Prayer
Regional Coordinator moves from Lichfield & Tamworth region to Stoke-on-Trent
Welcome Naomi Savage as the new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Stoke-on-Trent! Naomi is switching her Regional Coordinator role from the Lichfield and Tamworth region over to Stoke, as she starts a new job at The Church in the Westlands in Newcastle-under-Lyme. Naomi will be the Children's and Families Worker. Please pray for Naomi during all of her transitions.
Regional Coordinator for Wellington, New Zealand
Welcome Diane Stevens, new Regional Coordinator for Wellington in New Zealand! Diane joins a growing team of Regional Coordinators supporting New Zealand.
Regional Coordinator for Sheffield
Welcome to Suzanne Morton, Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Sheffield! We have been waiting to fill this gap for a very long time so we are delighted that Suzanne has decided to join the network.
Regional Coordinator for North East & East Derbyshire
Welcome Linda Cooper, new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for North East & East Derbyshire. Linda is keen to support and pray for the registered Messy Churches in this region. Please contact Linda to encourage her and register your Messy Church with us if you have not already done so.
Regional Coordinator for Newport and East South Wales
Welcome to Helen Jones, your new Regional Coordinator for Newport and East in South Wales. Helen says:
Regional Coordinators for Western Australia
Welcome to Rob and Robyn Douglas, new Regional Coordinators for Western Australia. Rob and Robyn join Greg Ross supporting this large state.
Regional Coordinator for Buckinghamshire
Welcome to Iain Nash, new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Buckinghamshire! We are delighted that Iain has agreed to take on this role as this large region has been without local support for quite a while. We encourage you to join Iain and help us to build a team of Regional Coordinators from Milton Keynes to High Wycombe. Iain is in Aylesbury.
Regional Coordinator for Chelmsford and South Essex
Welcome to Tina Bailes, new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Chelmsford and South Essex. Tina joins Gillian Warren and Trish Hahn on the Essex Regional Coordinator team.
Regional Coordinator for Bay of Plenty, Eastland, Hawkes Bay, Waikato, Taranaki in New Zealand
Welcome Jocelyn Czerwonka, Regional Coordinator for the Bay of Plenty, Eastland, Hawkes Bay, Waikato, Taranaki in New Zealand. Jocelyn joins Richard Stevens and Angela Brown in the new NZ Regional Coordinator team.
Regional Coordinator for Cornwall West
Welcome Mary Judkins, new Regional Coordinator for Cornwall West. Mary lives near St Ives in Cornwall and coordinates a Messy Church at St Anta, Carbis Bay.
Regional Coordinator for Cornwall North and East
Welcome to Ann Sumra, your new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Cornwall North and East.
Regional Coordinator for Exeter and East Devon
Welcome to Mel Cleveland, who is your new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Exeter and East Devon. Mel has years of Messy experience and says:
Regional Coordinator for Canterbury, New Zealand
Welcome to Angela Brown, your new Regional Coordinator for Canterbury in New Zealand. Angela joins a growing team of NZ Regional Coordinators and brings a wealth of experise to the role.
Regional Coordinator for Manawatu, Wellington, Top of the South, Otago NZ
Welcome to Richard Stevens, your new Regional Coordinator for Manawatu, Wellington, Top of the South and Otago in New Zealand. Richard is passionate about Messy Church and has been actively involved for the past eight years. He is married to Diane, who heads up their local Messy Church in Lower Hutt near Wellington. Richard has been on the national NZ Advisory Board and now chairs the National Team.
Messy Church Regional Coordinator in the Netherlands
Welcome to Nelleke Plomp as Messy Church Regional Coordinator in the Netherlands. Last year we announced a different Regional Coordinator, but due to her ill health we are sad that she has retired from the role. We pray for her speedy recovery. Nelleke Plomp is filling this role for the present, and we warmly welcome her! We love working with Nelleke and her team at Kliederkerk, our official 'home' for Messy Church in the Netherlands.
Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Doncaster
Welcome to Alison Powell, your new Regional Coordinator for the Doncaster region of South Yorkshire. We are delighted with this appointment and the link it has with the Centenary Project in Sheffield.
Southport Regional Coordinator
Welcome to Nigel Mawdsley, who is the new Regional Coordinator for Southport, Merseyside. We are delighted with Nigel's appointment and he is keen to visit and support the Messy Churches in the region. We are also encouraged by the Messy Methodist ministry which takes place in this region. Watch this space.
Regional Coordinator for North-East London
Welcome to Tom Donoghue, who will be praying for and supporting the registered Messy Churches in the North-East London region. Tom is the Family and Children's Work Coordinator at Loughton Methodist Church. We are delighted that Tom has joined the Regional Coordinator network and encourage any unregistered Messy Churches in the North-East London region to register and get linked up to our Messy Church BRF family!
