Good job I don’t set myself up as omniscient when I’m proved wrong at every turn. What is it about Messy Church that means it never follows the rules? Hmph. All very… messy. A while back the Revd Tim Waghorn from Victoria in Australia emailed asking for my wisdom (choke choke) on how often to run a Messy Church. I pontificated at length about the joys of monthliness and heard today what Tim and his team decided to do. The moral of the tale? Listen to God, not me!
If you’d like to keep up with Tim and his team’s Messy Church, their website is here. We send out best wishes, greetings and prayers and take our hats off to you all.
Dear Lucy
I look back upon the email you sent regarding our enquires about Messy Church. Well, taking your advice into account, we have begun our Messy Church. We decided to go weekly, as the families in the region have set programs with their children based on a weekly program in school term. This is where we have chosen to slot in. We meet weekly on a Sunday evening 4pm-5pm, mind you they take some moving on after 5, as families group together for talk time…
We have now run for three weeks in a row. Yes, a minimal team, however dedicated volunteers have allowed this to take place. We have discovered a mix of songs that have been a real hit with both children and adults alike. We also have received assistance from neighbouring mega churches who provide puppeteers and other guests (yet to come, but have promised for the coming school terms).
Through much prayer and preparation, we have reached out to some 15 fringe or non-church families who are now die hard Messy Church goers. They inform me it is the highlight of the week for their children, and one father shared with me that he never thought he would ever say he goes to church weekly and enjoys it.
God is doing some amazing things here. We assumed it would taper off after the first couple of weeks, but the families are beginning to invite other families because it is a great environment to discover and learn (for their children is often the guise…)
Thank you for your book, your support and encouragement. We will continue to post updates on our website so you can follow our progress.
Regards, Revd. Tim
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