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 endurance of the inherited church. To learn a simple five-phase process for starting a new expressio...
Dec 18, 2023•23 min•Season 4Ep. 10
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 leaders embrace people where they are having fun? Marcus Corey has spent over a decade leading a church th...
Dec 11, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 9
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, in order to be propelled into mission in your context. Additional episodes of this resource are only a...
Dec 04, 2023•12 min•Season 4Ep. 8
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 each era. We'll explore the shaping forces of history, culture, and postmodernism on the Church's mis...
Nov 27, 2023•48 min•Season 4Ep. 7
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 Purpose in the final third of life. Fresh Expressions is a worldwide movement of everyday missionarie...
Nov 20, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 6
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 fresh expressions? This episode features an excerpt of a recent webinar where you’ll hear ideas that wil...
Nov 13, 2023•1 hr•Season 4Ep. 5
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 seasons of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany and how they help Christians experience the reality of Emma...
Nov 06, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 4
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 movement of everyday missionaries who want to see churches thrive in the places we live, eat, work an...
Oct 30, 2023•28 min•Season 4Ep. 3
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 missionaries who want to see churches thrive in the places we live, eat, work and play by leveraging ...
Oct 23, 2023•37 min•Season 4Ep. 2
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 ways to help your congregation get excited about Fresh Expressions, reengaging after a busy summer and...
Oct 16, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 1
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 Holidays to reinvigorate your church's relationship to your neighborhood and community. This time of...
Oct 10, 2023•1 min
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.
Jul 10, 2023•57 min•Season 3Ep. 11
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 churches thrive in the places we live, eat, work and play by leveraging the creativity and enduranc...
Jul 03, 2023•54 min•Season 3Ep. 10
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 could reach people where they work. Steven Barr and his wife, Lucia, have passionately led Cast Memb...
Jun 26, 2023•54 min•Season 3Ep. 9
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 in both Australia and Los Angeles. She is one of the founders of Forge Mission Training Ne...
Jun 19, 2023•55 min•Season 3Ep. 8
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, writer, and consultant with more than thirty years experience in church leadership and seminary educati...
Jun 12, 2023•48 min•Season 3Ep. 7
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 leveraging the creativity and endurance of the inherited church. To learn a simple five-phase process for sta...
Jun 05, 2023•51 min•Season 3Ep. 6
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 Collective – an initiative dedicated to investing in women leaders around the world, equipping them to...
May 29, 2023•40 min•Season 3Ep. 5
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 missionaries who want to see churches thrive in the places we live, eat, work and play by leveraging the cr...
May 22, 2023•37 min•Season 3Ep. 4
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 creativity and endurance of the inherited church. To learn a simple five-phase process for starting a ne...
May 15, 2023•46 min•Season 3Ep. 3
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. Tod Bolsinger, whose experience includes being a large church pastor and seminary Vice President, is a...
May 08, 2023•51 min•Season 3Ep. 2
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 leaders like Jo Saxton, Tod Bolsinger, Deb Hirsch, David Fitch and more. Visit freshexpressions.com/pod...
May 03, 2023•1 min•Season 3Ep. 1
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 hear from Allen Stanton, an ordained pastor who currently manages a large initiative to expand access to...
Mar 17, 2023•57 min•Season 2Ep. 11
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 Expressions. In addition to leading local reach ministries for Grace like Adopt-a-School, Shoes of Hope...
Mar 08, 2023•50 min•Season 2Ep. 10
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 context.
Feb 22, 2023•53 min•Season 2Ep. 9
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 pastor in the United Methodist Church and is also very weird when it comes to the stereotypical pige...
Feb 08, 2023•55 min•Season 2Ep. 8
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 Washington since 1999. In 2008 the congregation transitioned from a traditional proclamation church ...
Jan 25, 2023•50 min•Season 2Ep. 7
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 fact deeply missional. He explores the historic practices of the Christian church, demonstrating how ...
Jan 11, 2023•41 min•Season 2Ep. 6
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 co-pastors a rural church in Florida and serves in a number of denominational roles for the Florida...
Dec 14, 2022•35 min•Season 2Ep. 5
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 called North City Church in Minneapolis. North City is currently working to open a second Dinner Church a...
Nov 30, 2022•44 min•Season 2Ep. 4
