Jordan's Jargon
by Pastor Jordan Louks
Fresh Expressions
Back at the end of February, I was invited to the Fresh Expressions National Conference in Ocala, Florida. Fresh Expressions is a movement within the United Methodist Church that seeks to develop new ways of ministry that reach new people. It was a wonderful experience, and not just because I got a break from the North Dakota winter! While there I was able to take in a few of the Fresh Expressions and learn from Fresh Expression practitioners.
One of the groups I took part in was Burritos and Bibles, a dinner church that takes place at a restaurant called Tijuana Flats. There was a meal, prayer, and conversation. It was simple. Yet in the simple, we were able to see each other and feel God’s presence in our conversation. We ended our time with Communion. Around the table, people loved and were loved.
Burritos and Bibles was church for those who participated. Folks from that group may never worship on a Sunday morning because of work obligations or stigma from religious trauma. But they were experiencing the love of Christ with conversation about God over chips and salsa.
It reminds me that the Church has constantly evolved over time in its expressions. From the beginning, the Church has strived to meet people where they were whether that was in homes, pubs, sanctuaries, restaurants, or by the lake. Therefore, the Church of the 21st Century needs to adapt and evolve to meet people where they are at because people are still longing for God, connection, and community.
As we think about our ministry and mission in Fargo, I want to encourage all of us to think about ways we could be reaching new people in unique ways in the places and spaces we frequent. It is an invitation to reimagine what church could look like.
Ultimately, Fresh Expressions is about building relationships with other people and loving other people. That could happen around the supper table, the board gaming table, walking along the riverside, tailgating, at the Student Union, in the living room of a nursing home, or wherever it is that people are gathered.
Where may God be calling you to start something new? How can we be listening to where God is calling us to love our neighbors? It does not have to be anything fancy. Often it looks like simply showing up with a board game or a meal with an intent to be present with each other. Let us listen to the Spirit. Let us get to know folks. Let us spread God’s love.
God’s peace be with you,
Pastor Jordan Louks
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