For many American church leaders, the ‘emerging church’ has become either a sign of hope, or a symptom of all that is wrong with post-modern Christianity. What is less well-known is that in the UK new ways of being church have been warmly embraced, and officially sponsored, by all the mainline denominations. Under the banner of ‘Fresh Expressions’ (an official agency of the Church of England and the Methodist Church, see www.freshexpressions.org.uk), new forms of church can be found in all sections of the theological spectrum and among all age groups of people. New ways of being church can also be found in other denominations, such as the United Reformed Church and the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian). There is much to be learned from these developments, not least in understanding how the emerging church can be complementary to inherited forms of church rather than representing some sort of opposition to the tradition.   

What Others Have Thought:  

"This course confirmed my passion for a shift to a more missional and decentralized paradigm for local church expression."  

"John & Olive Drane challenged my assumptions and pointed out the necessity of us starting to reach out in more wide ranging avenues to the postmodern generation."    

Course Project:    

This seminar will meet at the Carmelite Priory Retreat Centre near Oxford, England. John and Olive will be joined by Ian and Gail Adams, Andrew Roberts, and Jonny Baker. The course looks at new models of church and ministry that are addressing that need and offer hope to others in the struggle to create missionally significant congregations. 

Sample Readings From This Course May Include:  

Church of England General Synod, Mission Shaped Church: Church Planting and Fresh Expressions of Church in a Changing Context. Church House Publishing, 2004.    

Gibbs, Eddie & Ryan Bolger. Emerging Churches. Baker, 2005.  

McLaren, Brian. A Generous Orthodoxy. Zondervan, 2004. 

Smith, David. Mission after Christendom, Darton Longman & Todd, 2003.   

For a sample course description please click here.  NOTE: This is not to be used as a source for course preparation.