_Microsites  >  Sheffield Centre  >  encounters  >  The Enigma of Alternative Worship

The Enigma of Alternative Worship

Alternative worship

One of the many different strands of fresh expression of church that has emerged over the last 15 years is the alternative worship movement. These groups are most easily defined by their creativity in worship to spiritual expression that is participative, visual, experiential and relevant to our contemporary society. Learning from the regrettable and painful demise of the Nine O'clock Service (an early pioneer of the movement), these congregations that have also tended to be small, modest and highly democratic. 

This issue clears up some of the common misunderstandings of the movement and goes on to liken them to a safety net to catch those falling out of church. By planting new communities, potential church leavers find safe places to experiment and discover deeper ways of worshipping that are authentic, enriching and therefore sustaining. 

This issue asks questions of the movement such as what place mission has, why it is only limited to a few countries, why they are so small and where is the movement going? It is worth noting that the language of "emerging church" is now used to refer to many of these fresh expressions of church.