We believe that all churches can find fresh ways of expressing God's mission, particularly as they:

• proclaim the good news of Jesus and his kingdom;
• teach, baptize and nurture new followers;
• respond to human need by loving service;
• seek to transform unjust social structures; and
• strive to safeguard creation and the renewal of life on earth.

However, as our culture continues to change and more people have no connection with existing churches we will find that fresh expressions of church will be ever more important.

Fresh expressions of church begin with a different way of thinking about church. Many existing churches operate with a 'you come to us' mindset.  Even though the mindset might come with an invitation - 'Would you like to join us?' - it is predicated that people will come into 'our' church at a time that fits us and in a style that we have pre-arranged.

Fresh expressions have a 'we'll come to you' mindset. They start not with an invitation but with an offer - 'We're willing to come to you, serve you and stay with you. If you want, we'll also help you to be church in a way that suits you - in your style, not ours'.

The aim is not to provide a stepping stone into existing church, but to form new churches in their own right.

Fresh expressions of church require a new mindset. They are not new models of church to be copied. It is a mindset that starts not with church, but with people who don't belong to church.