Additional Regional Coordinator for Rochester
Welcome to Carol Kitchener, who is joining Caroline Clarke, as a Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Rochester. With over 80 registered Messy Churches in their region, we are delighted that Carol and Caroline are working together to offer so much prayer and support.
Messy Men at HM Prison Haverigg
Messy Men meets monthly on a Sunday morning in HM Prison Haverigg, Cumbria. Cumbria Messy Church Regional Coordinator, Syl Hunt, and her team, share their December 2017 session: Firstly, we thought about Advent and how God wants us to get ready for the birth of his son; to cast aside our worries and our fears; to open our hearts to Jesus and trust him. We had three Messy activities for the men to engage with.
Regional Coordinator for California, Hawaii & Southwest USA
Welcome to Marty Drake, who joins Leyla Wagner as a Messy Church Regional Coordinator for California, Hawaii and Southwest USA!
Regional Coordinator for California, Hawaii & Southwest USA
Welcome to Leyla Wagner, new Regional Coordinator for California, Hawaii and Southwest USA! Leyla is joined by Marty Drake as joint Regional Coordinators for this huge region. Lucy and Jane met Leyla at the Messy Church International Conference in 2016 and we are delighted to welcome her to the Regional Coordinator network.
Regional Coordinator for Brisbane North and Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Welcome Brenton Prigge as Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Brisbane North and Sunshine Coast! We are delighted that Brenton continues as a Regional Coordinator for Messy Church but now on the other side of Australia! Brenton was a Regional Coordinator for Western Australia and spent many years actively involved in Messy Churches in the Busselton region and beyond, working with the First Third Ministry in the Uniting Church Synod of WA. Before that, Brenton was in South Africa and was born in Johannesburg.
Regional Coordinator for South Cotswolds
Welcome Helen Venn, your new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for South Cotswolds! We have created a new region to encompass lots of Messy Churches in need of support and Helen is keen to offer advice and prayer. Helen worships at the delightful Malmesbury Abbey and has years of Messy Church experience to share.
Regional Coordinator for Central Queensland Australia
Welcome to Suzy Sitton, your new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Central Queensland, Australia! God continues to grow the Messy Church network in Australia so we are delighted that Suzy is able to pray for and support the Messy Churches there. Suzy is the minister at St Andrew's Uniting Church in Yeppoon and the Messy Church team is currently planning to take Messy Church out into the community.
Regional Coordinator for Pennsylvania USA
Welcome to Anais Hussian in Pittsburg! Anais is your new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Pennsylvania. Her Messy enthusiasm is infectious! Anais is a United Methodist deacon serving as the Christian Education Director at First United Methodist Church of Pittsburg. She has a passion for embracing the joy, play and mess of God in both the church and the world. In her free time, Anais enjoys doing yoga, baking and creating wonderfully messy art projects.
North and South Carolina USA Regional Coordinator
Welcome to Johannah Myers in Greenville, South Carolina, USA! Johannah is a new addition to the US Regional Coordinator network and the Director of Christian Formation at Aldersgate United Methodist Church.
Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Wiltshire
Welcome to Hannah Tarring, your new Regional Coordinator for Wiltshire. Hannah coordinates a relatively new Messy Church and is keen to support others, whether similarly new to exploring Messy Church or well established in this all-age ministry. Hannah says:
Regional Coordinator for Virginia USA
Welcome Cindy Banek as your new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Virginia, USA! We are delighted that Cindy has joined the Regional Coordinator network and pray for her and her new role in the States.
Regional Coordinator for Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Welcome to Liz Durber, your new Regional Coordinator for Stoke in Staffordshire. We are delighted that Liz is joining the Regional Coordinator network and we encourage the Messy Churches in the Stoke region to contact Liz for prayer and support.
Regional Coordinator for Cheshire East
Welcome to Rachel Mason, your new Regional Coordinator for Cheshire East!
New Norfolk Regional Coordinators
Welcome to Jonathan Richardson and Anna Walker who are your new Messy Church Regional Coordinators for Norfolk!
New Regional Coordinator for Lichfield and Tamworth, Staffordshire
Welcome Naomi Savage who is to be your new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Lichfield and Tamworth in Staffordshire. Naomi is the Children's and Youth Worker at Holy Trinity Church, Wilnecote and also for the Tamworth Deanery. She was a primary school teacher in Birmingham and enjoys travelling, reading, eating out with friends and walking up mountains! Naomi has recently been to the Aegean Sea to travel some of Paul's missionary journeys to Athens, Corinth and Ephesus.
Messy Unity
It is always so encouraging to receive emails to the BRF Messy Church team which remind us that people are praying for us and for God’s work through Messy Church. We received one such email recently from faithful friends in Essex. This email, though, had something more in it which we felt it would be good to share. It touches on just what God is doing by working across denominations through Messy Church and how this might, for our generation, be fulfilling Christ’s own prayer for unity… namely 'that they might all be one, even as we are one' (John 17:21). Here is the email:
Regional Coordinator for Burton on Trent, Staffordshire
Welcome to Caroline Green, the new Regional Coordinator for Burton on Trent in Staffordshire! Caroline is a Messy Church coordinator with her friend Sue at Winshill Churches Together Messy Church, held at Winshill Methodist Church. They set up their Messy Church in October 2012. They are part of a very busy knitting community, who, each Advent, knit and crochet angels for the community. They thrive on community projects!
