Read a sample from Get Messy!

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May–August 2013
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SAMPLER
1
Stories from Messy Churches
far and wide!
Jens Kristian talks about his
experience in Denmark
Judyth Roberts writes about
the big picture of Messy
Church in Australia
See, I am doing a new thing!
this new ‘messy’ way takes courage and
vision. A recurring experience among
teams doing Messy Church is how
through their involvement in running a
Messy Church—the planning, the team
building, the relationships—they have
grown in their faith as they see God has
gone before them in Messy Church.
Their understanding of what it is
to be part of the whole people of
God is strengthened through creative
explorations of scripture, through
all-age worship and through sharing
a table with families. People who felt
discouraged after many faithful years
of children’s ministry have had their
passion renewed by working as part
of a team and working with whole
families. At the recent Messy Church
conferences around New South Wales
and in Melbourne, the majority of
the people attending were from older
generations, and yet they expressed
great joy and hope in the future and
a sense of blessing through Messy
Church.
Now our task in Australia is to
maintain the momentum by supporting
existing Messy Churches to thrive, to
focus on the values of Messy Church
and to encourage more churches to
be part of this messy adventure and see
for themselves where God is doing a
new thing.
Hi! My name is Jens Kristian. I am
helping with the Messy Church in
Videbæk, here in Denmark.
I was asked if I would help to start it
up, and after some thought I decided
to give this answer: ‘Yes, I want to be
a part of the team, on the condition
that at each session there is a “boy”
activity—an activity that fathers and
their sons can do together and perhaps
something that would make girls and
their mothers wrinkle their foreheads…’
At the first session we made a flow
obstacle course, a whole table where
people stood and worked with wires,
power, etc. Next time, we built
catapults and shot water balloons at
people who ran zigzag on the grass.
During the planning meetings, I
choose a ‘boy’ activity and then the rest
of the team finds the theme and thinks
up lots of other activities that are too
‘nice’ for me!
We are seeing many families coming
to our Messy Church and they enjoy
it very much. The worship/service is
a party where everyone contributes in
one way or another. It’s so great that
we can be together for Jesus, giving
hands, brain and heart something to
take home.
We just have one problem—how
to make room for all the people
who come!
Nancy Rowe demonstrates a
Canadian craft
It is difficult to choose a craft that
connects across such a large country as
Canada, but a common thread in the
history of the country is the fur trade
and the rivalry between the Hudson’s
Bay Company (English) and the North
West Company (French). This craft
represents part of that fur-trading past.
The Voyageurs of the North West
Company were a hardy lot, mostly
men, although there were a few women
who could handle the heavy physical
demands of the job. The Voyageurs wore
a sash, called a ceinture fléchée, that had
many uses. It could be a means to keep
the cold from creeping under your coat,
or fold it over and you had a pocket, and
it was uniquely designed for the person
who was wearing it.
We will make a mini ceinture fléchée as
a bookmark.
Julie Hintz gives a snapshot of
a New Zealand Messy Church
You will need: a cardboard
‘loom’ 16cm x 7cm, with 9 slits
cut in each end (the slits should
be 1cm deep and 0.5cm apart);
9 lengths of wool, 22cm long;
2 long lengths of wool; a wool
needle
How to make it:
1. Fasten a short length of wool in a slit
at the top of your loom and then in
the corresponding slit at the bottom.
Leave 3cm hanging over each end.
2. Repeat until all the slits are filled.
3. Thread your needle with both
lengths of the longer wool at the
same time.
4. Weave the wool (over one wool,
under the next, then over the next,
and so on). When you get to the
end, weave the wool back again. This
time go under the wool that you had
gone over and over the wool you had
gone under.
ages and stages, including our children,
serve and are served. Journeying as
disciples together has been both
powerful and life-changing, and we’re
looking forward to all that God is going
to continue to do!
5. Continue until you
have reached the
other end.
6. Remove the wool
from the end and
tie the wool ends
together two by two.
Messy
Craft!
Talk about how each sash is different.
There are imperfections, but each one
is a work of beauty and reflects the
creator, just like each of us! What
makes you the unique person you are?
Andrew Holmes introduces his
work in the US
SAMPLE – PUBLISHING MAY 2013
Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)
Messy Church has provoked great
excitement among many churches
around Australia. As people have
experienced the joys of all-age creativity,
sharing and worship, and have moved
away from a programme-driven model
of relating to families to a relational
ministry one, they have seen God
doing a new thing.
There are now more than a hundred
Messy Churches registered in Australia,
from every state and most denominations. Many are in small towns and
some are ecumenical ventures. Some
are growing into large congregations
while some remain small. In every case
someone heard about Messy Church,
read the book, visited the website,
heard it on the grapevine or attended a
conference. They caught the excitement
and shared it with their congregation.
Congregation leaders realised the
possibilities and decided to try
something new.
