Unlocking the Future of Community Engagement with Fresh Expressions
What could it look like to nurture thriving, fully-developed faith communities that live somewhere permanently outside the confines of traditional church buildings? In “Starting a Fresh Expression of Church,” we invite you to embark on the transformative journey of redefining how you perceive and practice church! Explore how church can happen authentically anywhere people naturally gather– from hiking trails to pickleball courts. This course is your guide to initiating, cultivating, and flourishing within the new and surprising expressions of church that might resonate for believers and seekers in this ever-changing century.
Unlock the power of the Fresh Expressions framework, bringing your church closer to the community while maintaining cherished traditions, and discover how to leverage your unique gifts to minister to those around you. Learn how to infuse spiritual conversations and practices into everyday activities, fostering connections and spiritual growth in unexpected places. By the end of this course, you’ll possess the knowledge, insights, and actionable strategies you need in order to build, lead, and participate in fresh expressions of church that effectively and joyfully embody the spirit of Jesus in the modern world.
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72
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9 Hours, 30 minutes
$55
Get oriented to the course, download the interactive handbook, and access the group to chat with others!
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Find out your next steps as you complete the course and how to stay connected with your group. You'll also be able to submit feedback about your course.
Ministry leaders and everyday believers alike are on the hunt for resources to address the decline (or even, maybe, the death) of the traditional church. We don’t just know something needs to change; we can feel it. This course gets honest about that deep, gnawing sense that something is missing, and its expert guidance will prepare participants to adapt their ministry methods and plans to our changing world.
By the end of the course, learners will be able to craft a clear, faithful, and personal plan for responding to this moment in history in the spirit of the Fresh Expressions, learning to build church wherever the faithful (or not so faithful) gather. As our world shifts, we respond, and we will continue to proclaim the Gospel and foster faithful communities wherever and however we are able!
Here's everything you get for just $55:
Dr. Dee Stokes is a lover of Jesus and strives to love others like Jesus does and see them as they are in the image of God. She also loves deep conversations, and Dr. Dee Stokes is an entrepreneurial minister, educator, consultant, and program builder. In each of her diverse branches of work, she aims to repurpose organizations and support influential people who change the world and live out the Gospel.
Dr. Stokes serves as the Teaching Pastor at Christ Wesleyan Church in Greensboro, North Carolina; as the Director of Multicultural Ministry for the NC East District of The Wesleyan Church; as the President and CEO of her own non-profit ministry; and as the Director of the Seeds Project for Luther Seminary's Faith+Lead innovation team. She holds multiple degrees with focuses ranging from Educational Leadership (Ed.S. & Ed.D.) to Biblical and Theological Foundations (MBTF), and is a dedicated and devoted follower of Jesus whose deepest wish is for everyone to experience the Gospel in their lives!
Dwight Zscheile is Vice President of Innovation and Professor of Congregational Mission and Leadership at Luther Seminary. He has authored or co-authored several books, including Leading Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future, The Agile Church: Spirit-Led Innovation in an Uncertain Age, and The Missional Church in Perspective: Mapping Trends and Shaping the Conversation.
A graduate of Stanford University (BA), Yale University (MDiv) and Luther Seminary (PhD, Congregational Mission and Leadership), Dwight previously served congregations in Minnesota, Virginia and Connecticut. Dwight’s experience growing up in a secular home in California has shaped his commitment to helping the church cultivate Christian community with neighbors in today’s changing world.
Learning happens best when you do it together with folks who are on the same journey as you are.
That's why our private social network, the Faith+Lead Learning Lab, hosts conversations about course content with other learners, instructors, TAs, and community leaders.
Want to bring Starting a Fresh Expression of Church to your Bible study, small group, or even your entire congregation?
Choose "Enroll a Group" at checkout and select how many people you'd like to provide access to the course. You can go through the course together in-person, watch lessons together via Zoom, or even create a private group in the Learning Lab where participants can connect asynchronously.