New Regional Coordinator for Basingstoke, Hampshire
Welcome Jennifer Martin, your new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Basingstoke in Hampshire! Jennifer is eager to pray for and support the Messy Churches in her region and is the coordinator at Hook Messy Church.
Messy Regional Coordinator for Westphalia, Germany
Welcome Andreas Isenburg, your Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Westphalia in Germany! Some of you will remember Andreas as he joined us at the Messy Church International Conference in 2016. He is constantly travelling and discovering more and more Fresh Expressions of Church and works as a minister with Amt fur missionarische Dienste in Dortmund, members of the Protestant Church of Germany.
Eden Valley Cumbria Regional Coordinator
Welcome to Veronica Priest, our Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Eden Valley in Messy Cumbria! Veronica joins Deacon Melanie Beaven and Syl Hunt in a growing Regional Coordinator team.
New Regional Coordinator for the Netherlands
Continuing to work together and support God's growth of mission for families, we are delighted to announce Nelleke Matsinger as Regional Coordinator for the Netherlands. Nelleke is on the Projects Team at Kliederkerk and is developing a network of Regional Coordinators across the Netherlands; we are sharing our good practice and Messy stories with each other.
Regional Coordinator for Scottish Highlands
Nicola Slater, in addition to being your Messy Forces Coordinator, is kindly taking on the role of Scottish Highlands Regional Coordinator! Thank you, Nicola!
Regional Coordinator for Ripon, Bradford and Wakefield
We are delighted to welcome Sammi Tooze, who is your new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Ripon, Bradford and Wakefield! Sammi joins Rachel Gotobed (RC Leeds) and Dawn Moore (RC Huddersfield) in the Regional Coordinator team for West Yorkshire. Sammi is a member of the Diocese of Leeds Church Growth team. She enjoys playing and singing early music, particularly renaissance. Sammi is very involved in the worship team at York Minster and loves drinking tea. Contact Sammi for prayer and support.
Regional Coordinator for South West Hertfordshire
Welcome to Laura Graham-Brown, who is your new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for South-West Hertfordshire. What an encouragement this is when we have been appealing for so long in this particular region! Laura is brimming with enthusiasm and is keen to support the registered Messy Churches in the south-west of this region, which includes Hemel Hempstead, St Albans and Watford.
Carlisle Cumbrian Coordinator
Welcome Deacon Melanie Beaven, new Regional Coordinator for Carlisle & North, Cumbria! Melanie is the first of hopefully a team of Regional Coordinators across Messy Cumbria, supporting Syl Hunt (RC Cumbria). Melanie supports two Messy Churches, works ecumenically, is about to start another Messy Church and is passionate about creating Messy gatherings for those families more isolated in rural areas. Melanie says:
New Coordinator for Swansea, Neath & Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire
Welcome Rhian Bridgens, Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Swansea, Neath & Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire in South Wales. Rhian is coordinator of Waterfront Community Church Messy Church, Swansea.
Derby and South new Messy Regional Coordinator
Welcome to Ruth Attwood, your new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Derby and South. Ruth is keen to communicate with all the Messy Churches registered in this region of Derbyshire to offer prayer support, communicate all things Messy and encourage them in their Messy mission! Ruth is Coordinator at St Wystan's Messy Church in Repton. She says:
Messy Shetland & Orkney
Welcome to Rachel Brown your new Regional Coordinator for the Shetland Islands and Orkney. Rachel works for the Salvation Army in Lerwick as the Community Development Worker. Rachel's association with Messy Church began in Kirkwall, Orkney, where she began a Messy Tots. She has introduced a similar group to Lerwick and helps out at neighbouring Messy Churches.
Regional Coordinator for Rochester
We are delighted that Caroline Clarke will continue to support the many Messy Churches in the Rochester region. Caroline was assisting Canon Jean Kerr, our previous RC, before her recent retirement. She will now become the Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Rochester, where she is the Diocesan Community Engagement Adviser and CreditWise Team Leader. Contact Caroline for prayer and support.
Forest of Dean Regional Coordinator
Welcome to Sandie Bradley who is your new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire! Sandie loves communicating and encouraging and we are delighted that she has agreed to take on this role.
Capital Coordinator!
Welcome to Julie Gear who is your new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Canberra/Goulburn NSW in Australia. We are delighted that Julie joins the growing team of RCs in Australia. Julie is married to Ross and mother to Isaac, Jonah and Amos. Julie and Ross are associate pastors of Rocky Hill Church in East Goulburn New South Wales. Over the past nine years, in Melbourne and Bega, Julie has been involved in leading a Mainly Music group, has been a children's and families minister, coordinated Sunday Club and set up a Messy Church.
