We were delighted to welcome some 50 delegates to the Bedford Messy Fiesta on Saturday, about 15 of whom had already started some form of Messy Church, with the rest thinking about it. This time Martyn accompanied me and worked valiantly all day, as did the Children’s Adviser Ruth Pyke, for which I am very grateful.
Together we welcomed the guests, gave them a lively hands-on day of thought-provoking discussion and presentation, craft and food in true Messy Church tradition. It was lovely to have Deborah and Duke Vipperman from Toronto with us for the day – most of the other people were slightly more local. Some interesting questions, as there always are, about messy theology and about who could do a PhD in such a glorious subject, and about the validity of a once-a-month church ‘experience’. And I think we managed to keep the paint off the strawberries.
You may also like
Eco-friendly Messy Church
8th Apr 2024A core value of Messy Church is creativity, which often means that we use loads of ‘stuff’ as we learn, rememb...
Under Pressure
26th Mar 2024They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ he said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch.’ Mark 14:32-35 (NIV).
Being Strategic!
11th Mar 2024Last Friday, I made my way to Church House in London to celebrate the ‘end’ of my cohort’s Strategic Leaders Programme (GFSLP). It was, as Growing Faith Programmes Lead Stephen Beamond put it, a ‘tank-filling’ day!
Space for God in the everyday
26th Feb 2024Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God”. During Lent, traditionally I would give something up, but the last few years have involved me taking up something. This year I am making space to know God more in the everyday things.