Medomsly Methodist Messy Church, Durham

This was my first chance to participate in a Messy Church, having been invited to deliver the talk as part of the 'prayer and worship' segment. It was illuminating to see how one church community uses the formula to minister to the people in their local area. My immediate responses are:

Once the practical setting-up had taken place, the helpers first of all prayed. It gave me a chance to meet the team, and gave the team a chance to discuss any last-minute issues amongst themselves.

They had some dedicated helpers. It's brilliant to see senior members of a congregation contributing like this; events like this bind individuals, families and churches together across the age spectrum.

People were welcomed as they came in with refreshments. It felt cosy and domestic, in the best sense. Children could look forward to this event at the end of the week and think Yes!'

There was a good range of activities and lots of conversation going on.

They've got a good age-range of people coming. It's not just mums and toddlers.

They’ve got others helping who aren't in the immediate church community. (The 'cards and crosses' section was run by a daughter of one of the members.) Some people prefer to participate in events by being given an area of responsibility. They don't just want to be 'customers' - they want to contribute.

The 'prayer and worship' time seemed to flow naturally on from the craft activities.

The minister had a gentle manner with people of all ages, and that was reflected in the natural respect of their responses when he led worship. Most of the participants took part, singing and listening well to the talky bits.

After the worship, the meal was a great opportunity to sit and chat. I had a great conversation with the children and granny of one family who discussed the talk as well as suggesting the names of schools with which I could make further connections.

People wanted to stay at the end! They didn't quickly dash off afterwards. They obviously felt at home in church, and that was a good sign.

My own talk was called 'Eggs can fly'. It's an exploration of Easter on the theme of how God makes something out of brokenness and seemed to go down well. It involved flying eggs and a PowerPoint put together by Les (see the script).

Overall, another excellent model of how churches can serve their community and raise their own profile. It was a privilege to be there, and I’ve been invited back to lead the worship for Pentecost - with drums...