Prayer
A Messy team from five churches put on Messy activities at the Ageas Bowl Christmas Festival, with the brief of making sure the real meaning of Christmas was a prominent part of the festival. Phenomenal amounts of gingerbread Marys (with marshmallow bumps) were created, ride-on donkeys made even the most cynical materialistic families giggle, and well over 150 Advent candles and candle holders have gone back into homes with Jesus evident either in sticker form or as 'light of the world'.
Regional Coordinator for North Wales - East
Welcome to Norma Mollard as our Regional Coordinator for North Wales - East! Norma is on the Messy Church team at St Matthew's Church, Buckley in Flintshire. She is retired, but more than busy looking after her animals and enjoying her voluntary work. Norma cares for a new puppy, a cat, hens, a tortoise and more. Norma is also an organist and has been fully engaged in her local church life.
Bake Off changes/Congregation changes
In the UK, it is the Great British Bake Off final tonight! We await with anticipation to discover whether Candice, Andrew or Jane will be the winner. But then what happens after the end of the series? The TV programme moves to another TV station with different presenters (bar one!) and we wonder what the future holds. We have got used to the pattern and drama that the current presenters bring to each series. Will the change mean joy or disappointment? Will we give it a go and find out and see? Or will we dig our heels firmly into the ground and refuse any change at all?
Regional Coordinator team in Denmark
Welcome to Carolyne Rasmussen and Lene Ronne Pedersen who join Karen Markussen as Regional Coordinators in Denmark. With the growth of Messy Churches in Denmark and the inspiration and enthusism gained from the Messy Church International Conference, Carolyne, Lene and Karen have been Skyping and planning and their roles at the moment will be:
Regional Coordinator for Wigan
Welcome to Tracey Fitzsimmons! Tracey is Regional Coordinator for Wigan, a town and region with complex boundaries and areas, often falling into Greater Manchester or Merseyside or Lancashire. BUT from now on Tracey will support the Messy Churches registered there, tidying them up into a Regional Coordinator Region of their own!
Sitting still
For around eight years I have been running around at each L19 Messy Church session. ‘Have you got all that you need?’ ‘Can I help you to find something?’ ‘Thank you for visiting us. Let me show you where to put your pram.’ ‘We’ve run out of paper plates! I’ll just pop out for some more.’ But this month I had to sit still! This month, our lovely regular welcoming family at the Welcome Table awoke to a surprise gift from a family member – tickets to the Davis Cup!
The Season of Creation
Thank you to Sue Taylor at Messy Church at Sherwood Anglican, Brisbane Australia. Sue reminds me that even when you have been using a single prayer activity yourself for a long time, it can cause quite an impact for others. Sue says:
Messy Devon vacancies
Calling all Messy Churches in Devon! Devon is a large county and we have ninety Messy Churches waiting for prayer and support! We have divided the region into three areas: North Devon, Exeter and East Devon, South Devon. It is hoped that we can develop a team of volunteer Regional Coordinators in each area to offer support to the many Messy Churches. God is continuing to grow this all-age ministry and we are hearing such wonderful stories of how God is touching the lives of so many families.
Messy Forces Coordinator
Welcome to Nicola Slater, our new Messy Forces Coordinator! Nicola is a forces wife based at RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland, where she coordinates a Messy Church each month. Messy patterns of family life, on forces bases, means regularity of events and groups are more difficult, but Nicola believes Messy Church fits in well. There are around fifty RAF stations in the UK and many more army barracks and Naval bases.
Growing Messy Church in Sweden
Welcome to Kerstin Oderhem our new Regional Coordinator in South Sweden. Kerstin is a Regional Director in the Swedish Evangelical Mission. Kerstin joins the new Swedish RC team along with Marianne (North Sweden); Tin (Mid Sweden) and Olle (West coast of Sweden and National Contact Person). We are delighted with how Messy Church is growing in Sweden and ask you to pray for the new RC team and their plans for training and supporting the Swedish Messy Church network.
Messy Huddersfield region
Welcome to Dawn Moore! Dawn is your new Messy Regional Coordinator for the Huddersfield region of West Yorkshire.
Growing team of Regional Coordinators in Lancashire
Lancashire is a big county! We welcome Rev Mary Ashton, from Euxton Parish Church, who joins Kai Bland as a Regional Coordinator in Lancashire. Mary is an associate vicar at Euxton, where her husband is vicar, and has Messy Church experience from when she was in Guildford. She is enjoying overseeing the family ministry at Euxton since arriving approximately 18 months ago.
Regional Coordinator for Rotherham
Welcome to Sherida Chambers! Sherida is your new Regional Coordinator for Rotherham in South Yorkshire. She coordinates a Messy Church at St Francis' in Bramley and is soon to be licenced a Lay Pioneer.
