Are fresh expressions radical enough?
There is a danger that fresh expressions will fail to bring kingdom change to society because they have a defective view of their task. They will define their mission as getting people into church, and downplay the kingdom. An alternative starting point might be to have a broader view of the church’s mission, as we have seen. The church’s task is to promote fairness, healthy relationships and other kingdom values in society. But the gap between church and society makes it difficult to enthuse non-churchgoers about advancing these values in a Christian context. So new forms of church are required. These new kinds of church would be designed to provide spiritual resources for people engaged in social action. Culturally relevant expressions of Christian community would make the church more attractive. As newcomers were welcomed, they would encounter God in the context of pushing forward the kingdom, and be supported in their social concern. This how-can-the-church-serve-the-world approach
