Written by: Ashley Procanyn, Co-Leader of Gather Lehigh Valley
This past February, I joined a cohort of NEPA Synod representatives in traveling to Ocala, Florida, to attend the 2026 Fresh Expressions educational retreat. Fresh Expressions is a United Methodist (UMC) movement inspired by smaller-scale ministries that intentionally go out into communities, often creating “third spaces” to serve specific groups of people, rather than waiting for those individuals to find a congregation on their own. As a fellow layperson, I was most surprised and intrigued to learn that Fresh Expressions are primarily led by laypeople rather than pastors- and that this is entirely by design.
I attended this retreat with my background in young adult ministry as my lens, and I was not surprised to learn that our Methodist siblings wrestle with many of the same questions we do, particularly, “What do we do with young adults?” What did surprise me, however, was how applicable the Fresh Expressions movement could be specifically for youth and young adults. Fresh Expressions are about seeing a gap and finding ways to fill it-often in creative and innovative ways. This approach is not tied to one or two generations; rather, it is accessible to anyone with ideas and a willingness to try something new.
What inspired me most, however, was seeing firsthand how intertwined the cultures of “church” and “fresh expression” were. Not only was the larger UMC church body proud and celebratory of these ministries, but so were the communities and congregations, whether they had 10 members or more than 1,000. This sense of pride, shared mission, and mutual support- not competition over resources- was something I had not seen in a long time within the church, and it was electric.
This was my first deep experience with UMC theology in action. While I could not help but be struck by how similar we are, I also came away admiring some of the cultural differences between Lutherans and Methodists. I believe there are many ways we can learn from our ecumenical partners, particularly in how they support and invest in grassroots mission development- local, small-scale ministries that may only last a season or two, by design, and yet are still meaningful and holy work.
Since returning home, I feel as though my eyes have been opened to new possibilities for what we might try with young adults in our synod. Some ideas may flourish, and some may not. In the small group I registered for, titled This Generation’s Leader, I sat with fellow leaders involved in young adult ministry. It was an authentic space that acknowledged all the complicated and very real emotions that come with youth and young adult ministry- that feeling that is hard to explain, but, “if you know, you know.”
While I was somewhat disappointed to discover that collectively none of us have “cracked the code” on all things related to young adults, what I did witness was that there are so many people who care deeply about this work. So many people truly see young adults and believe in the value of both intergenerational spaces and intentionally designed young adult communities.
Praying together during a rainy spring thunderstorm in Florida, sitting side by side in a church classroom, felt like a God moment. We shared stories of learning, laughing, and loving. As someone living in a generation that has built so many parasocial relationships through social media, I felt like I was seeing God's hand at work in all our paths- some diverging, some overlapping, some doing similar things, yet all coming together in that moment.
Putting to action the lessons and collaborative ideas from Fresh Expressions, Gather Lehigh Valley has participated in a young adult retreat partnered with a neighboring synod, begun the conversation and initial planning for a multi-synod all-are-welcome young adult retreat this fall, and planned intentional day trips for young adult events to build relationships outside of retreat spaces. It has been fun to imagine together and see where God is moving us!
If you would like to learn more about Fresh Expressions 2026 or are curious about next year's retreat, I encourage you to read more about the movement or do a quick search online. From there, I would recommend reaching out to people within our synod who may serve as resources, especially previous attendees of the Fresh Expressions 2026 gathering. And if your interest is specifically in young adult ministry, please reach out to Quentin or me, the co-leads of Gather Lehigh Valley.
I pray that God continues to guide us in supporting and creating new fresh expressions that can grow within our synod. I hope that what you take away from my experience- especially if, like me, you have been feeling stuck or uncertain about your direction lately-is that sometimes what we need most is a change in perspective to help us move out of that slump.
Peace + Christ,
Ashley Procanyn
Learn More at the NEPS Fresh Expressions Gathering
