fresh expressions canada update
July 14 2009
Hello there!
Hope you are enjoying what is passing for a summer in many parts of Canada! We are halfway through July but it feels more like September, at least here in Montreal! As you might expect things are pretty quiet on the Fresh Expressions Canada front this time of year apart from the planning that is going on for the fall and beyond.
Summer is always a good time to reflect on all that has happened in the preceding months, and to put things in some sort of perspective.Some of you may be interested in the piece I wrote for the Wycliffe College Institute of Evangelism’s “good idea!” The piece is titled “A fresh expression of amnesia,” and you can read it here. I’d love to hear what you thought about it!
Summer is also a good time to get some postponed reading done! I’d like to recommend a short book that packs a big punch. One with a strong Fresh Expressions connection too. “Jesus’ People,” is the most recent book from
Steven Croft, the former Archbishops Missioner and Team Leader of Fresh Expressions in England, now Bishop of Sheffield. As Steve explains in his foreword, ” It is written to explain and explore some very deep convictions about the Church in the present and the future.
It is an excellent book and can be ordered here, where you can also read the complete foreword and part of chapter one! It makes an excellent summer read.
For those of you living within striking distance of Toronto, the following will be of interest.
Fresh Expressions of Church: A Mission-Shaped Introduction
The aim of this course is to explore the ‘why’ of creating fresh expressions of church rather than the ‘how’. John Bowen and Jenny Andison will take students on a journey looking at the ever-changing nature of our social communities, and why the Church needs to rethink its approach to those communities in meaningful and relevant ways. This course is designed for both clergy and lay alike of any denomination.
Location, Dates & Times: Wycliffe College, 5 Hoskin Ave., Toronto, ON, M5S 1H7. Wednesdays, September 9, 16, 23, 30, October 7 & 14, 20097:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Instructors: Dr. John Bowen is the Director of Wycliffe’s Institute of Evangelism and Associate Professor of Evangelism. He is a leader of Fresh Expressions in Canada. The Rev. Jenny Andison is on the staff of St. Paul’s, Bloor Street and has been involved in Fresh Expression workshops.
Those in Eastern Ontario will want to know about the upcoming Vision Day to take place on
Saturday November 21st, 9.00 am-3.00pm, at St. Thomas the Apostle, 2345 Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa. More details in the next update, or check at the FXCA website.Dundas Vision Day
Wherever you are this summer, I hope you have a good one! Please remember to pray for Fresh Expressions Canada as it “seeks to encourage the development of fresh expressions of church alongside more traditional expressions, with the aim of seeing a more mission-shaped church take shape throughout the country.”
Yours in Christ,
Nick Brotherwood
team leader FXCA
514-246 5796
nick.brotherwood@freshexpressions.ca
Skype address: nick.brotherwood
Nick Brotherwood is Assistant Director of the Institute of Evangelism. Since January 2011 he is also incumbent and pastor of St. Stephen's Church, Westmount, QC. In 2006, he was made a canon of Christ Church Cathedral in Montreal. In 2003, he and his wife Sue led a team which planted a new church—Emerge—focusing on 18-25 year olds in downtown Montreal. He was Bishop’s Missioner to Young Adults in the Diocese of Montreal from 2003 until the end of 2010. From 1989 till 2002, he was on the staff of St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, Westmount QC, where he served first as Assistant, then as Associate and finally as Priest in Charge. For a part of this time, he was also a chaplain at McGill University. Nick has extensive experience in Christian camping. In the 1970’s, he was a professional rock drummer—a skill he has never lost. Nick is married to Sue, and they have six children and four grandchildren at the last count. Nick has a long-term commitment to congregational health and evangelism, has wide experience of the church and its ministries, and a passion for seeing Fresh Expressions of Church spring up throughout out country. Click here to read all articles by Nick Brotherwood
