The Fresh Expressions Podcast Fresh Expressions US

Does your ministry feel insignificant? Churches large and small have struggled with a decline in attendance since pandemic restrictions were lifted. But scripture teaches us not to despise small beginnings. In this episode, Dr. Chris Backert, North American Director of Fresh Expressions returns to discuss the opportunities that lay ahead for churches and church leaders when they embrace small beginnings.

Fresh Expressions is a worldwide movement of everyday missionaries who want to see churches thrive in the places we live, eat, work and play by leveraging the creativity and endurance of the inherited church. To learn a simple five-phase process for starting a new expression of church go to freshexpressions.com/howtostart.

If you love this free resource, you can access our entire library of practical and inspiring training materials and connect with other church leaders on FX Connect. Sign up for your free account at fxconnectus.org. 

Help us spread the word about the Fresh Expressions podcast by subscribing and leaving us reviews on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

Over time, it’s natural to become stuck. In your career, relationship, ministry, you name it.
Goal-setting and resolutions are great things to do. But what if you could become a person with a more creative spirit and innovative mindset?

This episode features an excerpt of a recent webinar where creativity coach and Fresh Expressions Mission Strategist Mitch Marcello will help you understand how people, churches, and organizations can get stuck and help you learn to use principles of innovation in everyday life. As you enter a New Year, you do not want to miss this opportunity to break out of your rut and unleash your God-given, Holy Spirit-powered creative potential.

It’s just one of dozens of hours of practical training content you can access on FX Connect, our unique and useful learning community for pioneering leaders. If you love this free resource, sign up for your free account at fxconnectus.org. 

Fresh Expressions is a worldwide movement of everyday missionaries who want to see churches thrive in the places we live, eat, work and play by leveraging the creativity and endurance of the inherited church. To learn a simple five-phase process for starting a new expression of church go to freshexpressions.com/howtostart.

Help us spread the word about the Fresh Expressions podcast by subscribing and leaving us reviews on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

Merry Christmas from the Fresh Expressions Team!

In this special Christmas episode, you will hear greetings from our North American team and get a glimpse of what God is up to in the North American Fresh Expressions movement.

Fresh Expressions is a worldwide movement of everyday missionaries who want to see churches thrive in the places we live, eat, work and play by leveraging the creativity and endurance of the inherited church. To learn a simple five-phase process for starting a new expression of church go to freshexpressions.com/howtostart.

If you love this free resource, you can access our entire library of practical and inspiring training materials and connect with other church leaders on FX Connect. Sign up for your free account at fxconnectus.org. 

Help us spread the word about the Fresh Expressions podcast by subscribing and leaving us reviews on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

Many traditional Christians build their weekends around Church attendance, many others are spending their weekends "playing." Hobbies, sports, and other activities provide much more than a thrill or a distraction: they are places where people feel more alive, more embodied, and often build their most profound community. Rather than try to pull people away from their passions, how can church leaders embrace people where they are having fun?

Marcus Corey has spent over a decade leading a church that meets on a ski mountain. Mitch Marcello has pioneered Fresh Expressions in various "fun" settings, like social dancing groups and rugby leagues. 

In this podcast, you'll hear real stories of God at work and building Christian community in places dedicated to having fun.

How does a pioneer stay passionately focused on their mission and deeply rooted in their relationship with God? One way to engage with Scripture for the purpose of understanding how we join God's work in our world. 

In this episode, we feature an excerpt of our audio devotional resource Advent Missio Divina.  In this devotional, you'll hear scripture, and be prompted to listen to the Holy Spirit, in order to be propelled into mission in your context.  Additional episodes of this resource are only available on FX Connect (fxconnectus.org), an online community for pioneering leaders. 

Each episode of Missio Divina focuses on one of the phases of developing a fresh expression.

Those phases are:
ListeningLoving & ServingBuilding CommunityExploring DiscipleshipChurch Taking Shape
Listen now, and if you appreciate this resource, head over to fxconnectus.org to access our entire library of useful and inspiring content, and connect with other Christian leaders like you.
Fresh Expressions is a worldwide movement of everyday missionaries who want to see churches thrive in the places we live, eat, work and play by leveraging the creativity and endurance of the inherited church. To learn a simple five-phase process for starting a new expression of church go to freshexpressions.com/howtostart.

If you love this free resource, you can access our entire library of practical and inspiring training materials and connect with other church leaders on FX Connect. Sign up for your free account at fxconnectus.org. 

Help us spread the word about the Fresh Expressions podcast by subscribing and leaving us reviews on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

Friend and missional mentor Michael Frost returns to the Fresh Expressions podcast to discuss his book Mission Is the Shape of Water: Learning From the Past to Inform Our Role in the World Today. 

Does mission look the same across all times and places? Michael Frost says no in his latest book! He dives into Christian mission through the centuries, examining how context sculpts mission uniquely in each era. 

We'll explore the shaping forces of history, culture, and postmodernism on the Church's mission and hear stories of innovative, situation-specific efforts from across the centuries.  Examining mission in light of history is critical for discerning mission now. This conversation will lead you to follow God into a uniquely "shape" mission for your context.

Fresh Expressions is a worldwide movement of everyday missionaries who want to see churches thrive in the places we live, eat, work and play by leveraging the creativity and endurance of the inherited church. To learn a simple five-phase process for starting a new expression of church go to freshexpressions.com/howtostart.

If you love this free resource, you can access our entire library of practical and inspiring training materials and connect with other church leaders on FX Connect. Sign up for your free account at fxconnectus.org. 

Help us spread the word about the Fresh Expressions podcast by subscribing and leaving us reviews on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.