Graham Cray Pioneer Ministry Fresh Expressions 1 new

+Graham Cray Pioneer Ministry Fresh Expressions 1

new context - new gift mix • The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry … Eph. 4: 11 -12 Fresh Expressions 2

New leaders • 40% of those involved in leading fresh expressions of church in the Church of England Methodist Church are lay people who have not offered for leadership before. Fresh Expressions 3

critical factors • new imagination about the church • new climate of permission • new resources • ordinary Christians catching the vision: “ you don’t have to be a vicar, you don’t have to be a minister Caroline Holt, The Wesley Playhouse Edinburgh

St George’s Deal Fresh Expressions 5

8 til late Nels on Bridging the Gap 8 til late Greenerwa Co. Nnect y Emerge Greenerway Balcony 8 ‘til late “NO LIMITS” Stepping Stones Trans 4 Lighthouse Centrepoint

Alan Roxburgh & Scott Doren • ‘Our rock-bottom conviction is that the Spirit of God is among the people of God. …. • The Spirit is actually at work in our ordinary common lives. • This means that God’s future – putting into action God’s dreams for the whole world – is among God’s people.

Alan Roxburgh & Scott Doren • Very practically , a missional church is formed by the Spirit at work in the ordinary people of a local context. • A practical implication is that this imagination changes the focus of leadership. • Rather than having plans, programs, strategies and goal, they ask how they can call forth what the Spirit is doing among the people. ’

LEADERSHIP • ‘Leadership is about cultivating an environment that innovates and releases the missional imagination present in a community of God’s people. ’

THE MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT • ‘An environment in which the Spirit given presence of God’s future may emerge among the people of God. ’ Al Roxburgh

What are we looking for? Fresh Expressions 12

Capacities to develop

• Selection criteria for Ordained Pioneer Ministry in the Church of England Fresh Expressions 14

• Candidates should have a realistic and informed vocation to plant fresh expressions of church within contemporary culture • Evidence for this may be drawn from a candidate’s capacity to: Fresh Expressions 15

• Show they have responded to God’s call to be pioneering • Understand contemporary cultures and the practice of planting fresh expressions of church within them Fresh Expressions 16

• Develop a vision for fresh expressions of church in a local context Fresh Expressions 17

• Candidates should have a clear vision of the place of their envisaged ministry within the wider church's response to God's mission to the world • Evidence of this may be drawn from a candidate’s capacity to: Fresh Expressions 18

• Understand the relationship between the Church and the kingdom of God • Understand be committed to the Church of England as a ‘mixed economy’ church Fresh Expressions 19

• Be committed to the reshaping of the Church for mission Fresh Expressions 20

• Candidates should have an authentic and integrated understanding of the particular ministry envisaged • Evidence of this may be drawn from a candidate’s capacity to: Fresh Expressions 21

• Understand contextually appropriate ministry • Shape contextuallyappropriate church Fresh Expressions 22

• Candidates should have a mature and well developed devotional life • Evidence of this may be drawn from a candidate’s capacity to: Fresh Expressions 23

• Demonstrate an established discipline of personal prayer and study which can sustain an isolated ministry • Demonstrate a commitment to and an enthusiasm for Christian fellowship and corporate worship Fresh Expressions 24

• Develop the art of discernment • Have the patience to wait for God’s timing Fresh Expressions 25

• Candidates should have demonstrable maturity and robustness to face the demands of pioneering mission and ministry • Evidence of this may be drawn from a candidate’s capacity to: • Lay aside personal preference for the sake of the community being served Fresh Expressions 26

• Cope effectively with ambiguity and disorientation. • Cope effectively with change and stress • Avoid personal overload. • Have a consistency of character in varied circumstances Fresh Expressions 27

• Live sacrificially and endure hardship • Persevere for the long-term rather than take short cuts for quick results Fresh Expressions 28

• Candidates should have demonstrable self-motivation • Evidence of this may be drawn from a candidate’s capacity to: • Be a self-starter with a willingness to build from nothing Fresh Expressions 29

• Take risks • Negotiate disappointment • Learn from mistakes Fresh Expressions 30

