Messy Church embraces all ages
By Rev Sandy Brodine
Creating a genuinely all-age Messy Church community
One of the things I love about my job is when I get to go and visit a new Messy Church community. Each Messy Church is unique: which is part of my fascination. How are the Messy Church values (Christ centred, all-age, creativity, hospitality and celebration) being lived out differently in each place?
Last week I rocked up at St John’s Essendon Messy Church for the first time. This Messy Church community has been running for a decade, so they are veterans and have a well-run team. As the first activity was being explained, the leader suggested that the kids might like to find an adult and team up with them to work on the task. One energetic boy turned quickly to an older man and pointed at him: you and me? He was met with a wide grin and the two quickly got together and got on with the task with enthusiastic giggles. Yes! I thought! Genuine intergenerational relationship! The boy knew the older man well, and knew they’d have fun together. Great evidence of a relationship formed with depth over many encounters.
Later in the session I learned that a number of elderly people, who had previously been members of the Messy Church team, but who were now too frail to lead were picked up and brought to Messy Church to take part in the fun. This Messy Church is not just about providing an opportunity for kids to learn about Jesus: it authentically feeds the relational and interpersonal needs of people across the age spectrum. A genuine, all-age community.
As the evening wore on we met first around the Pentecost bonfire, and then to share pizza for dinner. Children and adults interspersed themselves at the tables and conversation flowed between the age groups. Everyone from the nine-year-old to the 90-year-old engaged in meaningful, fun conversation with one another.
As I left I wondered what other communities might learn from the Messy Church at St John’s Essendon. How might other Messy Churches focus on becoming intentionally all-age focused by celebrating what Messy Church relationships have to offer people at every point on the age spectrum?
Rev Sandy Brodine is Younger Generations Education and Strategy Coordinator within equipping Leadership for Mission