The first term of our Messy Momentum pilots has flown by, and the first shoots of life have sprung up in the spring term! The pilots had begun in January, implementing one of six new approached to better engage young people, and so three months in, we met with them to hear how getting up and running has gone.
We met with the different approaches over four corresponding sessions in March to reflect on what has been joyful as well as challenging, what has worked well and what hasn’t, and then problem solve and pray together. By listening to one another and reflecting on what each Messy Churches is trialling and discovering, it was so inspiring to see the learning and encouragement bouncing around the Zoom ‘rooms’.
Across all the approaches and Messy Churches, there were a couple of clear themes:
It’s daunting! Starting something new and pioneering an untested entity is a big deal – the words used by leaders were ‘intimidating’, ‘stretching’ and ‘low-level nervous and excited!’ There was honest anxiety from a number of the leaders, each of whom are stepping up and trialling something outside of their ordinary Messy Church bounds. But,
Its exciting! In the unknown and the new, it has provided opportunity to trust God, and each other, to be present, engaged and responsive. Whether reimagining an intentionally intergenerational session to involve all ages and inviting input from different people, or having a low-maintenance Friday Night Messy session with quality relational time to explore life and faith, by trusting God to inspire and provide in the spaces that they leave open – and for God to inspire and provide others to do the same, bringing an idea or a testimony – it has meant that each Messy Church pilot had stories to share of where God is at work.
It’s all learning – starting with us, the leaders! Even where the beginnings have been small, the learnings have been great as they have started with the hearts and openness of the leaders themselves. One leader said ‘I’m learning not to rush, not to judge just because only a couple of kids turn up.’ The quality and depth you can reach spending time getting to know a few young people has already been seen in the pilots.
It’s already impacting the young people! It’s early days, and many are still learning the formats and styles we are piloting, but it’s noticeable that the young people are showing up – and some are returning after not being at Messy Church for a while. One Messy Church said they’ve seen the non-church children choosing to come and making it a priority over other after-school activities, even though until recently their numbers had been dipping! Across the board, just doing something for these older children has been significant and there is a sense they feel more valued from this shift alone, and so they are choosing to come – and keep coming!
And this, in turn, is impacting everyone else! By actively involving and seeking to engage the young people, there has been an increase in engagement from all ages – one Messy church leader said ‘we’ve noticed that adults and younger children are also contributing ideas more because they know the young people are being asked for ideas.’ Even by focusing on one age range, intergenerational practise is being better encompassed in all things Messy! Our all-age value is being showcased.
God is faithful. Through all we heard, the anxiety of leaders and the returning of young people, in the meticulous planning and the open-ended questions and child-led activities, in the surprises and the mundane, God is at work, building trust and quiet expectancy through the pilots. Our messy hearts are full.
Reflecting on all that was shared at the termly check-ins, most especially the honesty and courage of each leader’s humble, faithful stories of new beginnings, the small signs of growth and the need to trust – both in God and in others – I was reminded of Jesus’ teaching on stewardship or the ‘parable of the dishonest manager’ (quite a hard parable to read as a project manager!), where he says:
If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones” or, as it is so wonderfully put in the International Children’s Bible: “Whoever can be trusted with small things can also be trusted with large things.” (Luke 16:10)
These ‘small things’ are not to diminish the deeds or bravery of our wonderful pilots and their Messy Church leaders, taking steps of faith as they have started something new and daunting – but that we each are starting with our small things in this project and, with trust and humility, courage and hope, we will see these small things grow – and as Jesus himself commended, be trusted with larger things as we go. Messy Momentum indeed.
Sophie Harber, Youth Project Lead
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