Happy 2012!

It’s been good to see so much messiness happening over Christmas. On one side of the world, Elaine Trendell from the Australian Salvation Army writes: ‘Thanks – our Christmas celebration day saw about 100 at Messy Church. All were extremely excited and LOVED coming (many away, but…). Jesus focus, safety candles (changing colour light candles/torch effect), heaps of craft, the wood craft a “Polar Express” train, and of course food. Our special speaker for the day brought his children (and wife). His son 3 times that evening thanked dad for taking him to Messy Church. The next morning he thanked him again, saying when they are in the grave together, his soul will roll across to dad’s soul and say, “Thanks for taking me to Messy Church, Dad.” Think he loved it. What an impact on a child, and that’s only one. What a life-long memory. Church is about Jesus and blessings. Messy Church has changed our children’s concept of church, and ours.’
And Viv Binns from the northern hemisphere writes: ‘Where do you have 10 knitted sheep, 50 completed Sheep Trail entries , 180 sheep-shaped biscuits and about 300 people including children? You’ve guessed it: Hordle Parish Church Manger service. The Hordle shepherd had lost the sheep so they spent 14 days hiding in the shops in Hordle. Children took part in the Messy Nativity sheep trail to find them. The entries took part in a prize draw to find the winner. This happened at the Manger Service, where we sang carols and listened to a story, said a prayer and went home with one of the delicious biscuits that kind bakers had made. A great start to Christmas. What will next year bring I wonder? Thank you to everyone who prayed, cooked and ably assisted to make it happen.’
(Jane Leadbetter’s book Messy Nativity comes out in June this year, so you’ll have details of how to put on an event like this where you live.)
And there’s this brilliant photo from Derrick Tyler at St Pancras Chichester Messy Christingle: