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Immersions & Connectives

Connectives: Small Groups with Purpose

Connectives are the "relational glue" of the National Gathering. While the main sessions provide the vision, Connectives provide the space to process and personalize that vision.

  • What they are: Guided small group spaces that meet consistently throughout the gathering.

  • The Experience: Led by FX practitioners, these groups focus on spiritual formation, mutual support, and "bold discipleship."

  • The Goal: To prevent "information overload" by helping you reflect meaningfully on what you’ve heard, build lasting relationships with fellow leaders, and commit to concrete next steps.

Get ready for the Fresh Expressions National Gathering 2026! This year's event, themed "Altogether Now: Seven Generations and Beyond," features two unique opportunities designed to move us beyond theory and into transformative practice: Connectives and Immersions.

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Registration for these specific tracks will be required 

Immersions: Contextual Learning in the Field

Immersions are hands-on, site-based experiences that take you out of the church and into the local community. These sessions are designed to give you a "firsthand look" at innovation in action.

  • What they are: Guided visits to active Fresh Expressions and communities in and around Ocala, Florida.

  • The Experience: You’ll see how diverse practitioners are contextualizing the Gospel in places like cafes, parks, and dinner tables.

  • The Goal: To witness the "mixed ecology" of church life and bring back practical insights to spark a similar movement in your own unique context.

Immersion Opportunities

Click on the Immersion Name for description

Tattoo Parlor Church

Open Arms Village Tour

Wildwood: Twice Blessed Clothing Cottage

Compassion Tour

Dinner Church Convo – Pine UMC

Ocala West Dinner Church Teaching of Brunch & Play Skills

Stirrups & Strides

Burritos and Bibles

Treasure Hunt Prayer Walk

Gamer Church

Yoga Chapel®

BreadBreakers

Mime Immersion

Multiple Dinner Church opportunities

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Connectives

  • Antiracism Discipleship - Bener Agtarap and Amania Drane

  • Embodied Faith: Shaping Fresh Expressions Through Movement – Kristen Mooney & Kathy Randall Bryant

  • A Call to Dream, Dare, and Disrupt - Rachel Billups & Matt Rawle

  • From Attendance to Attachment – Rai Jackson

  • The Art of Mentoring and Reverse Mentoring – Bishop Ken Carter

  • Fresh Expressions 101 and 201 – Michael Beck & Isaiah Park

  • Loneliness Café: Mental Health & FX – Travis and Allyson Smith

  • Faith, Funds & Family – Sadell Bradley

  • Queer Church – Tracy Rose

  • Bread Breakers – Daniel Park & Michael Graham

  • The Common Tabletop: Gaming Church – Laura Wittman

  • Ecclesial Entrepreneurs – Joe Graves

  • Fanning the Flames – Chris Heckert

  • Recovery Church – Jill Beck

  • Dinner Church – Brett Dehart & Andrew Suite

  • This Generation Leader: Thriving as Innovation Young Leaders – Woo Kang

  • The Listening Church - Luke Edwards

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