An Australia Hoorah!

We’ve had a really great day doing a full day of Messy Church for the 155 people, who had come from all over Oz – folk have FLOWN here from Western Australia and from the Northern Territory! It all feels very surreal and humbling. They were a lovely, warm, generous crowd, who gave a huge amount of support and positive vibes, and it does feel as if lots will happen as a result of their hearing for themselves what Messy Church is and can be.
Chris Barnett did a brilliant job of organising and welcoming them and setting the light-hearted tone for the day, along with his team from the Centre for Theology and Mission here. Paul was an able assistant and did both techie stuff and a session on celebration.
Yesterday Chris drove me round Eastern Melbourne to five different meetings: all very useful. I met Jo Hood from Mainly Music (with coffee), a group from SU with Terry Williams (with nibbles), Beth Barnett and some Baptists (with cake), Anglicans with Dorothy, the Children and Family Adviser (with soup and the hughest pavlova you’ve ever seen), and a group of Salvation Army officers with Tracey Davies (with jelly snakes).
As you can imagine, I am now rotund. But the different groups included people from all over Australia, not just Victoria, so very strategic.
Remind me to pass on the story about the directory, Micham and Sunshine when I have more energy. The ‘hoorah’ in the title was also a very funny moment, when the delegates en masse echoed back my hoorah for something or other messy and made it sound terribly P.G. Wodehouse!
Chris has posted a bunch of photos on Flickr.
Jetlag tends to kick in about now (it’s around 18.30), so I hear myself talking rubbish. Well, that’s my excuse anyway.