Let the journey commence

In May of this year, I accepted the job of a lifetime. Working quite literally for The Lord. It can't get much better than that, can it? Well, it certainly could be a lot easier! My official job title is, "Missing Generations Worker," but after much prayer, discussion with other members of my team and to be culturally relevant, we've begun to say, "Fresh Expressions Worker." I like that term much better. I don't think it sounds too positive to label someone part of the missing generation, even where there is no malicious intent. 

A multitude of Christian denominations and organisations recognised and acknowledged that our culture is changing and the traditional church is no longer a one-size-fits-all approach to a relationship with God. Thus, Fresh Expressions was born.

The Fresh Expressions organisation exists to encourage and support the fresh               expressions movement, working with Christians from a variety of denominations and traditions. The initiative has resulted in hundreds of new congregations being formed alongside more traditional churches. It was started in 2004 by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York with the Methodist Council, but now involves an unparalleled range of partners.


I am employed by the Southport Methodist Circuit to establish fresh expressions of church in Southport. By definition, A fresh expression is a form of church for our changing culture, established primarily for the benefit of people who are not yet members of any church. 




Sounds simple enough. It isn't. I come from a work history of strategic thinking and planning and when it comes to Kingdom-minded thinking, all that goes out the window. My work habit must now be discernment  (being able to decide between truth and error, right and wrong) through prayer and through listening to God, listening to the needs of those in my community, and waiting for opportunities from the Holy Spirit. There are no boxes to tick off a to-do list as the day progresses, so it makes it challenging for a list-maker and list-follower like myself. I have a lot of quiet time and reflective time, but praying to hear from God is difficult when He doesn't use a megaphone (or a mobile phone, for that matter) to speak to you! 

So, months into my role, I am now hoping to document as I go and share this journey of faith with anyone and everyone who cares to listen. I can't promise it will be exciting, but it will be truthful and it will be led by God.