Defeating loneliness

Church Urban Fund have written a paper on loneliness and how churches can combat this sense of isolation that so many people suffer from. It strikes me that Messy Church might be one small way churches can respond to the challenge of loneliness. In the summary, Tim Burton-Jones writes that the three main findings are:
Group based activities are better than one-to-one interventions
Activity groups based on mutual interest are more effective than groups that target lonely people
Groups are most effective when they allow members to take responsibility for leadership
So a few implications for Messy Churches might include having one activity that is a communal one, like a big piece of art; inviting your congregation and team to think about someone in the neighbourhood they could invite personally to come along and be part of the congregation; encouraging Messy congregations to help out with all the jobs that needs doing and become part of the leadership team step by step; an dperhaps most importantly, fo te whole Messy Church to be looking out for people on their own.
I visited a local Messy Church team last night from inner-city Portsmouth who shared the story of one mum who described how she was left very isolated by the other parents at school drop-off and pick-up times, but at the Messy Church, she found herself welcomed and spoken to as a friend. These stories matter hugely in helping people in our communities have ‘life in all its fullness’ as Jesus so gloriously said.
If you’re passionate about social action and transformation, why not chat to Kathy Bland?