News, Stories and Resources from the MESSY CHURCH CANADA Team. Let us know by email if you have ideas, stories, or activities to share. The newsletter is published near the beginning of the month. Messy Church Canada is a ministry of Wycliffe College Toronto ON
You can see by the photo in our June banner that all the Canadians (from Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec) who attended the Messy Church International Conference in England in early May were having a great time! We learned a lot, got to know Messy Churchers from around the world and had messy fun too! Check out the links to photos on our FaceBook page. Lucy’s newsletter includes International Conference resources including a FREE Messy Murder Mystery download, as well as two FREE theme downloads - Toilet Twinning (what exactly is that, you ask!!) and ‘Drop Everything’ (and follow Jesus)! Links to all this HERE!
This month we are looking forward to Father's Day coming, and it's almost summer!
You will find resources for Father's Day as well as Family Faith Formation and more below!
Blessings, Sue ~ on behalf of the Messy Church Canada Team
Sue Kalbfleisch, MCC Team Leader Phone: 1-905-648-0302 Email
New Messy Churches
Please notify us if you have started a Messy Church or if you hear about someone who has started one. Then we can let the appropriate Regional Coordinator know so we can connect with someone nearby for support and networking - and so that we will have an accurate national database too. At this moment of writing, there are over 280 Canadian Messy Churches and almost 4000 Messy Churches registered world-wide on the international site!
Messy Church Regional Coordinators
We are still looking for Regional Coordinators in Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and PEI - please let us know if you are interested or would like information. Find the contact info for all our RCs HERE.
Register Your Messy Church
Don't forget to register your Messy Church - there is no cost and we have lots of folks to help and support you. We are looking forward to connecting with you and growing together!
Events for Training, Networking and Just for Fun!
Messy Fiesta Renfrew Presbyterian Church, Renfrew ON
Saturday June 8, 2019 10:00am to 3:00pm (still a few days to register)
Saturday, June 8, 2019 Messy Fiesta at the Renfrew Presbyterian Church from 10:00am-3:00pm. This is a great opportunity to experience a Messy Church as well as learn all about this exciting new way of being the missional church.Details here.
Follow Up News - the Messy Meet Up on Saturday June 1st at the Stouffville United Church was a great success! With participants from a number of Salvation Army, Presbyterian, Anglican, and United churches, our hosts Lisa, Nikki and their team did a great job! Thanks also to Nancy Rowe (St. George's AC Georgetown) for facilitating the day and to everyone for all the enthusiasm and sharing! Check out the photos on FaceBook.
Please let us know of Messy Meet Ups, Messy Fiestas and workshops so they can be publicized - or if you'd like to host one!
Messy Church Event Descriptions
Messy Church Canada provides and facilitates workshops that are open to all Christian denominations - and so we encourage participation from a wide range of churches. All events are listed with details at www.messychurch.ca
Messy Fiesta - a full day workshop to learn about and experience Messy Church AND for Messy Church Leadership teams just starting their messy journey to connect and share ideas. Usually on a Saturday from 10am-3pm. Includes 'doing' Messy Church in the morning with a Messy Church welcome, 10 activities, celebration and lunch followed by lots of discussion, Q & A, and networking.
Messy Meet Up - a get together of Messy Church practitioners who meet to share ideas, network, improve their Messy Church and encourage each other. A Messy Meet Up can be held on an evening, Saturday or whenever it works for the group involved, and usually lasts for 2-3 hours.
Messy Thoughts by Andy Kalbfleisch
You know how it goes when you go to a conference or other important event. You start to get pumped up as the day approaches and then you are filled to bursting as the event
unfolds and then slowly but surely there is the post event/conference floating back to earth. You wonder, after so much anticipation, how it all happened so quickly, some might say in the blink of an eye. And that’s how it goes in our world, build up, excitement, euphoria even, then the inevitable floating back to earth,back to the everyday routine. That’s what happened to me before, during and after the 2019 Messy Church International Conference. But there was and continues to be one difference; I left knowing that God has a plan to spread the Good News far and wide through Messy Church and Messy Churches around the world are responding. Jesus said it first ‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations’. With those words how can we not be energized 24/7!
THY KINGDOM COME
The return of Thy Kingdom Come, the global movement for prayer for evangelism around Pentecost began in May and concedes with Pentecost on June 9th. You can download the Ascension to Pentecost resource from previous years, which is still available. And you might want to download the Family Prayer Adventure Map or other family-focused resources from the website.
For years Lucy Moore, Martyn Payne and friends have shared their tried and tested ideas, bringing the Bible to life for children and families, whether on a Sunday or midweek, plus sharing material for all-age worship. Excited? All of these ideas have now been brought together in the BRF Ideas Hub website. Enjoy!
Messy Church USA sends a link to a super idea for a Food Labyrinth you can try at Messy Church.
More Resources
There are 14 complete Messy Church Themes created by Canadian Messy Church Leaders on our website.
Cathy Garbutt, our RC in London ON, has a great Pinterest site - Messy Church Board. Cathy keeps adding boards related to various themes, so check her site often.
Check out the past Newsletters for more Ideas and Resources:
Please check out the updated booklist for all the Messy Church (and related) books available in Canada along with ordering information HERE
Resources and links from around the world...
From the UK
From Jane Leadbetter: The Messy Church International Conference brought together 220 people from the UK and 13 other countries. The #discipleship theme was explored, key speakers enjoyed and lots of new friendships formed. You can join in the buzz by looking on the Messy social media: https://www.facebook.com/messychurchBRF/ https://twitter.com/MessyChurchBRF https://www.instagram.com/messychurch/
Keep a look out on the Messy Church websiteas the key speaker talks, photos and info are about to be shared too.
Parenting For Faith is a great website for parents looking to raise faithful kids. Care for the Family is another site with lots of resources for families, and is also the new home for those looking for 'Who Let the Dads Out' materials (nurturing relationships between fathers and their children). Check out theFaith in HomesFaceBook page - where you'll find lots of ideas for families - for both at Messy Church and for families between MC gatherings.
UK Messy Church Pinterest site has lots of ideas – bookmark it on your computer as more categories have been added! UK Messy Church Pinterest link
The 'Get Messy' magazine published 3X yearly is a great resource. Go to the BRF website and pay for the download for the issue you wish to receive.
The newest Get Messy! magazine May-August 2019is available and includes free downloads to complement the themes. Available on-line to download for £4.50
