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Amplification works at the level of the individual in several ways. Stories of what others are doing can inspire and give legitimacy to individuals’ own ideas, creating a bandwagon effect by persuading more people to join the trend. They can also challenge unhelpful preconceptions. ‘I thought fresh expressions were about cafe church. Now I see that you have to listen to the context first and that a fresh expression can take many different forms.’ As a result, would-be founders make fewer mistakes and their initiatives are more fruitful, which encourages others to get involved.

Stories that spread good practice are an especially important form of amplification. In a complex world, individuals either do not have the time, or the motivation or skill to assess – perhaps by trial and error – what will work in their contexts. ‘We’re making it up as we go along’ may feel exciting for cutting-edge pioneers, but can seem daunting to those coming up behind. Usually people prefer to imitate others – ‘it works for them, it will work for me’ (Kandori, Mailath and Rob, 1993, p. 31; Dietz, Burns and Buttel, 1990, pp. 159–60). Stories are welcomed as an easy way to learn.

Yet this desire to imitate is problematic where context makes a big difference. If the context is not the same, what worked for them (such as a published evangelistic course) may not work for me (perhaps because attendance at organized meetings is erratic). To help avoid unreflective imitation, the Fresh Expressions’ Share website has sought to draw from pioneers’ experience themes – illustrated with stories – that can guide good practice (www.sharetheguide.org).12 Harnessed through general principles, the experience of others is thus amplified. This makes it easier to pioneer a contextual church and increases the probability of getting it right, which – in a further amplification – is likely to persuade more people to have a go.

It seems that there has been considerable amplification in terms of bandwagon effects, and a fair amount in terms of the ‘I hadn’t realize that’ kind of learning. Through Share, training courses from several stables, the Church Army Sheffield Centre, publications and other vehicles, there has been some embrace of helpful methodologies, especially the importance of listening to context, but the spread of good practice remains a challenge.

Amplification has involved

 spreading stories;

 a central team that could act as a megaphone;

 explicit support from church authorities;

 the multiplication of networks;

 spread of good practice.