Messy Vintage Coordinator
Welcome to Katie Norman, our latest coordinator with a specialist focus. Katie is our first Messy Vintage Coordinator supporting the wonderful work among older people. Lucy Moore shares the Messy Vintage story:
More Messy support for NSW and ACT in Australia
Welcome to Emma Parr who will be supporting Regional Coordinators Richard Turnbull and Kaye Lewis in NSW and ACT, Australia. Emma will be our Messy NSW and ACT Support Coordinator as more Messy Churches register with us.
Messy Church Coordinator for Social Action
Welcome to Kathy Bland, our new Messy Church Social Action Coordinator! Kathy has been part of the Leominster Priory Messy Church team since 2010. She is Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Herefordshire and South Shropshire as well as working part-time for the Diocese of Hereford's Young People's Team.
Growing the Swedish Regional Coordinators Team
Welcome to Tin Mörk, our new Regional Coordinator for Mid Sweden! Tin joins Olle Philipsson and Marianne Hellgren to support the Messy Churches in Sweden. She is keen to discover how things are going for the leaders, as she works for the Fresh Expressions team in Sweden (New Ways of Being Church).
Regional Coordinator for Sydney Australia
Welcome to Kaye Lewis,our new Messy Church Regional Coordinator in Sydney - Central Metro in New South Wales, Australia. Kaye joins Beth Nicholls and Richard Turnbull to support Messy Churches on the East coast of Australia.
Tasmania has second Regional Coordinator
Welcome to a second Regional Coordinator in Tasmania. Jenny Cowley will become Regional Coordinator for South Tasmania, joining Amanda Nichholas for North Tasmania. Jenny works for Scripture Union and is an ex teacher. She has worked in Children's ministry for over 30 years and enjoys camps and outdoor adventures. You can find your Messy Church Regional Coordinator on our website.
Lancashire Regional Coordinator successor
Many of you will be aware of the great sadness we felt when Debbie Peatman, Regional Coordinator for Lancashire, passed away this year. Some of you were inspired, by Debbie's words and encouragement as a Get Messy! magazine writer, to have a try at a Messy Communion. Debbie will be missed so much.
New Messy Regional Coordinator for Australia
Welcome to Richard Turnbull! Richard is your new Messy Regional Coordinator for Newcastle and surrounds in NSW Australia. Richard coordinates a Messy Church at Toronto Anglican Church on Lake Macquarie where his wife Julie is the vicar. We met both Richard and Julie at the Messy Church International Conference in May. Richard is our first Regional Coordinator in NSW and we are so pleased to have him join our Messy network.
More Regional Coordinators for Sweden
Welcome Marianne Hellgren who is our new Regional Coordinator for north Sweden! Marianne coordinates a Messy Church in the northern Hortlax region and she works for the Diocese of Lulea. Marianne joins Olle Philipsson (east coast of Sweden) in this growing Regional Coordinator team. Watch out for more Regional Coordinators joining the network! What a blessing to know that even more registered Messy Churches are being prayed for regularly and supported with love and encouragement.
New Messy Church Regional Coordinator in West US
Welcome to Roberta Egli, our new Messy Regional Coordinator in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, US. Roberta helps coordinate a Messy Church at Trinity United Methodist Church, Eugene in Oregon.
Messy Regional Coordinator for Wirral
Welcome to Caroline Houghton who is going to support and pray for the Messy Churches in Wirral on Merseyside. Caroline coordinates a Messy Church at St Hilary's Church in Wallasey and is passionate about working with families and making those all- important community connections.
Messy Church activities in Kenya
We love to receive stories of the quiet work that is going on in your Messy Churches. We recently received this information from Karen Stobart: Kuwakaribisha kila mtu manufaa yake ya kuona wewe hapa (Swahili for 'Welcome everybody it's good to see you here', one of Fischy Music's songs).
A First Regional Coordinator in Adelaide!
Welcome to Jenny Carver, who is our first Messy Church Regional Coordinator in Adelaide, South Australia. Jenny will be praying for and supporting the registered Messy Churches in Adelaide but particularly in the south of the city. It is hoped that a team of Regional Coordinators will be developed. You can find your Messy Church Regional Coordinator on our Messy Church website.
Tasmania has its first Regional Coordinator!
Welcome to Amanda Nicholas, our first Regional Coordinator in Tasmania. Amanda will support the Messy Churches in North Tasmania and looks forward to welcoming new registrations. Register your Messy Church on our website. It is free and easy to do. The benefits include being linked up to a Regional Coordinator and that families can find out where you are!
New Regional Coordinator in growing Victoria, Australia team
Welcome to Sharon Catchpoole, our new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Metro-Outer East Melbourne in Victoria, Australia! The growing team of Regional Coordinators in Victoria are keen to pray for and support the Messy Churches in their regions. Sharon has lots of experience as a coordinator at St Hilary's Church.
