Partnerships are the bedrock of Missio’s identity and ministry. These partners support and inform our work and we, in turn, want to help draw special attention to the ways in which they are engaging and equipping the church and church leaders for the sake of God’s mission. To that end, we’re excited to begin more regularly placing a spotlight on the important work of our Alliance Partners and to extend invitations to our audience to engage with them more directly as we, together, envision A Church Reimagined for a World Recreated!
Does the church that you lead or attend have strategies in place to continue growing in an ever-changing world?
Have you ever wondered if your grandchildren—or even your children—would want to be a part of your church?
Have you ever met someone who was open to faith, but might just not fit in a common church gathering?
What if there were forms of Church that were aimed at people who don’t go to church already?
Our partners at Fresh Expressions US are passionate about equipping people to experiment with new forms of Church. They share Missio Alliance’s deep commitment to a missional theology and have been partners with us since the beginning.
What is Fresh Expressions?
Fresh Expressions is an international movement of missionary disciples cultivating new kinds of church alongside existing congregations to more effectively engage our growing post-Christian society. In 2010, the movement began taking shape in the US through the vision and generosity of the Baptist General Association of Virginia and a growing number of partners committed to a new era of missional ecumenism, a unity around the mission of God the Father through the resurrected Son in the power of the Holy Spirit.
From Awakenings to Steeple to Street
Missio Alliance’s most recent North American Gathering, Awakenings, was about Re-Imagining what life in the Spirit looks like for the sake of mission today. Steeple to Street, this year’s FXUS National Gathering, will focus on practical leadership paradigms and skills that will enable pastors and churches to live more fully into that mission.
Steeple to Street: Leadership in a New Mission Era, will be held March 16-17 in Reston, VA, with a day of pre-conference intensives on March 15. This event is focused on helping the church (and its leaders) rediscover its identity in mission.
Leadership in a New Mission Era
More and more churches are taking seriously the call to engage with their communities…and many more would like to. But this new mission landscape is going to need new skills of leadership. Bold, risk-taking, creative, discerning leadership. It will also require leaders who will move to the mission edges and foster fresh expressions of church, take on the adaptive challenges within existing churches to catalyze new energy for mission, and make room for experiments and risks for the sake of the gospel.
Featuring a diverse lineup of keynote speakers, including Iosmar Alvarez, Tod Bolsinger, Al and Deb Hirsch, and Evelyn Sekajipo, the 2018 Fresh Expressions US National Gathering will allow leaders and pioneers to be energized and equipped to be a collaborative, innovative, and courageous leader. Those in attendance will prayerfully catch the vision for a Church that is willing to fling open the doors and step out into the streets and respond to the Spirit’s invitation to be a sign and foretaste of the kingdom of God in the midst of the everyday world all around us.
Want to find out more? Visit the Steeple to Street website for more information and make plans to join other leaders in March.