Imagine a world where a centuries-old cathedral stands proudly alongside a thriving coffee shop ministry, where a megachurch’s online platform reaches millions while a handful of believers gather in a living room for deep discipleship. This isn’t a far-off dream, but a growing reality known as the “mixed ecology” of church—where “fresh expressions” of church and more familiar models of Christian communities come together to form a vibrant, thriving culture of faith and witness.
In a recent episode of the Pivot podcast, we turned the tables on one of our usual hosts, the Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile, to explore his groundbreaking research on this innovative approach to ministry. Joined by co-hosts the Rev. Dr. Terri Elton and Dr. Alicia Granholm, Dwight offered a sneak peek into his upcoming book, “Embracing the Mixed Ecology”—which he’s co-authoring with his wife and fellow Episcopal priest the Rev. Blair Pogue—and painted a vivid picture of how fresh expressions are reshaping the church landscape.
Dwight’s journey into this research began with a personal mission. “I grew up in an unchurched, secular home in California,” he said. “So much of my work is with a passion about how the church connects with people outside of its doors, people who don’t know the Christian story, don’t know the gospel.”
This passion has led Dwight to explore the concept of “mixed ecology” in church ministry, with fresh expressions playing a crucial role. But what exactly are fresh expressions, and how do they fit into the larger picture of the mixed ecology?
Understanding the Mixed Ecology
The mixed ecology concept recognizes that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to church. As Dwight explains, “To reach everyone, we need everything.” This approach affirms the importance of various forms of church, each playing a unique role in reaching different segments of the population.
This can include:
- Traditional Inherited Churches: These are the churches many of us grew up with – established congregations with long histories, often with their own buildings and well-defined structures.
- Church Plants: New churches started with the intention of becoming self-sustaining congregations.
- Fresh Expressions and Missional Communities: Innovative forms of church for our changing culture, established primarily for the benefit of those who are not yet part of any church. For example, a “dinner church” that meets in a community center, sharing meals and faith discussions.
- Megachurches: Large churches (typically 2,000 or more weekly attendees) that often offer a wide range of programs and services.
- Microchurches: Small, often home-based churches that focus on intimate community and discipleship.
- Digital Churches: Online communities and ministries that leverage technology to connect people and share the gospel. Think of a church that exists primarily on social media platforms, offering daily devotionals, live-streamed services, and online small groups.
Fresh Expressions: The Heart of Innovation
Within this mixed ecology, fresh expressions of church play a particularly vital role in reaching those who might never step foot in a traditional church building.
Fresh expressions are new forms of church that emerge within specific cultural contexts. They focus on “joining where people are already having life in the neighborhood, listening, loving people, beginning to build community, and adding some spiritual conversations and exploration as part of that,” Dwight explained.
Examples of fresh expressions might include:
- A surfing church that meets on the beach
- A faith community centered around a community garden
- A “laundromat church” that offers prayer and Bible study while people do their laundry
- An arts-based ministry that explores faith through creativity
The Power of Context
One of the key strengths of fresh expressions is their ability to contextualize the Gospel for specific communities and cultures. Dwight emphasizes the importance of this: “The gospel is always embodied in culture, but it also always calls into question the presuppositions of culture.”
Fresh expressions allow the church to meet people where they are – literally and figuratively. They speak the language of their context while remaining true to the core of the Gospel message.
Synergy in the Mixed Ecology
What makes the mixed ecology approach so powerful is the way these different expressions of church can work together and learn from each other. For example:
- A traditional church might partner with, or launch, a fresh expression to reach a demographic they’ve struggled to connect with.
- A megachurch could resource and support microchurches in their neighborhood.
- A digital church ministry might provide online resources for fresh expressions and traditional churches alike.
Dwight notes, “New forms of Christian community need to tap deeply into the roots of wisdom and tradition. And at the same time, inherited traditional churches are renewed when communities that are connecting with neighbors on the edges bring the gifts of those neighbors back into the life of those communities.”
Experimentation and Learning
The mixed ecology approach, with fresh expressions at its forefront, embodies a spirit of experimentation that’s crucial for the church in the 21st century. As Alicia pointed out in the conversation, it’s important to “do a small experiment on the side” rather than trying to overhaul an entire church system at once.
This approach allows churches to try new ideas, learn from both successes and failures, and adapt quickly to changing needs and opportunities. Fresh expressions provide a perfect laboratory for this kind of experimentation, allowing churches to explore new ways of being and doing church without abandoning their traditional expressions.
Fresh Hope for the Future
Dwight’s enthusiasm for fresh expressions and the mixed ecology model is contagious. He emphasizes that while the challenges facing traditional church models are real, there are “other ways of faithfully being church in today’s world.”
The mixed ecology, with fresh expressions as a key component, offers a hopeful vision for the future of the church – one that is deeply rooted in the Christian tradition yet flexibly responsive to the needs and languages of diverse communities. It represents a both/and approach to ministry that honors the past while boldly stepping into the future.
In Dwight’s words: “My hope is not in us. My hope is in the Lord of the Harvest and the Spirit’s continuing energy and presence abiding with us so that we can abide with our neighbors and share the story of Jesus.”
Whether it’s a traditional church, a dinner church, a garden church, or a gaming faith community, the mixed ecology approach proves that the church can indeed take new and vibrant forms while remaining true to its mission. As we look to the future, this innovative approach to ministry offers not just a fresh expression of church, but a fresh expression of hope for the body of Christ in the world.
