Fresh Expressions UM Conference

by Luke Edwards, Associate Director of Church Development,

When I was first asked to help churches in our conference start fresh expressions back in 2017, I could have hardly imagined the movement that has emerged in Western North Carolina and the impact it has had on communities, individuals, and our collective ministry imagination. From witnessing bilingual faith communities gathered around art to hiking communities full of spiritual but not religious nones, to historically Black congregations launching vibrant dinner churches, I often feel like I have front-row tickets to the hopeful future of the United Methodist Church. Last week, in front of over 450 United Methodists gathered in Charlotte (and at least 300 online), this hopeful future was on full display.
 
The first-ever Fresh Expressions United Methodist National Gathering highlighted diverse voices and stories of Fresh Expressions thought leaders and practitioners from across the denomination. In addition to the incredible keynote speakers, we had the opportunity to hear from everyday folks doing extraordinary ministry throughout the connection. Eboni Bell, a lay practitioner from St. Mark’s UMC shared her story of building an innovative spiritual community with families in Charlotte, NC. Woojin Kang shared about his young and diverse dinner church called At the Table in Atlanta, GA. Tracy Rose, lay fresh expression practitioner, shared about Midweek Grind, a coffee group that is building spiritual community with LGBTQ folks and allies who have been deeply harmed by the church. Andrés Pérez González shared about bilingual faith communities taking shape in Greensboro, NC through Brazos Abiertos. Stacey Spence shared about her church’s rural fresh expression among the local horse community in Sparr, FL. Over the week we were reminded that the United Methodist Church is reclaiming its missional impulse and reimagining our call to social holiness through the work of fresh expressions.
 
Robert Glenn Johnson gave a perfect definition of fresh expressions in his keynote, “We need to get beyond the borders of our systems and our structures, our races our routines, our castes and class. [We need to get beyond] the borders of religion and rank and go to the people who need us most. Fresh expressions are about going outside of the norm, going beyond the typical boundaries of the ordinary church, to build human community (not just Christian community) with and among people whom the church has forgotten, ignored, marginalized, or dismissed.”
 
Who has your church forgotten? Who might the Holy Spirit be leading you to build a social and spiritual community with? Are you willing to move outside of your borders and follow Jesus into your community?
 
Bishop Carter was a keynote at the National Gathering and wrote this prayer based on Elaine Heath’s presentation:
 
“Jesus,
I want to be where you are
I want to see what you are doing
I want to join you in the mission
I want to trust the outcomes to you.
Amen.”
 
We have been through a tough season in our conference and denomination. May our response be to recommit to being a church that follows Jesus beyond our systems and structures to the people in our communities whom Christ loves so dearly.