Abbots Langley Methodist Church
Magazine
May 2008

So what is Messy Church????

The idea is that parents and carers bring school-aged children (up to the age of 11 but younger brothers and sisters under school age won’t be excluded) for a fun couple of hours together.

The plan is to run it once a month on the second Wednesday, starting on the 14 th May (with a break for August). It will start around 3.30pm so families can come straight from school, although the formal activities will run from 4 o’clock so if parents want to, children can get changed first.

Then there will be around 50 minutes of creative craft-based activities for both adults and children to do together, on a biblical theme (our first one will be Journeys, looking at Abraham and Sarah). Then there will be a fun worship time using some of the ideas and crafts from the creative session, followed by a celebration – a shared simple meal so that parents don’t have to go home and cook, and we will finish by 6pm.

The aim is not specifically to get families to come to Sunday morning worship, but to provide worship on a Wednesday afternoon in a different way than we may think of our ‘normal’ services.

So it is not an after-school club, a Sunday school on another day, or even a family based fun event (although it has elements of all these) – the clue is in the title – it will be CHURCH but creative, and yes – MESSY!!!!

We are asking for donations to cover the cost of materials and the meal – but are not charging a set price, but we are requesting that families book via the Parish Office on 261795 or via email : stlawrence@fish.co.uk – so that we have some idea of numbers!

How can you help?

If you could join the tea making or meal making rota, or could help with the crafts, then please speak to Wendy Beaumont or Gill Hulme.

More specifically we need strong volunteers – to help set up the tables and chairs at 3pm, and to help put away at 6pm.

We also are in need of old (clean) men’s shirts to use as painting coveralls.

However, everyone can help by telling friends with school-aged children or grandchildren about it and above all by praying for this new venture.