• Candidates have the potential to develop healthy professional and pastoral relationships • Evidence for this may be drawn from a candidate’s capacity to: • Form, develop and maintain healthy professional and pastoral relationships Fresh Expressions 31

• Exercise hospitality • Listen to others • Form community Fresh Expressions 32

• Maintain boundaries and confidentiality • Manage conflict assertively, constructively and tactfully Fresh Expressions 33

• Candidates should have a demonstrable track record of innovation and initiative • Evidence of this may be drawn from a candidate’s capacity to: • Identify key opportunities for mission Fresh Expressions 34

• Minister in creative and nonstandard ways and develop an innovative approach to problem solving and thinking Fresh Expressions 35

• Start a new project around perceived opportunities • Reflect on situations, learn from them and make appropriate changes for the future Fresh Expressions 36

• Candidates should have well developed abilities to initiate change and to enable others to face it in a flexible, balanced and creative way • Evidence of this may be drawn from a candidate’s capacity to: Fresh Expressions 37

• Adapt oneself to the uniqueness of a particular context • Motivate others • Negotiate and resolve conflict Fresh Expressions 38

• Shift priorities and emphasis during various stages of development of a fresh expression Fresh Expressions 39

• Candidates should have a demonstrable ability to work collaboratively and in a team • Evidence of this may be drawn from a candidate’s capacity to: • Develop vision with others • Discern the spiritual gifts in others. Fresh Expressions 40

• Release and equip others for ministry • Identify and invest in future leaders • Match the gifts of people with ministry needs and opportunities Fresh Expressions 41

• Help people to share responsibility for the growth and success of the fresh expression Fresh Expressions 42

• Candidates should be able to communicate their faith effectively • Evidence for this may be drawn from a candidate’s capacity to: Fresh Expressions 43

• Communicate the good news to those outside the Church naturally and effectively in ways that are balanced, appropriate, accessible and sensitive to the situation Fresh Expressions 44

• Candidates should have a welldeveloped understanding of the interaction between gospel and culture • Evidence of this may be drawn from a candidate’s capacity to: Fresh Expressions 45

• Understand of the tension between relevance and syncretism • Relate the Gospel to different contexts. Fresh Expressions 46

• Develop discipleship within a fresh expression Fresh Expressions 47

• Candidates should have the capacity to evangelize beyond the culture of the Church • Evidence of this may be drawn from a candidate’s capacity to: Fresh Expressions 48

• Communicate with and relate easily to people outside the church. • Understand the worldviews and mindsets of people outside the church Fresh Expressions 49

• Candidates should have a lively and engaging mind • Evidence of this may be drawn from a candidate’s capacity to: • Engage and stimulate others • Make creative connections Fresh Expressions 50

• Recognise opportunities in challenging situations • Be a reflective practitioner Fresh Expressions 51

• +Graham Cray Leadership Skills for Fresh Expressions 52

Demonstrable qualities • Maturity and robustness • Self motivation • Innovation and initiative • Work collaboratively

The priority of discernment Fresh Expressions 54

The Director • ‘The chief actor in the historic mission of the Christian church is the Holy Spirit. He is the director of the whole enterprise. The mission consists of the things that he is doing in the world. In a special way it consists of the light that he is focussing upon Jesus Christ. ’ John V Taylor

The God of Surprises • 'The narrative of Acts suggests that a community truly led by the Spirit will be led in new and surprising directions. ' Luke Timothy Johnson Fresh Expressions 56

God is ahead • 'God is already ahead of all evangelism, carrying on his mission to the world. …. More often than not respectful discernment will demand drastic changes of heart and mind, as for Peter with his own traditions. ' David Ford + Daniel Hardy

Birthed out of discernment • A fresh expression of church comes into being through following the missionary Spirit who is always ahead of the church. • It is birthed out of discernment of the work of that missionary Spirit, wherever that may lead us. Fresh Expressions 58

Birthed out of discernment • The emphasis on discernment recognises that the planting pioneer or team will not know the shape, model or cultural form of the fresh expression of church when they start out on the process of planting. Fresh Expressions 59

+Graham Cray Pioneer Ministry Fresh Expressions 60