When is a fresh expression fresh?

Test Member — Wed, 02/12/2009 - 9:45pm

There's much discussion in the Church (big C) about the need for fresh expressions of church (small c). But when is something truly fresh (a new way of being/doing church - shaped by those it is attracting) and when is it simply old church presenting itself in a fresh way? Does it matter? What should be our vision at HT - launch fresh expressions or get fresh?

fresh expression

LIzbet001 — Sat, 05/12/2009 - 9:18am

so does that mean that once God used his creativity and variety to create us, He gave us his creativity, and stopped being creative? Can God pass the baton of creativity to us and then stop? As God I suppose he can, but would He want to? To stop being creative is surely to restrict God, and I personally don't think that in order to relate to us, He will do that. God finds new and creative ways of communicating to us through our own creativity, so surely that means he is still creative.

fresh expression

Andrew Blyth — Fri, 04/12/2009 - 9:06pm

But can the creator ever stop being creative - eternity's going to be pretty boring if it's all finished?

Well put Joc, that's the

Welcome Guest (not verified) — Fri, 04/12/2009 - 5:11pm

Well put Joc, that's the words I couldn't find; yes, excatly; God is the re-newer, THE refresher, and we are always learning and finding more through him; but everything that is 'fresh' in us God already knows because he created it and so his enduring wisdom feeds down to us over time so we FEEL like we are 'refreshed' in our worship of him

true... it's a good point,

Welcome Guest (not verified) — Fri, 04/12/2009 - 9:18am

true... it's a good point, but surely god chooses what to reveal to us, what we have to discover already exists, it is planned into existence; it isn't new or fresh to god ; only to us on our discovery of it

So...

Joc Chappell (not verified) — Fri, 04/12/2009 - 3:46pm

... you seem to be saying that 'fresh expressions' refers to us and that God is unchanging. I tend to agree, especially the last bit -- even on a bad day :-)

I like both

Joc Chappell (not verified) — Thu, 03/12/2009 - 10:05pm

The positive feedback I have received (thank you all again) on this new presentation of the website speaks to me of a fresh way of doing what we have always done.

In the world of world wide schools, many new ways of doing things seem to gather under the heading of 21st century learning where world wide learning communities are driving new classroom practice, research, policies even -- and have a bit of fun in the process. Here, for example, we have a Twitter brainstorm to describe in six words what is 21st century learning, for example:

I wonder what 6 words would best describe new forms of 21st century worship, "we came, we saw - fresh expressions" perhaps.

I think may-b 'fresh' is a

Welcome Guest — Thu, 03/12/2009 - 9:10pm

I think may-b 'fresh' is a personal experience. When I try to think of anything truely new and original I am reminded that everything has already been created,
"I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him." Ecclesiastes

Even what appears fresh to us isn't really new and fresh because god created it in the world and the means by which we are able to express it; so there is (in my opinion alone) only ever fresh ways of experiencing the timeless that endures forever.

Ok so everything God does

Welcome Guest (not verified) — Thu, 03/12/2009 - 9:23pm

Ok so everything God does will endure forever but that isn't the same as saying he has already done everything - Jesus said that work of Holy Spirit is to reveal more and more to us?