Messy Church takes over your life!

Or at least it takes over the living room.  We have so much stuff, all essential and no-where to store it in church so it stays here at the vicarage.

April 17th                   Theme.....Prayer

I plan for a dozen or so children and find by 3.45pm we have 27 children and 18 adults!  I have to go home for more jelly beans and we use up all the colouring sheets from Good Friday...thank goodness there were lots left over.

Snack this week....... hot dogs and ketchup....very popular.

Crafts..... cotton bud painting for tinies and water colours for older children.
Printing to decorate the Jelly Bean Prayer sheet
Puzzle sheets and colouring/drawing.
Books for a quiet read.

Service a bit noisy...the Easter Garden cuts down the space where the children can sit down but we had the story of the Importunate Widow, the Lord's prayer, singing and percussion and finished with quiet hymns.

I need to make more of the laminated hymn sheets with the qiet hymns on.

I stagger off with all the cover-up shirts to wash...how does little M get paint up the sleeves to the very top?

April 24th                Theme.... I am The Bread of Life

Crafts....making bread, I make the dough at home and we all shape a bread bun, after playing with it.  Thank goodness they are cooked before eating!

Playdough with rolling pins and shape cutters... this is rather sticky so lots of flour is employed and much fun (and mess) is had by all.  Much to my surprise the bigger children head for this table as well as the tinies.
Cotton bud painting and brush painting for the older ones

Puzzle and colouring sheets.  And plain paper added to this table by popular request.

We have sandwiches as the snack this week because we need the oven to cook the bread buns.

There are at least as many as last week.....J is trying to keep a register.

Fr D tells the story of Feeding the 5,000 and illustrates by sharing one of the very bread buns we have just baked.  Everyone is most impressed!

We need to keep the service part VERY short because some of the children have incredibly short attention spans.

Messy Church 3

I've been so busy I missed posting the last 2 weeks of Messy Church.  Tuesday of Holy Week saw a predictable absence of folk.  I don't understand why folk think that Church Services stop for the school holidays.  Messy Church/Family Service is NOT a playgroup or club.  It's a Church Service and so runs every week, just as Sunday Services run every week.  We'll just have to educate them I suppose!

Holy Week.....weather too cold for the Easter Egg Hunt and we only had 2 folk so we made cards and ate pizza and had a lovely time.

Easter Week... I sent round a text so folk realised we were 'on' and we had much better attendance.  Once everyone had arrived and was busy with stencils and pictures I went round the Church garden gaily dropping Easter Eggs and then realised that anyone passing could come in and take them all so I dashed back in, gathered the children, showed them my empty basket and they were off.  Soon my basket was full again and much fun was had by all. They fell on the pizza and garlic bread with relish! and then went back to finish off their art work whilst I bagged up the little chocolate eggs and chicks.

Our service:  we had lots of little ones so we did the 'where is ...., there she is...' song (See and Know) adapting it to 'come to messy church' rather than 'see and know'.  Then we had the Easter story whilst sitting round the Easter Garden, a percussion accompanied song and quiet prayers.  D blessed the eggs and we all went home clutching works of art and bags of goodies.

Wednesday I spent the whole day preparing the next 2 months Messy Church activities.  It took the whole day but by teatime I had a shopping list and 9 week's activities planned.  This is especially important because we are away for 4 of those weeks and our helpers need plenty of notice of what they will be doing.

Passover

Passover

Each Holy Week we have a Passover service, which incorporates a 3 course dinner. We have a form of service which has a similar form to the Jewish service but which incorporates the words which Jesus said as He shared the bread and the wine. During the service we remember the Exodus, eating bitter herbs (watercress for us) dipped in salty water for the bitter tears of slavery, unleavened bread (Matzos) eaten with haroset (chopped nuts, grated apple and a little wine) and we have a few hymns. We drink all the toasts.

Then dinner is served. If we could we would have a roast lamb dinner but with the numbers we have and the tiny church kitchen it's not possible, so we do what we do for Burn's Night and use the slow cookers. These are plugged in during the afternoon so the casserole is good and hot. We have a bread bun for everyone, casserole (veggie alternative if needed) gateau or trifle or fruit pie and cream for dessert, cheese and biscuits, tea and coffee.

Then before anyone gets up to go home we finish the Passover with a final toast, prayers and a last hymn.

It's a lovely service which helps us to follow in Jesus's footsteps during that last week before His death. Most people then go to the Maundy Thursday service and vigil, the Good Friday noon vigil and the Easter Eve service. By Easter Sunday we have walked with Christ, as near as we are able, and Easter comes alive again.

Organising it

We have a version of a bring and share meal....I work out what we need and then tell everyone what they need to bring. So there's no money to collect and we can accommodate last minute extras. I ask Mums to make the casseroles... they know what their family likes, single folk bring wine, some bring the cheese and biscuits, some bring desserts....one of our Polish Mums makes spectacular tray bakes so that's what I ask her to bring.

