Fresh expressions of church

A few of us from the church have been doing a Fresh Expressions course with about 30 others from a variety of local churches.
The course is a Methodist, Anglican initiative and looks at how the church might share the Good News effectively with today's generation, and how our churches and ministries might need to change and what they may need to look like to make that happen. The course subject matter is as follows;
•The mission of God;
•Vision and values;
•Gospel and culture;
•Evangelism and discipleship;
•What is Church?
•Leadership and team roles;
•Missional spirituality;
•Worship and the sacraments;
•How to keep going when things get tough.

In truth the course has been a bit mixed,there have been problems with technology that haven't helped and some sessions I have not understood at all (probably just me!)
It is also true to say that it was initially very hard to get to know the other course member's
However it has recently got much better ,there was a very good residential weekend with sessions led by people who really knew what they were talking about because they were doing it.
Todays session we had a Christian vicar who was also a DJ whose very effective gospel ministry is in the clubs of Broad St in Birmingham, and then a couple who have planted a new church in Telford. Both emphasised the importance of relationships.
By the afternoon I was flagging a bit but it was good to see and hear people so keen to share the gospel that they were unafraid of trying of trying new (though still biblical)ways of expressing church.
A great deal for us to think about !

2 quotes from the day
"“In working with (young) people...do not try to call them back to where they were, and do not try to call them to where you are, beautiful as that place may seem to you. You must have the courage to go with them to a place where neither you nor they have been before.”
“The church is essentially en route, on a journey, on a pilgrimage. The church which pitches its tents without constantly looking for new horizons which does not continually strike camp is being untrue to its calling...It is essentially an interim church, a church in transition....”