Get Messy!: September-December 2013: Session Material, News, Stories and Inspiration for the Messy Church Community

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0857462598 ISBN 13: 9780857462596

Publisher: Messy Church, 2013

Get Messy! is a new four-monthly subscription resource for Messy Church leaders. Each issue contains four session outlines (one per month), including planning sheets and take-home handouts, together with information on the latest resources and events. It also seeks to encourage and refresh Messy Church leaders by providing monthly Bible studies, a column on taking time to recharge, and a problem page. Other features include a youth column, a day in the life of a Regional Coordinator and stories from Messy Churches around the world. In this issue: Messy Nativity: taking towns by storm; Being Christ-centred; Four complete session plans and templates; Messy Readings; Messy Men! ...and much more.

Review:

From Country Way - June to September 2013 Messy Church is growing. Over the past two years, Country Way has included articles about the increasing numbers of rural churches using Messy Church's innovative and helpful resources. Growth has prompted a new development, to meet the needs of the large numbers of messy churches requiring regular material, ideas and help to maintain their mission and continue to be relevant and attractive. This is Get Messy! - a magazine produced three times per year giving all sorts of ideas and information for those running a monthly Messy Church. The first issue (May-August 2013) has recently been published, and churches or individuals can subscribe to either printed or online versions. Like much else from the same stable, it is supported by additional material that is available from websites. Each issue contains key resources for four monthly sessions: activities, readings, learning content, guidance for celebration and shared meal ideas. The themes here are: invisible God, the missionary Amy Carmichael, calming the storm and Zacchaeus. The quality of the material is equally as good as all the previously-published books and resources. In addition, each issue will contain stories from messy churches in the network, news and events, readers' questions answered, reflections, and discussion of key aspects of the Messy Church approach (e.g. in this issue hospitality and exploring faith at home). I heartily recommend this additional tool for hard-pressed rural churches who still wish to engage appropriately in mission in the communities they serve. Reviewed by Simon Martin

About the Author:

Olivia Warburton commissions Primary RE resources for the Bible Reading Fellowship. She studied English Literature at Trinity College, Cambridge and has worked for a children's literacy charity. Lucy Moore is a professional actor and storyteller. She works for BRF as part of the Barnabas Ministry team. A published writer, performer and creative arts director with a background in teaching languages, she makes use of lively original poetry, mime, storytelling, and a variety of drama workshop activities. Her work with BRF includes sharing the Bible with children through Barnabas RE Days. Lucy is author of The Gospels Unplugged, The Lord's Prayer Unplugged, Topsy Turvy Christmas, Messy Church Messy Church 2 and All-Age Worship all published by BRF. She and her husband, Paul, have two children, Arthur and Judith. They worship at St Wilfrid's, Cowplain in Hampshire, where Paul is the minister.