Urban Expression: creative church planting in the inner city

Urban Expression is a mission agency that recruits, equips, deploys and networks self-financing teams pioneering creative and relevant expressions of the Christian church in under-churched areas of the inner city. Urban Expression is committed to incarnational ministry on the margins and amongst the poor, and encourages teams to move into urban neighbourhoods to work with others to pioneer exciting, grass-roots, transformative way of being church which seek God’s kingdom of justice and peace.

We prioritise urban mission because the spiritual needs in the inner city are enormous and many churches are struggling to adapt to a changing context. Christians have steadily moved to the suburbs and inappropriate models of creating new churches are sometimes used in the inner city.

Urban Expression invites team members to move in and get involved; to build relationships, listen carefully and learn from others; to discover what God is already doing and join in!

Urban Embrace

 URBAN EMBRACE is a three day event run by Urban Expression hosted in Manchester. 

URBAN EMBRACE seeks to bring together a group of experienced practitioners and academics (and everything in between) from a range of disciplines and backgrounds to explore together the pressing issues that we face as Christians involved in ministry and work in the city. Through structured and informal conversations we will seek develop both theology and practice that relate to our spheres of engagement. 

We hope that people from a wide variety of professions ranging through private, public and voluntary sectors would benefit from joining us, as well as those involved in ministry, mission and theological education. 

CREATIVITY & VARIETY

We aim to explore Christian theology and spirituality in a variety of creative ways:

• writing (poetry and liturgy), eating, walking, bread making …
• nurturing a sense of space and rest, seeking to know the presence of Jesus 
• experiencing and understanding something of the life of our host city 
• stimulating conversations and partnerships that might continue through the year through sharing papers, online conversation, informal meetings etc.  

BOOKING

The cost of the event is £50 which includes all meals except breakfasts. 

Accommodation is not included in this cost. We hope to arrange bed and breakfast accommodation with local people for those who want it. Otherwise we ask that you arrange your own accommodation for the two nights.  Please indicate when booking whether you would like help arranging accommodation. 

Confirmation of the Manchester venues will be confirmed and updated here as soon as possible.

If you have queries please contact Doreen McIntosh at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or Mike Pears This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

FACILITATING TEAM

URBANEMBRACE is being facilitated by a small team of Urban Expression members: Tim Presswood, Clare McBeath, Doreen McIntosh & Mike Pears