Cam Harder is a well-respected, senior Lutheran Professor of Systematic Theology, now retired. I tell you that now because he also has a mischievous sense of humour and, once you read the story I am about to tell, I wouldn’t want you to think, “Who on earth is this irresponsible young maverick?” I was once […]
Stripped-down church: what can be done? Read More »
Change and tradition sometimes seem like opposites. “We Anglicans have our traditions. We love them and are proud of them,” we hear. But we also hear, “The church needs to change with the times. We need to find ways to be relevant.” I’ve thought about this a lot, and finally stumbled upon one insight which
What makes a church, and why does it matter? Read More »
It’s nice to be right, at least sometimes. Even partly right is an encouragement. The Beginning – in the UK Way back in 2008, I wrote an article for Good Idea called “Is Fresh Expressions just the latest ‘Flavour of the Month’?” At that time, everyone seemed to be talking about Fresh Expressions. The Church
Whatever happened to Fresh Expressions – and where is it now? Read More »
John Bowen is the author of What is a Fresh Expression of Church? A Beginner’s Guide to a Movement that is Changing the Church. The first half of the booklet explains what is (and is not!) meant by the phrase “fresh expressions of church,” and unpacks why fresh expressions of church might be needed and
What is a Fresh Expression of Church? Read More »
You never how things are going to develop. A few years ago, Stephen Andrews, the Anglican Bishop of Algoma, asked me to speak to each of his four deaneries about mission. So, over the course over eight months or so, I visited Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay and Huntsville, and gave the same
Roots and Wings: The Evolution of a Conference Read More »
This is a workshop given by John Bowen & Tim Haughton at the Vital Church Planting Conference 2012. Length: 1h:05m Subscribe to all our Podcasts here
Making Disciples – VCP 2012 Workshop by John Bowen & Tim Haughton Read More »
The fourth annual Anglican church planting conference, hosted jointly by the Diocese of Toronto and the Wycliffe College Institute of Evangelism, took place last week at St. Paul’s Bloor Street. Numbers at this conference have grown from 60 in 2007 to 180 this time. As one of my colleagues commented, “Aslan is on the move!”
“How Did it Go?” “Thanks for Asking!” – A Report from Vital Church Planting East 2010 Read More »
What exactly is Fresh Expressions? More than anything, it seems to be a spontaneous initiative of the Holy Spirit—if that doesn’t sound too presumptuous. One thing it is not, however, is a program. There is no Fresh Expressions manual with a one-two-three handy-dandy guide to setting up a wonderful fresh expression of church. In some ways,
Fresh Expressions training begins to take root in Canada Read More »
Vincent Donovan was a Catholic missionary to the Maasai in Tanzania in the 1960’s and 1970’s. His book Christianity Rediscovered (Orbis 1978) has been a best-seller ever since, and I am not the only teacher who has used it in classes on mission and evangelism to help students think through issues of Gospel and culture.
Fresh Expressions of Church among the Maasai? Read More »
Interest in Fresh Expressions seems to be everywhere. Bishops are talking about it. Students are talking about it. Every church doing something new-even a coffee hour after the main service-seems to be boasting that it is doing a \”fresh expression.\” And, of course, Canada now has its very own Team Leader for Fresh Expressions Canada-Nick
Is Fresh Expressions just the latest \”Flavour of the Month\”? Read More »