Messy Church

Dovercourt URC

If the current rate of decline is not arrested theMethodist Church will have zero membership by 2037.Philip Richter & Leslie Francis: Gone but not Forgotten (London: DLT, 1998)

If it continues to shrink at the present rate, the Church of Scotland will close its last congregation in 2033.Callum Brown: The Death of Christian Britain (London: Routledge, 2001)

Unless something happens to reverse the decline it is experiencing, the Church in Wales will be unsustainable by 2020Heather Wraight: ‘Strategic Thinking from a Christian Perspective’ (London: Christian Research Association, 2002)

Meltdown:

Percentage of child population in Sunday School UK, 1900-2000

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000

©UK Christian Handbook Religious Trends 2001/2001 No.2

What is it?

Messy Church is a once-monthly time when families come together to enjoy being together, making things together, eating together and celebrating God together through his word, through music and through prayer.

Messy Church is a worshipping community of all ages, centred on Christ, showing Christian hospitality—giving people a chance to express their creativity, to sit down together to eat a meal and have fun within a church context.

Principles:• To provide an opportunity for people of all ages to

worship together.

• Help people of all ages to feel that they belong in church and to each other.

• To help people have fun together.

• To give people a chance to express their God-given creativity.

• To invite people into an experience of Christian community.

• To introduce people to Jesus through hospitality, friendship, stories and worship.

A typical session:

• 3.30: Doors open. – People arrive, play board games and have a drink

and biscuit

• 4.00-5.00: Creative time

• 5.00-5.15: Celebration time

• 5.15-5.45: Hot meal together

From: S Davies [mailto:-----------------] Sent: 03 June 2008 14:39To: -------------------------

Subject: Messy Church Hi Marc, I would be delighted to give you my views about messy church. Here goes:  It took me alot of courage to attend the first session of Messy Church because i had not been part of a church for over 16yrs and now

i have two very young children Jack who will be two at the end of the month and Alyssa who has just turned four. I went to a children's Easter service a couple of years ago with the children and they enjoyed the craft side of the service however when it came to the Easter Story and the stations of the cross this was far to overwhelming for them! The children were separated and asked to sit at the front which was also very overpowering for Alyssa to cope with so i decided that she was not ready for chruch.   In Feb this year I decided to give it another try this time at Messy Church at Dovercourt Central Church and Wow what a difference! a very welcoming and open hearted church especially towards the children.  We all felt very welcome and were not separated from one another a chance to celebrate and worship god at all levels and for all ages. A way to access Christ from a very young age and feel part of a church community again.   Messy Church has now become part of our regular routine making new friends and learning about Christ as a family.  What a lovely start with awarm welcome a cup of tea and craft based around the theme of the month e.g Pentecost, Easter, Shepards etc followed by circle time in the church with some Show and Tell, A story from the Bible and song from Mission Praise and of course Messy Grace which i am still learning followed by tea.  Jack and Alyssa both happily participate in the whole service.  Jack now loves the singing the best getting up a dancing and clapping.   Messy Church is a great service for families with children of all ages lots of fun craft idea's, great support from the congregation, a very welcoming atmosphere for all, lots of drama/actions put into the stories and hymns from the bible for all to participate a lovely home cooked tea to finish what more could a family want when coming to church  On a sad note the only thing that Messy Church does not have is MORE families! However we all love it, Thank You! Sam. Alyssa and Jack

e-mail:

gone for good?

Leslie J. Francis and Philip Richer

Epworth 2007

fifteen reasons: • Losing faith • Growing up and changing• Life transitions • Life tensions • Life-styles • Not belonging and not fitting in • Demands vs returns • Disillusionment • Being let down

1. Problems: 1. with relevance 2. with change 3. with worship 4. with leadership 5. with conservatism 6. with liberalism

multiplex

church context: `multiplex' is a multiplicity of separatecongregationswithin the same premises