Messy Church (volunteers’ edition)
Ever wondered what Messy Church is like ‘from the other side’?
Well, the answer is probably much the same as that of the families that we welcome every six weeks - ‘great crafts, great food, great stories, great singing - in fact, just great fun’…with the addition of ‘great planning, setting up and clearing up’ too!
Because, behind the scenes, Messy Church is a small group of dedicated volunteers who make up the Core Group. They decide the theme and the crafts to illustrate it. Shared with the inspired Catering Team, who make and assemble the delicious tea, the theme this time was Moses’ Journey in the Wilderness. The creative catering response? Totally delicious shortbread feet and cakes iced as pillars of fire and cloud.
After the Parish Lunch (see previous post), the diners burn off any excess calories setting up the the upper hall of the Lyttelton Rooms with tables, chairs and crafts. Downstairs the registration area is created, whilst in the Priory, the musicians set up in St Giles’ Chapel.
Yellow Messy Church tee-shirts are tugged over winter woolies and the all-important name sticker is stuck onto each volunteer.
A peace descends as the Messy Church team - all 24 of them aged from 10 to quite a lot older than 10 - gather together in prayer. A buzz of young voices and everyone goes to their positions. Messy Church ‘Moses Journey’ is underway!
Children sit on the floor whilst the story is told, then it’s on to the crafts - from pillars of cloud and fire made from strawberry laces and popcorn, to desert sandals, sandy feet and much more. A buzz of happiness and concentration, of discovering an age-old story in a 21st century way. Completed crafts are carefully loaded into named Messy Church bags and a bell breaks the chatter - the call to walk across the the Priory for songs, stories and prayer.
With the departure of the families with some of the volunteers, the remaining yellow-tee-shirted army descends on the tables, clearing, cleaning and laying out tea (‘not the cakes yet!’). The tables are laid not a minute too soon as the excited children reappear from church, ready to enjoy tea together. Volunteers and families mingle over sandwiches (‘crusts off’ (repurposed)), veggie sticks, crisps and in due course, the aforementioned cakes and feet.
As tea comes to an end, craft bags are collected and families leave, new stories learned, new friends made.
Then, cups of tea to hand, the set-up procedure goes swiftly into reverse. Washing up, drying up, sweeping up and clearing up. A prayer of thanksgiving, wriggle off the yellow tee-shirts and it’s home for feet up (except for those singing or worshipping at the 6.30pm service).
’What an uplifting, special time it was…22 families, 30 children, 24 volunteers on the team, sharing gifts to work together.’
Next Messy Church is ‘King of Kings’ on 30th April 3-5pm. See you there!
