Over the weekend the BRF Ministries Messy Church and Parenting Faith Teams headed to Birmingham for Hand in Hand: the national children and family ministry conference. We joined 48 other organisations with a stand in the exhibition hall and delivered a number of seminars, short talks and table top sessions to the 600 delegates.
On Friday evening Aike gave a short talk on Messy Church Goes Wild to encourage people to take their worship outdoors to reach new families. On Saturday morning, she was joined by Jane and they delivered a seminar on Thriving Together: building strong teams with limited hands. We were pleased to see some familiar faces in the audience including Andrew from St. Guthlac’s in Market Deeping, and Karen from the Presbytery of Glasgow with whom we worked on the Scottish training days we delivered in June last year.
We enjoyed lots of great conversations at the BRF Ministries stand. Parenting for Faith Ministry Lead Anna Hawken commented ‘It was wonderful to hear the many stories of how people are using Messy Church and Parenting for Faith where they are and a delight to see people’s enthusiasm as they discovered them for the first time too’.
We sold lots of books too! The ‘Messy Adventures’ and ‘Messy Church Does Science’ were particularly popular.
Over lunch, Jane joined a networking lunch facilitated by Intergenerate UK to champion intergenerational ministry. The session was led by Melanie Cave from Roots and Sam Richards, Head of Children’s and Youth Work for the United Reformed Church, and one of our keynote speakers at the Messy Church Conference in June.
During the afternoon we spent time talking to other exhibitors (watch out for some exciting guest blog posts coming soon!) and catching up with lots of Messy Church friends, many of whom are leading workshops at the Messy Church Conference.
Aike rounded off the day in a session with other ministry organisations showcasing resources for outreach. Each person was asked to share one resource so off course Aike took two!
We left at the end of the day tired but refreshed by so many encouraging conversations. It’s great to spend time working with and providing support for people with a heart for children and family ministry.
If you’d like the opportunity to spend a weekend with inspiring and uplifting Messy Church friends, don’t miss out on the opportunity to be ‘All Together’ from 20 to 22 June. Unlike Hand in Hand, the Messy Church Conference only happens once every three years! The headline ticket price might look more than other conferences but please note it includes your accommodation and all your meals – you just have to get yourself there! For further details and to book your place before the 19 March closing date, click here.
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