Church Expression Definitions

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Church Expression field in the LCSR (Local Church Statistical Report) allows pastors to identify the unique characteristics or models of church life that best describe the ministry context of their congregation. This field helps us capture the diversity of church experiences and provides valuable insights for understanding the life of the church across our denomination. 

What is Church Expression? 

Church expression refers to the particular way a church expresses its ministry, worship, community, and mission within its cultural, geographical, and denominational context. It encompasses how the church gathers, worships, serves, and reaches its community. 

Why is it important? 

Clarifying the church expression helps us understand the diversity of church models, particularly in a geographic or district context. It can provide insights into how churches are adapting to current needs and challenges, and can help in providing tailored support, resources, and training to churches within each expression. 

Definitions of Church Expressions: 

• Micro Church Network: A micro church network is a collection of small, simple, lay-led congregations (often meeting in nontraditional spaces, such as, coffee shops, businesses, or homes) that remain interconnected for shared mission, accountability, and support while functioning with minimal institutional structure.
• House Church Network: A house church network is a movement of interconnected congregations that gather primarily in homes, emphasizing relational discipleship, shared leadership, and simple structures while staying united through common mission and mutual support.
• Dinner Church: A dinner church is a congregations or a network of congregations that center their worship and discipleship around shared meals, blending table fellowship, teaching, and mission in a way that reflects the practices of the early church.
• Ethnic Specific Church: An ethnic specific church is a congregation formed around a shared cultural or linguistic identity, providing worship, community, and ministry that reflects and affirms the heritage of a particular ethnic group.
• Language Specific Church: A language specific church is a congregation that conducts its worship, discipleship, and community life primarily in a particular language to serve people who share that linguistic context.
• Prison Church: A prison church is a congregation that forms and functions within a correctional facility, providing worship, discipleship, and pastoral care for incarcerated individuals, often developing and utilizing the gifts of those who are incarcerated.
• Cowboy Church: A cowboy church is a congregation that ministers within Western and rural cowboy culture, often meeting in barns, arenas, or outdoor settings and emphasizing a relaxed, relational, and evangelistic approach.
• Virtual Reality Church: A virtual reality church is a digital congregation that gathers in immersive online environments, using VR technology to facilitate worship, teaching, fellowship, and mission beyond physical boundaries.

How to Use These Definitions 

1. Choosing a Church Expression 

   Pastors should select the church expression that best represents the overall characteristics of their congregation's ministry, worship style, and community engagement. If the church practices a hybrid model, pastors can select multiple expressions that best fit. 

2. Review for Accuracy 

   Review their church expression choice annually or whenever the ministry context shifts to ensure it remains accurate. This can help provide clearer insights into the trends and shifts within the church. 

3. What if My Church Doesn’t Fit?   

   If none of these expressions fully describe the church, pastors should feel free to select “Other” offer additional context or notes if needed in the “Other Church Expression” field.