1. fresh expressions of Church
Church Army’s Research Unit th November 2016
fresh expressions of Church
Canon Dr George Lings
Director - Church Army’s Research Unit
Part Three
The Day of Small Things
An analysis of fresh expression of Church in 21 dioceses of the Church of England
@ChurchArmy #CARUconf

2. The typical, and unusual, around the fxC world
Data from 21 dioceses reveals differences
What is ‘typical’ could guide a diocese
As to expectations
How far they have travelled down the fxC road
But both dioceses and fxC are complex
With ranges and averages
There is what they share
There is how they differ

3. All human, all different5
All human, all different

4. 3.1 Typicality and range See sections 5.10 and 5.11 Factor #dioc 1-11
Average
Range
fxC as % of churches
14.4%
15.5%
15%
6% -32%
fxC att’ders as % of AWA
5.4%
6.4% 6%
2% - 10%
fxC meet weekly
46.4%
44.7%
45.5%
19% - 76%
fxC meet monthly
46.8%
45.8%
21% - 81%
fxC stay in parish
83.2%
69.5%
76.2%
38% - 95%
Team who go is 3-12 people
73.6%
63.2%
68.3%
40% - 88%
A step in discipleship taken
77.8%
81.9%
80.4%
54% - 93%
About half fxC plateau
48.8%
47.2%
48.0%
31% - 73%
Some grow then shrink
24.2%
23.6%
23.9%
9% - 37%
Some continue to grow
27.0%
29.2%
28.2%
9% - 44%
fxC net growth ratio
2.6
2.5
Newcomers typicality
81.5%
79.9%
80.4%
77% - 91%

5. 3.2 What is unusual by diocese
London is … just different
 62% crossed a parish boundary to start an fxC. In dioceses 1-11, that figure was 17%
41% of London’s fxC are church plants, 3.5 times the average across dioceses London’s set is 26.5% of the total of 132.
28% of its fxC are transplants It is 2.2% in dioceses 1-11 and 6.8% in dioceses 12-21, including London. All are church plants.
In London, 7% are grafts; elsewhere they are 1.8%.
These fxC have a high percentage of ordained leaders, mostly full time and male.
41% started these fxC with large teams (20 or more people). In dioceses 1-11 it was 8.5%, and in dioceses 12-21, it is 13.6%.
See section 5.8

6. Further factors of difference
A higher use of church buildings, at 61%. Dioceses 1-11 was 44%, and dioceses 12-21, 51%.
The larger size of the London fxC at 91. It was 43 in the 1st 11 dioceses and 57 in the 2nd set
77% of attenders are adults; 23% are under 16s. Dioceses 1-11 revealed 59% adults and 41% under 16s. Dioceses have 64% adults and 36% under 16s.
A commendable high figure for diocesan initiative in the motives to start. It is 23% of cases, as compared with 6% in dioceses 1-11 and 9% in dioceses
Having only 16% of the fxC as Messy Churches, whereas 33% is the average elsewhere.
See section 5.8

7. Questions and considerations…
The cost of a high outlay example
The extent of being contextual
What overall difference does it make to the diocese?
What do we learn from London’s strengths?
What transfers well?
What is unique to the capital – and a limited number of similar contexts?

8. 3.3 Features that are typical across fxC
They are missional ecclesial and Anglican, by identity
They are in character - relatively small, mostly young and also distinctly varied!
All have has some missional impact – session 1
All are making some progress in ecclesial maturity – session 2

9. 3.4 Features that vary between fxC
By average number of attenders
3 variants on congregation
The majority
See section 6. It examines the 14 most common types (a sample size >60)

10. For mission, is bigger better?
fxC leaders’ view of who comes – by fxC sizes
Small can hinder anonymity, but here biggest is least effective
See section 4.10

11. fxC and varied team sizes
Team Size at 14 types of fxC
1 to 2
3 to 12
13 to 19
20 to 49
50 plus
Messy Church
3.7%
63.0%
20.2%
12.7%
0.3%
Cafe church
5.0%
62.9%
16.4%
14.3%
1.4%
Child-focused church
9.6%
68.4%
16.9%
5.1%
0.0%
Traditional church plant
2.4%
29.8%
9.7%
37.1%
21.0%
Special interest group
17.6%
67.0%
6.6%
7.7%
1.1%
Multiple Sunday congregation
7.1%
55.3%
12.9%
16.5%
8.2%
Community development plant
7.4%
72.8%
9.9%
2.5%
All age worship
53.9%
10.5%
21.1%
7.9%
Network church
11.0%
47.9%
13.7%
17.8%
Alternative worship
13.0%
71.0%
7.2%
5.8%
2.9%
Church based on <5s
19.4%
75.8%
1.6%
3.2%
Cluster based church
4.8%
53.2%
16.1%
Youth church
24.6%
45.9%
14.8%
13.1%
Older people’s church
20.6%
74.6% 0%
Average (14 types)
9.8%
58.9%
13.8%
3.8%
See section 6.8

