Northwind Theological  Seminary

Fresh Expressions was created to be a form of church for the changing culture, established primarily for the benefit of people who are not yet members of any church. These communities come into being through principles of listening, service, contextual mission, and making disciples and have the potential to become mature expressions of church shaped by the Gospel. There are currently over 300 Fresh Expressions of church in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, which vary from gatherings around a community garden to pub groups with hymn sings and bible study. Every Fresh Expression may model connection and God and one another very differently, but the heart of each group is to reach new people in new ways and in new places.

​

This degree considers the future of what church looks like, believing that it will be a blended ecology of both traditional churches and Fresh Expressions. Diverse forms of church must exist together to reach a diverse population with the good news of Jesus Christ.

​

The Fresh Expressions movement was birthed out of the UK in 2004, as a joint initiative of the Church of England and the British Methodist Church. As thousands of new communities formed in the UK alone and established churches began to experience renewal, more denominations began to partner with the work God was doing through these faith communities and the movement spread worldwide into Australia, Canada, South Africa, and beyond. In 2010, the movement began taking shape in the US through the vision and support of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, and a stateside collaboration of ecumenical partners began to form. The Florida UMC has been a national leader in the movement since the beginning.