POTTERGATE NEWS - Alnwick, St James

Fresh Expressions
(left to right) the Revd Stephen Lindridge; the Revd Dr Martyn Atkins, general
secretary of the Methodist Church; the Revd Stephen Poxon, president of the
Methodist Conference; the Archbishop of Canterbury; Bishop Graham Cray; the
Revd John Marsh; and the Revd Roberta Rominger
Fresh Expressions, which was initiated by the Archbishops of Canterbury and
York and the Methodist Council in the wake of the Mission-shaped Church
report, is gaining increasing recognition both at home and abroad.
Last month the United Reformed Church with its 1,600 congregations,
100,000 members and attenders and 700 ministers, joins the initiative which
encourages new forms of church for a fast changing world.
The Revd Roberta Rominger, URC general secretary said: 'We want to attract
those who don’t come to church, by offering something new and different
alongside more traditional forms of worship. The Fresh Expressions initiative
is a real opportunity for Christians of all persuasions to join together in
mission and to share the Christian good news at a key moment in the life of
our nation'.
United Reformed Church members are already actively engaged in mission
shaped ministry, a nationwide course equipping leaders of fresh expressions,
which has well over 1,000 students.
The Fresh Expressions initiative is spreading internationally too. Fresh
Expressions Canada was launched earlier this year and Archbishops’