12. fxC and mission support
Mission support at 14 types of fxC
Runner %
Graft %
Transplant %
Seed %
Messy Church
98.1%
0.0%
0.6%
1.1%
Cafe church
86.8%
0.7%
4.3%
7.3%
Child-focused church
95.9%
2.7%
Traditional church plant
49.2%
12.1%
32.6%
6.1%
Special interest group
75.2%
1.0%
18.8%
Multiple Sunday congregation
84.3%
5.6%
2.2%
Community development plant
67.4%
6.7%
23.6%
All age worship
76.7%
4.8%
8.9%
Network church
52.5%
16.3%
27.5%
Alternative worship
74.4%
2.6%
15.4%
Church based on <5s
100.0%
Cluster based church
68.8%
1.6%
7.8%
15.6%
Youth church
76.9%
21.5%
Older people’s church
96.8%
Average (14 types)
82.1%
2.1%
5.7%
8.4%
See section 6.9

13. fxC and motives to start
A reminder of the motive labels and their meaning
Grow
Cultural
Geographical
Full up / other

14. Motives and 8 fxC types Abbreviations:
ALT Alternative worship CAF Café church CDP Community development plant MES Messy Church MUL Multiple congregation NTC Network church TCP Traditional church plant YTH Youth congregation

15. Kinds of attenders at types of fxC?
fxC leaders estimates of attenders backgrounds (weighted by average attendance)
Averages across 1109 fxC of all types:
Christians 40% De-churched 35% Non-churched 27%

16. Nuancing growth at fxC See sections 6.3 and 6.4 fxC type Clusters
Multiple congregations
Café Church
Church Plants
Continue to grow
46.9%
40.7%
34.0%
31.3%
Christians
44.9%
45.7%
46.1%
51.7%
fxC type
Church based on <5s
Special interest group
Child-focussed church
Messy Church
% that plateau
46.9%
54.0%
48.1%
47.8%
Non-churched
47.5%
33.7%
42.8%%
45.2%
See sections 6.3 and 6.4

17. Two ends of the rainbow? Messy Church Average size 52 Monthly 87%
Non- churched
45.2%
Christians
32.5%
Lay leaders
58.1%
Female leaders
73.8%
Communion
12.8%
Top Team size
3-12
Transplants
0.6%
Cross boundary?
10.8%
Mortality rate
4.4%
Net growth ratio
3.36%
Church plants
Average size
103
Weekly
96%
Non Churched
19.5%
Christians
51.7%
Lay leaders
9.2%
Female leaders
14.6%
Communion
99.2%
Top Team size
20-49
Transplants
32.6%
Cross boundary?
53.8%
Mortality rate
15.2%
Net growth ratio
1.52
See section 6.22 for a characterisation of each of the 14 most common types

18. Linking traditions and fxC types
Commonest choices
Clusters
Church plants
Community development
Network church
Youth Church
Evangelical
87.5%
84.8%
83.1%
78.8%
75.4%
Charismatic
82.8%
50.8%
47.2%
68.8%
Among less linked with both traditions are :
Messy Church, church based on <5s, child-focussed church, then special interest group and alt. worship
Commonest choices
Messy Church
Child-focused church
Church based on <5s
Multiple congregations
All-age worship
Central
55.3%
52.7%
46.1%
40.4%
40.0%
Catholic
15.3%
12.8%
23.7%
14.6%
13.3%
Liberal
31.1%
12.2%
17.1%
10.4%
NB The Catholic list includes alt. worship at 19.2%
The Liberal list includes alt. worship at 19.4% and Special Interest group at 16.7%
(The %s mean that X% of that type identified with this tradition and maybe others)
See section 6.19

19. fxC mortality – by frequency of meeting

20. An overall complexity There are variables all of which play a part:
Diocese chapter 5
Fresh expression type chapter 6
Social area served chapter 7
Frequency of meeting chapter 8
Leadership resource chapter 10

21. What else lurks in the report?
Other chapters deal with :
No. 11 Assessing the lay-lay contribution
No .9 The effect of various sources of training when compared to none
No. 12 Further fxC variables, including who presides at fxC communions
No. 12 also covers mortality rates and causes
No 14 Possible future research topics
No 15 Recommendations for the future
No 14 Learning from what has already happened …

22. Over to Elspeth
What happens after research is received?