The Lord's Prayer with actions video
When did you last say the Lord's Prayer? It is taught even less these days, even in Uniformed Organisations, schools and church organisations. So is it relevant to our Messy Church families and leaders today?
The Lord's Prayer with actions
Lucy Moore, Jane Leadbetter and Martyn Payne demonstrate the Lord's Prayer with actions. You can watch on YouTube below: Here's the wording they use for the prayer:
New North/West Melbourne Regional Coordinator
Welcome to Dorothy Hughes, new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for North/West Melbourne in Victoria, Australia! Dorothy supports Messy Church in her role as Children and Families Ministry Facilitator for the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. She is the sixth member of the growing team of Regional Coordinators in Victoria.
Messy Munster
Welcome April Gunn, who is the third member of the new Ireland Regional Coordinators' team! April will be supporting Messy Churches in the Munster Province. She coordinates the Messy Church at Blarney, near Cork, and is keen for any Messy Churches in her region to contact her for prayers and sharing.
Messy determination after fire UPDATE!
An update from Carol Brown at Winlaton Messy Church, Tyne & Wear, who was determined to carry on with their Messy Church after fire destroyed their church hall.
Messy determination after fire!
Please pray for Carol Brown and her Messy Church team at St Paul's Messy Church, Winlaton, Tyne & Wear NE21, as they endeavour to continue with their Messy Church after fire destroys their hall, using a smaller space at the rear of the building and ordering in PortaloosTM! Carol says:
Watch and Pray
Planning, setting up, running and then clearing up after Messy Church is hard work! It's usually so full on that finding time in all that busyness to pray can be a challenge. In a recent short video clip about prayer Lucy, Jane and I talked about this and made some suggestions which we hope were helpful.
Messy Ireland
Welcome Ruth Mathews! Ruth is the latest member of the new Regional Coordinator team in Ireland. Team leader Revd Robert Ferris is delighted to share the support needed for the Messy Churches in this beautiful part of the world. Ruth coordinates a Messy Church in Mountmellick Methodist Church, Co. Laois, and a Messy Church at St John's Church of Ireland, Coolbanagher, Co. Laois. Please contact Ruth if you are already involved or hope to be starting a Messy Church in the Leinster Province region.
Growing the Victoria Regional Coordinator team
Welcome to Karen Morgan, the latest member of the Victoria Regional Coordinator team in Australia. Karen will be assisting Tracey Davies in the Geelong region and continues to coordinate her Messy Church at Western Heights Uniting Church. Find your Regional Coordinator on our website.
Growing the Scotland Regional Coordinators' team
Welcome to three new Regional Coordinators in Scotland! Jen Robertson works for Scripture Union Scotland and Hamilton Presbytery of the Church of Scotland and will support Messy Churches in Lanarkshire. Paul Wilson is a Messy Church coordinator at Auldhouse Community Church and will support Glasgow and Ayrshire.
Getting even Messier in Havant!
Welcome to Robin Jones, who is the new Regional Coordinator in Havant, Hampshire! Robin will be joining Regional Coordinator Lesley Baker to support and pray for the registered Messy Churches in this region. The Hampshire team of Regional Coordinators has now grown to ten. Thank you for the huge encouragement this gives to the BRF Messy Church team!
New Forest Regional Coordinator
Welcome to Viv Binns who is the new Regional Coordinator for the New Forest and Hordle region of Hampshire. Viv brings vast experience to the growing Hampshire team of Regional Coordinators, and she looks forward to contacting the registered Messy Churches and offering support and prayers. Find your Regional Coordinator on our website.
Warwickshire Regional Coordinator
Welcome to Liz Hopkin, who is the new Regional Coordinator for Warwickshire!
Team prayer talk
I love teams. I love working with teams. Today was so much more enjoyable because of teamwork. This morning my L19 Who Let The Dads Out? team welcomed the dads and young children back to St Mary's Grassendale after a short break, due to church hall roof repairs, and cooked bacon baps and offered delicious sponsored coffee. Not only did the dads come back but we welcomed three new babies for the first time too.
Messy Queensland Update
God is at work in Queensland, Australia! Thank you Sue and Glen Taylor and Beth Nicholls for your Regional Coordinator support in this huge part of the continent.
Messy Brussels
Welcome to Wim and Sandra Roose, our new Regional Coordinators in Belgium! This pioneering family moved country to follow God's vision for Messy Church and mission in Brussels.
Portsmouth Messy Churches have a new Regional Coordinator
Welcome to Paula Finch! Paula is our new Regional Coordinator for Portsmouth and joins seven other Regional Coordinators in Hampshire. Paula is keen to get going, praying for and supporting the Messy Churches in this region.
