Explore more about Fresh Expressions!
One of the strengths of the Fresh Expressions (FX) process is that it gives a practical process in how to connect into our neighborhoods in America's "post-Christian" culture.
We must begin by reclaiming our mindset and focus as "Making Disciples". For the past 100 years we did this by "getting people to church and getting them involved." I call this "hanging around" discipleship. If we could get people to "hang around" the church 15-20 hours/month, almost by osmosis they would make a discipleship journey.
We are in a new culture where persons are not interested in "hanging around" church.
Now, we must learn how and intentionally practice ways of "hanging out" with them where they live, work, and play. Manifesting the love of Jesus where we live work and play is, in the words of our Made for More study, "Being a Disciple",
We are in a new culture where persons are not interested in "hanging around" church.
The following "Be a Disciple" process must be done in a team of at least 2 or 3 in order to be effective, just as Jesus modeled. But, if we will DO IT we will begin to see our breadth and depth of outreach mushroom. Lives will be changed.
Stage One: Listening
The first stage of cultivating fresh expressions within the community is prayerful "double listening." Double listening includes listening to both "God and context." Rather than assuming we already know our context, this requires us to take a posture of curiosity and wonder. We look at our community with the soft eyes of a learner. This cannot be overemphasized.
Stage Two: Loving/Serving This is simply about finding ways to be with people in our community, loving and serving them with no agenda. As we do so, we may need to stand in the gap to meet physical needs, providing clothing, food, resources, or whatever other lack there may be. Once we understand this dynamic, from a place of genuine withness, as needs emerge within the community, we can work together to meet those needs. Stage Three: Building Community The fresh expressions approach is one of long-term incarnational engagement. It is through the repeated patterns of faithful presence that loving and serving becomes authentic community. Time is the fertilizer of relationships. As relationships gain strength, trust begins to build among the group. A profound sense of connectedness begins to form, as we gather around the habitual practices. The community becomes a source of life as we experience the healing of our isolation. Not only do we enjoy being around each other, but it becomes something we look forward too. We start to find an authentic sense of belonging.
Learn more about Become Community at spumcabq.org/become
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