I get a small team to help set up the day before; this year it will be after Tuesday afternoon's Messy Church. We lay the tables, use place cards and generally make it look inviting. People arrive a little early to find their places.

One of the Polish girls said how nice it is to have a meal together and get to know one another. They don't do that in her church (not sure if she means in Poland or here in the UK) It's a really good way to draw new folk into the congregation. This year I'm expecting 40 but it could change as there's a nasty bug going around!


Images from Bitsela 


Tuesday


My husband realises there won't be enough service booklets.  Numbers have risen to 44 after Messy Church.


After Messy Church we get the tables set up and laid with place settings.  We really need to get more side plates...some have to use brightly coloured  paper side plates.  Still it looks very jolly.  D puts all the church candlesticks on the tables.  I hope I haven't forgotten anyone and that I've seated everyone with the folk they want to sit with.


At home I make a list of all the bits and pieces I need to take over tomorrow and then I count the slow cookers to make sure we'll have enough.


 Wednesday 12 noon


There's snow on the ground though it's thawing fairly quickly.   
The phone rings, it's one of the folk coming tonight and she says she's snowed in!  Since she's cooking the main course for her family of 8 she's not sure what to do and neither am I.  She doesn't really live very far out.  I try ringing her daughter and leave a message.  We can cope with a couple extra but if 8 of her family come without their share of food then there'll be a problem.


2.30pm I head over to church to plug in the slow cookers, turn on the heating and check over the tables.

2.45pm D arrives with R out keyboard player to set up for tonight.

 

3pm  Home for a while.

 

5pm Nip over to stir casseroles and turn down as needed.

 

6pm  Back to church to finish setting up....putting out haroset, matzos, salty water, watercress.

 

6.15pm  Folk start arriving and I am busy sorting out plates for desserts, cheese boards and putting out the bread buns.  The family of 8 arrives, minus the 2 girls who apparently have gone to town and not come back yet!  We open lots of wine.

 

6.40pm  I text the late comers and they soon arrive.

 

Looking down the tables I see we have Roman Catholics, Polish families, a charismatic (in the church sense) Frenchman, people from Lancashire and the Yorkshire folk.  Quite a mix. 

6.45pm  Passover begins with hymns and prayers very similar to those Jesus would have used.

7.10pm  We eat dinner.

 8.10pm  Dinner being over we finish the Passover with more prayers, toasts and hymns.

8.30pm The big clear up begins....church needs to be put back to Sunday format for the Maundy Thursday services tomorrow.

The dirty pots and glasses go to the Vicarage to be washed in the Vicarage dishwasher.  We stagger off home.

A True Judgement!

This has just come via email from a friend.  I love it and I do so hope it's true.

FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY

In Florida , an atheist created a case against Easter and Passover Holy

days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against

Christians and Jews and observances of their holy days. The argument was

that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized days. The case was

brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by

the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, "Case dismissed!"  The

lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, "Your honor, How

can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter

and others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, yet my client

and all other atheists have no such holidays..." The judge leaned forward

in his chair saying, "But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully

ignorant."  The lawyer said, " Your Honor, we are unaware of any special

observance or holiday for atheists."  The judge said, "The calendar says

April 1st is April Fool's day. Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his

heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that, if

your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st

is his day.  Court is adjourned..."

You gotta love a Judge that knows his scripture!

Messy Church 2

Messy Church

Week 2....what to expect?

Numbers are down...naturally. It is a beautiful day and many will have headed for the local park; some will have assumed last week was a one-off; some may not have enjoyed it; the bug may have got others.

Anyway, in they come and head for planting seeds, stencils, pipe cleaner flowers. 

K makes ham and cheese sandwiches, which the youngsters fall on as if they haven't eaten since last week. Peace descends.

Our keyboard player arrives and sets up.

Suddenly it's 4.30pm and I'm still rubber stamping with a small group.

Leap into action, ringing bells wildly and gradually everyone gets into the sanctuary. We have a couple of short hymns then it's story time. I have plastic eggs with fluffy chicks inside as an illustration of 'New Life'. Mayhem ensues but I get them all back eventually.

A percussion accompaniment hymn next then quiet time for prayers.

Our going home hymns follow and then everyone collects their works of art/ seed pots and heads off home.

clip art from clip art guide

 

Week 3 HOLY WEEK

In spite of the fact that we stress that Messy Church happens EVERY week, bar Christmas week and August, by 3.40pm no-one has arrived so I start to pack away the craft stuff. I have severe doubts about the Easter egg hunt anyway; it's turned very cols today and is trying to rain. The best laid plans...........

3.45pm L arrives with her Mum, M, and we have a great time making cards and finger puppets. K has made pizzas today and we share them.

