History

Urban Expression has been working in East London since 1997 and in Manchester and Glasgow more recently, providing a support structure for small teams planting churches and engaging in various holistic mission activities in the local communities in which they live. Gradually churches have begun to emerge and a range of projects have been developed: an Asian Friendship Centre, CRE8 (a schools team working with excluded pupils), a motorbike project, pastoral work in the local psychiatric hospital, community sports weeks and much else. Progress has mainly been patient rather than dramatic.

We have found that others far from East London have been drawn to the core values and mission strategy of Urban Expression. Some have asked whether Urban Expression might be able to assist them in developing similar initiatives in other urban communities. Some are already involved in such initiatives but are looking for opportunities to learn from others involved in church planting. Many are urban church planters, but some are simply living in urban areas and involved in other forms of local mission and ministry, while others are church planters working on housing estates or other places that are not in the inner city. The contexts are different, but many of the challenges are similar.

Urban Expression Associates was launched in 2004 to enable those who are involved in these contexts to network together and learn from one another. Those who participate in this network are not joining an organisation but a learning community. We share values and a common approach rather than a common structure or strategy. Associates will retain their own separate identity, organisational name (if any) and governance structure.