For more than twenty years, the Fresh Expressions movement has been helping churches recover an ancient yet often-forgotten approach to mission. Rather than asking, “How do we get people to come to church?” Fresh Expressions begins with a different question: “How do we love our neighbors well enough to earn the right to share life together?”

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This incarnational, neighbor-centered approach has helped thousands of congregations move beyond attractional ministry by cultivating authentic relationships, listening deeply to their communities, and discovering where God is already at work. At the center of the movement is a simple but powerful framework: the Loving First Journey. These six spiritual practices can help any congregation engage its community and nurture disciples who participate in God’s transforming work.

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Michael Moynagh and I first developed the Loving First Journey in our book 21st Century Christian. Since then, that work has evolved into a broader framework for helping any congregation, regardless of size, denomination, or context, cultivate deeper community engagement, spiritual formation, and missional vitality.

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Today, conferences, synods, denominations, seminaries, and local congregations use Love First as both a philosophy of ministry and a practical system for congregational renewal.

Whether your church is launching new ministries, seeking to reconnect with its neighborhood, or simply asking, "How can we become more faithful in our mission?" Loving First provides a practical pathway forward.