Streams in the Desert
Training Pathways for Launching Fresh Expressions in Your Community
These streams equip teams of practitioners from Florida United Methodist congregations to cultivate inclusive, accessible, transfiguring, and connectional forms of church. Each of the six streams offers replicable models for contextual communities that share a common focus.
TRAINERS
Our trainers are not talking head experts, but fellow practitioners, and guides who facilitate what’s already in the room. We use multiple teaching modalities and experiential exercises to cultivate a shared experience of dialogue and peer-to-peer learning.
FORMAT
Three-part pathway sequence:
Imagine: Opening wide-net training day that provides overview for Fresh Expressions and the blended ecology.
Activate: Teams of cohort practitioners gather for a deep dive into practical guidance on cultivating fresh expressions and other passional forms of ministry.
Multiply: Teams (guided by consultant) provide a day of “reverse mentorship” in which students will do presentations on their new expressions and share key learnings.
OTHER INFORMATION
All our trainings are designed for onsite, online, or hybrid options and can be adapted for sizes from small teams to district level.
RECOMMENDATION
If you are unsure of what Fresh Expressions model best fits your context and call, we recommend participating in the 21-Day Prayer Challenge with your team or congregation.
WATCH THE INFORMATIVE WEBINAR
ABOUT THE STREAMS
Recovery Expressions
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Cultivate communities of healing for people in recovery who might be interested in Jesus as their higher power.
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Integrate traditional recovery approaches with incarnational models of leadership.
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Understand the steps and principles of recovery fellowships.
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Explore trauma-informed approaches to discipleship for the 21st century.
Open Table
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Join a distinctly Wesleyan movement of meal-based churches across the Florida Conference.
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Create inviting spaces that cultivate community through shared meals.
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Discover how to combat food insecurity and the epidemic of loneliness in your neighborhood.
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Explore new approaches to introduce spirituality relationally.
Queer Expressions
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Be a part of the intentional cultivation of inclusive new faith communities for LGBTQ+ persons and their allies.
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Understand the importance of holding space for those in the queer community hurt by the church.
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Discover trauma-informed approaches to building community.
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Learn how to be an ally and how to bear witness through withness.
Church@Play
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Engage in creative and fun ways for families and people of all ages and abilities to explore faith together.
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Build intentionally intergenerational faith communities in your neighborhood.
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Learn how to use activities and crafts to create spiritual engagement.
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Discover new ways to provide faith formation resources to families.
Justice-Oriented Expressions
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Learn how to build community focused on interracial healing, connection, and supporting black and brown leaders.
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Cultivate communities that celebrate racial and cultural diversity.
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Explore trauma-informed community care.
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Create spaces of connection and communication that begin the process of healing racialization in your community.
Expresiones de Amor
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Form multicultural, bilingual fresh expressions with Latino, Hispanic, and Latinx communities.
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Understand what Fresh Expressions look like in Hispanic Latinx contexts.
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Gain resources for intentionally creating bilingual spiritual communities.
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Creating expressions of love that are in response to the needs of your community’s context.