K and M ask about tomorrow's Passover and book in with their children.

As we finish up M arrives to help set up Passover.

MESSY CHURCH 1

MESSY CHURCH AT OUR CHURCH

Because there are increasing numbers of people who find attending Sunday morning service difficult............ children's sports fixtures, having to work etc. we have tried to provide a mid-week service designed for parents and children, though anyone is most welcome to come along.

There is an additional need, that of getting a child into the local Church school. If parents need to 'get in on church attendance' our local school has just set that qualification as 'at least twice a month, for 2 years', impossible if you have to work on a Sunday morning.

We have tried various formats and times but it is difficult to find a time which suits parents at the same time as enabling folk who are working to be part of the team. At one point there was just my husband (the vicar) and myself and that fell apart when I had to spend increasing amounts of time out of town looking after my ancient parents, so the family service lapsed.

In response to requests from parents we had a meeting a couple of weeks ago in the local pub and sorted out a basic team, a format for the service and a time.... straight after school on Tuesdays, every week except for the Tuesday after Christmas and August, using a Messy Church format and starting in 2 weeks. The first of the new services was last Tuesday.

2pm Tuesday

D and I go across to church to set up tables and chairs. Although we had asked at PCC for helpers none has come forward, so it's just the two of us and since I refuse to move the desperately heavy, unstackable chairs it's down the the vicar, as usual. I go up to the office to photocopy colouring/puzzle sheets. I'll have to err on the side of caution since we have no idea how many will/ will not come.

2.20pm

I put out craft materials, puzzle sheets etc, hymn sheets on chairs, music ready for our keyboard player, service outline and talk outline on the altar ready for the service part of the session.

2.30pm A lovely lady, M, arrives (she was at the meeting) to organise the kitchen, drinks and biscuits for early arrivals. The local schools from whom we expect to get most of our children all finish at different times so we have decided to serve drinks and a biscuit as they arrive to help cope with this.

D goes across the road to ASDA to buy drinks, including sugar free for the diabetic lad we know will be there.

2.45pm

R our keyboard player arrives and gets set up in her corner.

I get all the crayons and pens in church and throw out the duds, sharpen the pencil crayons and get them onto the tables ready for use.

We label the drink bottles and biscuit tin 'Messy Church' so we don't use up the supplies for Sundays.

2.50pm

I go through the box of pictures to colour, which is used during Sunday services, throw out those which have been drawn on, save some which will be great for future Messy services and put the rest back into the box for Sunday.

3pm

I plug in the slow cooker, with water and a bowl of chocolate pieces to melt ready to make chocolate crispies. Our theme is 'taste and see that the Lord is good' so we're making something good to taste.

3.10pm

Our first arrivals. Drinks and biscuits.

Things start to hot up. One little Asian lad decides he will leap up onto the baby soft play mat which has been safely stored on top of the chairs at the back of the church (it's part of the play group's equipment) and I make sure he comes down! No other child tries to do this.
Children enjoy drinks, biscuits and go off to choose an activity.

3.30pm

The chocolate has melted so the first children rush up to make their crispies.

3.40pm

We are in full swing, J is collecting names so we can keep a check on who's there (essential if they need to prove church attendance), D is chatting, parents are chatting, though we would really prefer them to be 'dong' crafty things with their children. I see we have 3 childminders with their charges, great! Children are getting the idea that they can do one activity and then go to another. We make extra crispies for those who don't want to make one.

3.45pm

K and P have prepared a more substantial snack..... sausages and cheesy tortillas, and children are diverted from crafts to the snack table, and back again.

It looks like it's all going rather well.

4.10pm

The crispies being finished I tidy away the equipment and put the trays of goodies on the altar, away from little fingers.

Looking around I can see some children have done as much as they want.

4.20pm

I get out the bells and start to ring up at the altar. People stop so I ring and beckon and they all get the message and come up to the altar. We have enough chairs set in a semi-circle in the sanctuary for the Mums and so the children sit on the carpet. They are very squashed (we had a really big turn out and are delighted to have this problem) so for next week we'll need to move the altar back.

4.30pm

Our service is underway and we enjoy a talk about biscuits (trust the Name! Taste and see) and play our (noisy) percussion, have an action song and then we quiet down for prayers...and they do all quiet down, in spite of their bouncing around with excitement when the Vicar promises them more biscuits from his special packet as they go home!

We finish with 2 quiet songs, 'May God's Blessing Surround You Each Day' and what I know as 'the Tweenies going home song'.

4.50pm

Almost everyone has gone, J is giving away the last of the crispies, D is chatting to a Mum and I am finally getting to know the lass who lives at the bottom of the Vicarage garden in the old rectory.

5pm

I stagger home leaving 'someone else' to finish the tidying up, incredibly tired and heartily glad that I have left baked potatoes in the oven.

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