Phillipa and Gary are beautiful examples of grassroots volunteers, serving God in the heart of Motueka. After a period of discernment within the parish around how to reach the community around them, they decided to try out the Messy Church structure about 10 years ago. Phillipa and Gary have been involved ever since.
I was delighted to ask them about their work and the heart behind it.
Phillipa & Gary: We see Messy Church as a church service, just done differently.
Our sessions run on the fourth Tuesday of every month, and each is based around a theme with multiple learning styles incorporated. It involves paid clergy but is largely a parishioner-led programme.
There are all the elements of church – welcome, teaching, singing, prayer, and a meal – but not done sitting in rows and with one person talking. We call it church so there are no surprises for those who come along, and we can freely talk about Jesus.
We have also started an extra group meeting on the Tuesday after Messy Church, where we look at the theme of Messy Church from the previous week in a deeper way. This was born out of attending families saying they wanted to study deeper things of faith.
It’s not designed as a children's programme – it’s intergenerational. It’s intense and in many ways exhausting, so you need a large committed team to do it well.
Phillipa & Gary: At the beginning of the year, our team sets the outline of the themes we believe God is leading us to for the year. Each month our team meets to review the previous month and plan activities and the celebration for the coming Messy Church. Ideas for the activities are sparked from other Messy Churches and the internet and if we have done the theme previously with a really great activity we will duplicate it. As we have found, activities don't always go as planned and sometimes you just have to go with the flow and not stress about what we thought would happen.
Phillipa & Gary: Children talk about Messy Church at school and preschool. It is easy to come to, open, accepting. With “Church” in its name, families know what they are coming to and are open to spiritual things. Many want their children to learn of the things of faith. It is a well received event.
We see families eating together around a table, with children trying and eating food they wont try at home. People who normally eat alone at home are able to enjoy eating with others.
And people aren’t just turning up for a free meal – the few who started off that way end up coming for the whole night.
Phillipa & Gary: It can be a challenge to have enough – enough food, activities, energy, ideas, resources, people, helpers (we need at least 18 to run a night) – but God has not let us down yet.
We work hard to educate people that this is real church and not an event to get people to come to "real church" on Sunday. Some transfer over, but that is not the goal. It is a real church that meets once a month like many other church services in our diocese.
Phillipa & Gary: Believing it is what God has called us to and enables our team to achieve.
Encouragement from church leadership helps, as well as seeing changed lives in families who attend. Seeing miracles. Sometimes it is just gritting your teeth to get through the tough times. Digging deeper into the resources of the kingdom.
As a couple, we can encourage each other – usually only one of us struggles at the same time, although pre Messy Church can be a little stressed. We have a common goal and striving for the same outcome. Our gifts and personalities compliment each other.
Phillipa & Gary: Seeing and hearing about changed lives. We see people meeting with Jesus wherever they are in their ages and stages.
We love to attend baptisms and see miracles that have come out of Messy Church. God's hand is on us, our team and those who attend.
Phillipa & Gary: Pray for God's direction and guidance, and get a committed team who see the vision and see this as Gods direction for you.
Our all up team is 30 people – not everyone is able to attend every Messy Church (life happens). Be prepared to follow the original Messy Church plan Lucy Moore set for a minimum of a year to get traction. Advertise well. It will cost the parish for food and resources, though a lot does get donated to us. We don’t charge for the meal but there is koha box.
Phillipa & Gary: We feel positive about it. It works by connecting with people of all ages and stages of life. Messy Church teaches the basic of the gospel in an alive and interesting way. You can hide in a pew, but with activities everywhere aimed at different ages and styles there is always something interesting to do. We put little pearls in front of people who come.
Our hope is that others catch the vision and take up the challenge to reach out to the community and bless them with the gospel in a fun way.
Check out other articles in the
Lay Legends
series below.
More articles in the
Lay Legends
series are to come.
We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
Phillipa and Gary are beautiful examples of grassroots volunteers, serving God in the heart of Motueka. After a period of discernment within the parish around how to reach the community around them, they decided to try out the Messy Church structure about 10 years ago. Phillipa and Gary have been involved ever since.
I was delighted to ask them about their work and the heart behind it.
Phillipa & Gary: We see Messy Church as a church service, just done differently.
Our sessions run on the fourth Tuesday of every month, and each is based around a theme with multiple learning styles incorporated. It involves paid clergy but is largely a parishioner-led programme.
There are all the elements of church – welcome, teaching, singing, prayer, and a meal – but not done sitting in rows and with one person talking. We call it church so there are no surprises for those who come along, and we can freely talk about Jesus.
We have also started an extra group meeting on the Tuesday after Messy Church, where we look at the theme of Messy Church from the previous week in a deeper way. This was born out of attending families saying they wanted to study deeper things of faith.
It’s not designed as a children's programme – it’s intergenerational. It’s intense and in many ways exhausting, so you need a large committed team to do it well.
Phillipa & Gary: At the beginning of the year, our team sets the outline of the themes we believe God is leading us to for the year. Each month our team meets to review the previous month and plan activities and the celebration for the coming Messy Church. Ideas for the activities are sparked from other Messy Churches and the internet and if we have done the theme previously with a really great activity we will duplicate it. As we have found, activities don't always go as planned and sometimes you just have to go with the flow and not stress about what we thought would happen.
Phillipa & Gary: Children talk about Messy Church at school and preschool. It is easy to come to, open, accepting. With “Church” in its name, families know what they are coming to and are open to spiritual things. Many want their children to learn of the things of faith. It is a well received event.
We see families eating together around a table, with children trying and eating food they wont try at home. People who normally eat alone at home are able to enjoy eating with others.
And people aren’t just turning up for a free meal – the few who started off that way end up coming for the whole night.
Phillipa & Gary: It can be a challenge to have enough – enough food, activities, energy, ideas, resources, people, helpers (we need at least 18 to run a night) – but God has not let us down yet.
We work hard to educate people that this is real church and not an event to get people to come to "real church" on Sunday. Some transfer over, but that is not the goal. It is a real church that meets once a month like many other church services in our diocese.
Phillipa & Gary: Believing it is what God has called us to and enables our team to achieve.
Encouragement from church leadership helps, as well as seeing changed lives in families who attend. Seeing miracles. Sometimes it is just gritting your teeth to get through the tough times. Digging deeper into the resources of the kingdom.
As a couple, we can encourage each other – usually only one of us struggles at the same time, although pre Messy Church can be a little stressed. We have a common goal and striving for the same outcome. Our gifts and personalities compliment each other.
Phillipa & Gary: Seeing and hearing about changed lives. We see people meeting with Jesus wherever they are in their ages and stages.
We love to attend baptisms and see miracles that have come out of Messy Church. God's hand is on us, our team and those who attend.
Phillipa & Gary: Pray for God's direction and guidance, and get a committed team who see the vision and see this as Gods direction for you.
Our all up team is 30 people – not everyone is able to attend every Messy Church (life happens). Be prepared to follow the original Messy Church plan Lucy Moore set for a minimum of a year to get traction. Advertise well. It will cost the parish for food and resources, though a lot does get donated to us. We don’t charge for the meal but there is koha box.
Phillipa & Gary: We feel positive about it. It works by connecting with people of all ages and stages of life. Messy Church teaches the basic of the gospel in an alive and interesting way. You can hide in a pew, but with activities everywhere aimed at different ages and styles there is always something interesting to do. We put little pearls in front of people who come.
Our hope is that others catch the vision and take up the challenge to reach out to the community and bless them with the gospel in a fun way.
Check out other articles in the
Lay Legends
series below.
More articles in the
Lay Legends
series are to come.
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