real-world practitioners Deb Hirsch and Luke Edwards, you'll hear about what it is like to build a community where committed Christians and those exploring their faith can thrive together. Deb Hirsch is a speaker, church leader, and writer who has led...

Churches, with their official buildings, formal architecture, and highly developed language, are great for insiders.  But in a world less familiar with Church, Christians must be masters of hospitality. In this talk, Alan Roxburgh helps explain what hospitality is, why it matters for to Christian leaders who are passionate about God's mission in the world. Alan J. Roxburgh is a pastor, teacher, wr...

How do you teach people about Jesus without using a typical "sermon?" In this episode, you'll hear from Verlon Fosner and Kris Beckert about "Jesus Stories," a simple, Biblical and enjoyable approach that fits well in settings like Dinner Church. 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 leveragin...

Reaching new people with new kinds of churches doesn't just require leadership; it requires pioneering leadership. In this talk from Jo Saxton, you'll learn more about what a pioneering leader is, where you find them in your church, and how to help them get started. Jo Saxton is a speaker, podcaster, author, and leadership coach. She hosts a digital coaching community and is the founder of Ezer Co...

Fewer and fewer people find their way to a traditional church building on Sunday. So what would it look like to bring church into every context? Drawing on decades of experience helping lead the Fresh Expressions movement in the U.K., this talk from Michael Moynagh with ignite your imagination with new dreams of where church can happen. Fresh Expressions is a worldwide movement of everyday mission...

Are you on a mission from God, or does it come from somewhere else? How do you even tell? In this session, J.R. Briggs and Mia Chang discuss their experience and advice for listening to God's call in their lives and their congregations. 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 crea...

How do you help an established Church change? How do you help "church people" think of themselves like missionaries? In season three, we're opening up our archive of a decade of useful training materials and sharing some of the talks and workshops that have inspired us over the years. This episode features a fascinating discussion featuring two very different leaders approaching similar issues. To...

The Fresh Expressions Podcast Season Three is Here! For over two decades, the worldwide Fresh Expressions movement has helped inspire and equip leaders to start thousands of new faith communities in homes, community centers, dog parks, tattoo parlors, cafes and other unexpected places. In Season Three, brought to you by FX Connect, you will hear practical advice for starting something new from lea...

Rural Revival Podcast is now available! Listen and subscribe at  https://freshexpressions.com/podcasts . The word “rural” can bring to mind both bucolic and dilapidated images. But the truth is much more complicated! Discover how churches serve as anchors for small-towns, and new metrics for measuring success in this unique environment. In the first episode of the Rural Revival Podcast, you’ll hea...

Jorge Acevedo is Pastor of Grace Church in Florida. They’ve seen meaningful growth using Church Growth and multi-site strategies. But now, they’re focusing on developing Fresh Expressions. In this episode you’ll hear about their journey, and why a big church is doing something small. Heather Evans currently serves on staff at Grace Church in Cape Coral, FL as Director of Reach, Send, and Fresh Exp...

Long before it became a buzzword in church leadership, the term “missional” provided a refreshing image of who God is and what it means to follow him. In this wide-ranging yet practical discussion, Michael Frost, co-author of The Shaping of Things to Come, provides a lookback at the last few decades of the missional movement, and addresses how some churches adapted and thrived in our changing cont...

Rural Churches in North America are facing an overwhelming variety of difficulties. How might a fresh expressions help? In this episode, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how the fresh expressions approach can help build new faith communities in any context. Tyler Kleeberger is pastor of The Farmhouse in rural Metamora, OH of the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church. Tyler is a...

Why is it that some pray to great effect, while others see little, and still others struggle to pray at all? Verlon Fosner and Jon Davis come from vastly different Christian traditions, but share a belief that prayer you can learn to pray. In this episode, you’ll develop a deeper appreciation for how to pray for your church and ministry. Verlon Fosner has led a progressive congregation in Seattle...

Modern missional movements have often viewed the historic Christian traditions with suspicion. The old traditions may be beautiful, the thinking goes, but they’re too insular, focused primarily on worship and on the interior life of the church, and not looking outward to evangelism and good works. In Liturgical Mission, Winfield Bevins argues that the church's liturgy and sacramental life are in f...

What if the key to congregational renewal is knowing their “love language?” Michael Beck , in his efforts to help three different congregations experience renewal, learned that different churches are different. In this episode, Dr. Beck will help you identify your church’s “love language” and how that could shape your ministry. Michael Beck is Director of Re-Missioning for Fresh Expressions US. He...

J.D. Larson wanted to plant a church. So he raised support, gathered a team and launched. When COVID hit, they struggled to connect and decided to try something different. In this episode you’ll learn why one church planter chose DInner Church to reach his community. J.D. Larson is a Mission Strategist and Coach with Fresh Expressions. He and his wife, ChristianAnn, co-pastor a Dinner Church calle...

Denominations and church networks often have auspicious beginnings but struggle to maintain their momentum. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Backert discusses why some denominations are thriving and why that matters to all kinds of Christians. Our guest is Dr. Christopher Backert. Dr. Backert is the National Director of Fresh Expressions US. Working with church and denominational leaders to develo...

Things are changing faster than ever. Churches, like many organizations, struggle to know what to do. Occasionally, you find a church that seems to be able to take new challenges head on. In this episode, you’ll discover why some churches adapt, and how you can be more adaptive yourself. Tod Bolsinger, MDiv, PhD, the co-owner and principal of AE Sloan Leadership, Inc , an executive coaching and co...

What if the Bible wasn’t just a bunch of interesting stories and good advice, but an account of God’s mission in the world? If God is on a mission, what does that say about the Church? In this episode we’ll get back to the basics, try to understand what God is up to and why Fresh Expressions of Church are a big part of the plan. Graham Cray was the Principal of Ridley Hall theological college in C...

What are the core competencies for a church on mission? What abilities must a leader develop to go from “pastor” to pioneering missionary? This episode will discuss the new muscles that churches and leaders need to develop to thrive in the future. Sue Nilson Kibbey is the Director of the Bishop Bruce Ough Innovation Center at United Theological Seminary whose purpose is to resource leaders with cr...

While each stream of the church has something unique to offer, few have been forged with as much adversity as the Black Church in the U.S. This episode will take time to listen to leaders from the Black Church and learn what they are encountering as they minister in today’s pandemic scarred, Post-Christendom world. Dr. Joy J. Moore An ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, Joy Jittaun Moor...