Brisbane South and Gold Coast Regional Coordinator
Welcome to Rev Beth Nicholls, our new Regional Coordinator for Brisbane South and Gold Coast. Beth joins the Australian Regional Coordinators network at a time when we see rapid growth in the numbers of new registrations in Australia. There are growing numbers, especially on this Eastern side of the continent.
Bury and Rochdale Regional Coordinator
Welcome to Mandi Davies who is our new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Bury and Rochdale in Greater Manchester. Mandi is the coordinator at All Saints, Stand Messy Church and enjoys encouraging all ages together as an ALM in the Diocese of Manchester. Contact Mandi if you need her prayers and support. You can find your Regional Coordinator on our website.
Regional Coordinator for Leeds
As we continue to grow a Regional Coordinator team in West Yorkshire we welcome Rachel Gotobed who will support over twenty registered Messy Churches in the Leeds region. Rachel works for The Salvation Army in children's and family ministry. She has experience in running many church groups.
Hoards of Hampshire Regional Coordinators
How happy is Lucy Moore? Her team of Regional Coordinators to support Messy Churches in Hampshire is growing rapidly! Welcome Lesley Baker who will support Messy Churches in Havant and the surrounds plus Edwina Cussen and Sandra Williams for the Andover region. After Lucy's Haring Around Hampshire fundraising weekend she is Happy in Hampshire with this news.
Growing the Victoria Australia RCs team
Chris Barnett in Melbourne, Australia, is doing a wonderful job finding Regional Coordinators to support the growing numbers of Messy Churches in Victoria. We welcome Murray Purkiss to the Victoria RC team! Murray will be supporting the Messy Churches in the Northern Victoria region.What an encouragement he is to us as he joins this rapidly expanding network.
Victoria's growing Regional Coordinator network
It's very exciting to see the Messy Church Regional Coordinator network growing, but to see it growing in Australia is awesome when you think of the vast distances between the regions. In Victoria Chris Barnett is plotting and dividing and finding wonderful, passionate people to support this growing Messy ministry.
Iceland begins its Messy journey
Welcome to Johanna Gisladottir and Hildur Bjork Horpudottir, our new Regional Coordinators in Iceland! Not able to wait until next year's Messy Church Conference, they visited the UK and the Messy Church BRF team then hurried back to Iceland and piloted a Messy Church for themselves. It was a huge success and now lots of churches are making enquiries and asking Johanna and Hildur for support. Please pray for them and this new Messy ministry in Iceland.
A Regional Coordinator for Southport
Welcome to Rev Jan Fraser as our new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Southport! Exciting things are happening in this region, with the Methodist Circuit engaging with Messy Church mission in over half of their churches and more to come! Rev Jan is thoroughly immersed in all things Messy and is keen to support with prayer and assistance. Find your Regional Coordinator on our website.
Impact Summer 2015 | Latest prayer letter
Here’s the latest prayer and update letter for our supporters. Please feel free to share it with your church members and team members. You can also download it as a PDF.
Chelmsford and South Essex Messy Church Regional Coordinator
Welcome to Steve Kersys who is our new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Chelmsford and South Essex. Steve is the Diocese of Chelmsford Children's and Families Adviser and a huge advocate of Messy Church and it's ministry to our communities.
Hurrah for Hertfordshire!
Hertfordshire has never had a Regional Coordinator! So we are delighted to announce that Becki Chafe, in St Albans, is taking on this supportive role for over fifty registered churches. Becki is the Children's and Families Worker at Christ Church, St Albans, and coordinates a Messy Church with a fantastic team.
Growing the Hampshire Regional Coordinator network!
Welcome to two more Hampshire Messy Regional Coordinators! Claire Johnson will support Messy Churches in the Fareham West region and Hazel Bagshaw (aka Garry) will support Messy Churches in the Fareham and Gosport region. Please pray for Claire and Garry as they embark on this Messy ministry and join Rhiannon Wilmott in Southampton sharing good practice and encouragement.
A bumper month for new Regional Coordinators
God is good! More Regional Coordinators are coming forward to join the wider Messy Church team! Welcome to Heidi Moore, in Wakefield, West Yorkshire! Heidi coordinates the Wakefield Cathedral Messy Church and has a huge team to help her!
New Regional Coordinator in Surrey
Surrey is a big county but lovely Emma Shaw, in Guildford, is keen to help support the Messy Churches there. Emma is Children's and Families Worker at two Guildford churches and welcomes communications, new registrations, sharing and prayers.
Messy Reading
There a lots of Messy Churches popping up in the Reading area of Berkshire! Linda Galpin, who coordinates a Messy Church in Woodley, is to be your new Regional Coordinator for Reading and will be contacting any registered Messy Churches to offer prayer and support. Get in touch with Linda and hear her Messy enthusiasm for this all-age ministry.
The Only Way Is Essex
Welcome to Gillian Warren, the new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for NW Essex. Gillian is involved in a Messy Church in Great Dunmow and is keen to support and pray for the Messy Churches in her region. Contact Gillian for help and if you wish to be linked up to her please register your Messy Church.
