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Mission-shaped Church review

Mission-shaped church commentary

2004 saw the publication of the Mission-shaped Church report from the Church of England's Mission and Public Affairs Council and subsequent discussion and approved by General Synod. This was the report that first coined the term "fresh expression of church"; it's warm reception and multiple reprints signified the change in position of the fresh expressions phenomena from the margins of church life to the mainstream.

Encounters on the Edge no.22 Mission-shaped Church: The Inside and Outside View was written shortly after the main report was published.It is called The Inside and Outside View because this issue is jointly written by George Lings and Bob Hopkins. George was on "the inside" by being a member of the working party that complied the report.Bob was on "the outside" is his role as external consultant to the process.

For those who haven't read the report and have no real wish to read the whole thing, this Encounters issue summarises its key points down into an easier, gentler read.It identifies what is at the heart of the changes the report signals. But more than just a summary, George and Bob include here things they wish could have gone into the original report but at the time were considered too radical. Order this issue to read where George and Bob think the report did not go far enough.

For more information and resources go to our  Mission-shaped Church page.