Fresh Expressions

Fresh Expressions seeks to transform communities and individuals through championing, resourcing and multiplying new ways of being church. This means finding ways of connecting to God and others using a different format of church, possibly completely different to traditional methods.

We are keen to set up new ways of being church, or fresh expressions of church, across the Diocese. Many parishes already have a Messy Church, which is one fresh expression of church. Other churches run Who Let the Dads Out?, and some run a café church. Fresh expressions work best when they are fitted into the context of the community that they serve. This page gives you information about some fresh expressions of church. If you’d like help to set up one of these, or another way of doing church, please contact Jonathan.

Messy Church

"You get to learn about Jesus and the Bible, it's fun!"

'Messy Church is a way of being church for families based around hospitality, creativity and celebration. It began in 2004 in the UK and has since caught the imagination of churches of all denominations around the world as they try to rethink how to be church for people who have little or no church connection.'

Lucy Moore - founder

Helen Ellis of All Saints Church, Hoole, Chester is the Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Cheshire and Wirral - covering the same area as Chester Diocese. She also works for All Saints as Family Work Coordinator.

 Helen writes about her own Messy Church: Our core vision was to reach out to the two areas of our parish that we have little contact with on a regular basis. Since October 2009 we have grown in number from four families who came to our first Messy Church to regularly feeding 50 or so people including the team. Messy Church gives our church the wonderful opportunity to present the Christian message to people of all ages from our community.

Helen is very happy to be contacted if you would like her to talk to you and your church about starting up a Messy Church or to be added to the local email list. She is able to come and talk to individuals and/or PCC’s and has lots of resources plus the new Messy Church DVD which tells the story of Messy Church and explores the issues it raises. 

 Please contact Helen at: ellis.helen@btinternet.com or 01244321625 or visit the Messy Church website http://www.messychurch.org.uk

Who Let the Dads Out?

Who Let The Dads Out? is a growing movement that resources churches to reach out to dads, father figures and their children. They believe that to 'turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers' (Malachi 4:6, NIV 1984) is a powerful way 'to make ready a people prepared for the Lord' (Luke 1:17). We already have six groups running in our diocese. These groups run father and toddler sessions, but you can find other ways to bring fathers and children into the community of the church too. Visit the website for more information.

http://www.wholetthedadsout.org.uk/running-group   

Café Church

It's church, but not as you know it. Café church is a fresh expression of church, often in high street coffee stores (primarily Costa Coffee stores), or in church buildings or community centres, exploring faith.

Café churches discuss real life issues such as fair trade, the environment, stress, adoption, parenting, debt and divorce. They also often have great social times with quizzes, interviews, round table discussions, live music - all with great coffee (or another drink of choice) and great chat!

Café church provides a welcome for everyone – whether a church-goer or not!
You can find out more about the café church network on their website.

http://cafechurch.net/index.php