Messy liturgy - now there’s a thought!
I was interviewed this afternoon by Radio 4. The topic: what's the point of The Prayer Book? The question: does Messy Church use The Prayer Book and does it have a liturgy? It's hard to judge how well the interview went – it all was over in 10 minutes! – and anyway they may not even use my contribution, but it did get me thinking.
Welcome Rhiannon Wilmott
Welcome Rhiannon Wilmott, who is our new Messy Regional Coordinator for Southampton in Hampshire. Rhiannon coordinates a Messy Church at St Denys SO17 and wishes to encourage anyone in the region to contact her for support and prayers.
Messy Regional Coordinator in NW Lincolnshire
Welcome to Rev Moira Astin, our new Regional Coordinator for NW Lincolnshire. Moira is in Scunthorpe where she is hands-on with Messy Churches and passionate about the growth of Fresh Expressions in this region. Please contact Moira for prayer and support.
New Regional Coordinator for Cambridgeshire
Welcome to Debbie Hill, our new Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Cambridgeshire! Debbie is in Ely and has also just started her new Diocesan role as Children's Work Adviser.
New Messy Regional Coordinator for Dorset
Welcome to Kevin Metcalfe who is our new Messy Regional Coordinator for Dorset. Kevin kindly replaces Kat who is taking time out. Kevin is the Children's and Outreach Worker at St John's Church, Wimborne and he has years of Messy experience dating back to his days in N Ireland. Please pray for Kevin as he takes on this voluntary role for us.
Messy Prayer life
A London Messy Church collected these prayers on the Prayer Tree last week. Looks to me as if spirituality is alive and kicking with these families.
Interactive Prayer Spaces
Check out Orison's great resources for interactive prayer spaces in schools.
Messy Prayer ideas?
Nik & Tor emailed from Llanharry with this request: Messy Prayer is the theme of our next Messy Church and we are just wondering how best to approach it. We'd be grateful for any thoughts that you may have. Do comment below or email llanharryparishchurch@mail.com.
MESSages to God
MESSages to God Jane Leadbetter came up with the idea and Cerys Hughes in Lichfield came up with the name. Jane has started using it at her Messy Church: simple prayer requests that are written down during cake time and posted by all ages into a box. Jane then types them up and emails them out to the list of contacts she has from team and Messy congregation. The names here have been reduced to initials for the sake of privacy. They really echo Paul's advice in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV):
Sweaty Prayers
It was great to meet face to face at last (after many emails and phone calls) with the wonderful people from Sweaty Church in York, Ian and Johnny, and to hear about all God's doing for families through their very active expression of church.
New Zealand Mess
Please do continue to pray for the churches in New Zealand and encourage your Messy Churches to pray too. As you know, Debbie Smith is our regional coordinator and lives in Christchurch, though she and her husband Andrew are on the point of moving to a new job in Nelson. It sounds horrendous, and I wasn't even sure Debbie would have email up and running to reply to an anxious email: Hi Debbie Horrendous news from Christchurch - are you and yours OK this time? I really hope so. Do let us know if you can. Much love Lucy To my relief, she did:
Small talk
One discussion the regional coordinators had at the Round Table in September was about the value of small talk at Messy Church. One person even went so far as to say it can be sacramental and should be valued as such.
Cornwall
Cornwall is such a happening place! Messy Churches are popping up all over, and it was great to be invited to go and lead a 24-hour retreat for children's workers in the Methodist Church in Cornwall by Janet Tredrea, our Regional Coordinator for Cornwall. The District Chair, Revd Steven Wild and his frog kindly dropped in and waxed enthusiastic about Messy Church - we have friends in high places.
Prayers from The Tidbit Tree
At many Messy Fiestas one of the crafts has been to write prayers on a leaf of your own design and hang it on to the Tidbit Tree - a tasteful clear Perspex tree originally designed to be the centrepiece of your party and to be adorned with olives, gherkins and - according to the picture on the packet - lumps of spam. The prayers are nonetheless very moving, and I can't bear to throw them away, so here are some of the leaf prayers from fellow Messy Church leaders. I wonder if they're your prayers too?
More reflections after the September Messy Church
One mum who has been coming for ages is a member of another local church. She is deeply loyal to her church but said to Paul last night, 'The only worship I get that I can relate to is once a month at Messy Church.' God, forgive us as a church for short-changing you in this chronic way. Show us passion and vision. Add your yeast to the lumpy dough. Make us a community of people with purpose. Help us open the windows to a kingdom that is irresistible and everlasting. Let your sun rise.
Involving the Sunday congregation
The other question we've been chewing over at our planning meeting is how to involve the Sunday congregations more in Messy Church, both as helpers and to make it clear that this is an opportunity for them to invite neighbours and friends along and enjoy coming as a member themselves.