Not all churches have moved past the
stage of thinking about Messy Church
and considering what would be
involved in starting one. Accepting
the challenge of doing things in
6
Our Messy Church, Messy St Matt’s,
started out of the messiness of
Christchurch post-earthquake. With all
our midweek children’s and families’
programmes on hold because of unsafe
buildings, we asked God for new ways
to connect with our community. One
year ago, with a small, enthusiastic
team, lots of prayer, a great relationship
with our local school, one small parish
lounge and a portaloo, we began.
It’s all very messy. In warm weather
we’re happily able to spread outside.
When it’s cold or rainy we have our
floor plan of craft tables, chairs, serving
tables—and more—down to a science.
Everything happens in one small space.
For our community, it’s been a huge
blessing to be able to come together,
worship together and build relationships in a fun and non-threatening way.
With about 40 people coming to Messy
Church, almost everyone who arrives
steps up and becomes part of the
‘team’, helping in some way.
Having all ages worshipping, learning,
crafting, eating and laughing together
is amazing. We can see God at work in
our Messy community as people of all
As one who has been involved with
Messy Church for a number of years
now, I, like so many others, have been
able to witness some of the amazing
ways in which this new way of being
church has touched the lives of people
and, by the power of the Spirit,
transformed them.
The concept of ‘Fresh Expressions’,
as it is understood in the UK, is only
in its infancy here in the US. The first
National Fresh Expressions conference
was held in 2012 in Alexandria,
Virginia. Two of the three keynote
speakers were from the UK, and I was
invited to deliver two workshops on
Messy Church to delegates looking to
explore new ways of reaching out to
families in their neighbourhoods.
Working with churches here has been
fun as together we ‘translate’ the Messy
Church books—for example, try to
explain what cotton reels are, or some
of the recipes! With only a handful of
Messy Church congregations in the
whole of the US, it is my prayer that, as
with other parts of the world, America
would embrace Messy Church.
7
New
beginnings
Children’s worker Michelle Ratcliff explains how
M
y appointment as the new children’s worker meant
new things for our church, New Life Community
Church, Gillingham, and one of these was our
first Easter Messy Church of 2012. Messy Church hadn’t
happened at NLCC for a while, but when I became the
children’s worker, one of my visions was for Messy Church to
start up again. I used to just help out, but this time it was my
job to organise it, advertise it and actually do it!
My first thought was… where do I begin? It seems such a
daunting task at first; you’re not sure how to go about it. But
I asked my team of Sunday school helpers if they were free on
Saturday 24 March for our Messy Church, and most agreed,
so I looked into hiring our school (where we have our Sunday
meetings); the hall was free and ready to use. God had it
planned already!
I then turned to the first Messy Church book, Messy Church:
Fresh ideas for building a Christ-centred community, for ideas
on Easter. There were so many craft and cooking ideas that I
began to feel more confident that God really wanted this to
happen, so I used it to build a structured afternoon of messy
fun. But it wouldn’t be a Messy Church without families!
The next step was to advertise. I made flyers with the Messy
Church logo, and posted them to the schools, as I go there
often with my work. I also gave them out at kids’ clubs and
churches.
With so many flyers going out, I really expected that Messy
Church was going to be filled with families who wanted to
learn about Jesus and what he has done for us. We constantly
prayed for families to come and that we would get replies,
as it was approaching the date and I had received only seven
positive responses. But we didn’t worry, as God has it in his
hands and whoever comes to Messy Church is who God
wants to be there.
The afternoon arrived and my team set up the music, food
and craft tables, with everything ready to go. Seven families
turned up, but I didn’t feel disappointed about the lack of
numbers, because I had prayed for families to come along and
spend time with God, and that is exactly what God had given
me!
My first Easter Messy Church was a success. The families
loved it, they shared food and discussed God, and I even got
a handmade thank you card from one of the little girls. God
ngham
she relaunched Messy Church at her church in Gilli
was really working throughout the day; you could sense his
presence among the families with the discussions that were
occurring.
It made me learn that it isn’t about how many families
you have, but about knowing that these families are learning
more about God. It’s about us planting a seed, then watching
that plant spread and grow among others. We have a second
Messy Church planned for the autumn, and I can’t wait to see
what God has got in store!
Reflections
on the Messy Church value of
M
Hospitality
essy Church offers an
abundance of hospitality to
its community. From the very
first warm welcome at the door until
the farewell at the end, Messy Church
excels in a non-threatening Christian
Messy mission of love.
Jesus ate with lots of people: sometimes with friends such as Mary and
Martha, but more often with outcasts
and sinners. He was often criticised for it.
As the saying goes, ‘You can tell a man by
the company he keeps.’ Well, Jesus was a
friend of sinners his whole life.
Opening your Messy Church door
wide with welcoming arms in his
name shows your community that you
are interested in them. Over a meal
together you can have conversations
about your lives and families. Eating
together builds community even within
your Messy team. Planning meetings
can involve food. Creativity often flows
better with prayer and pastries!
In the Bible, the story of the feeding
of the five thousand (Luke 9:10–17)
is a wonderful example of hospitality
with all ages. Everyone is provided for
in abundance. You may feel that it is
a miracle that your Messy Church can
feed fifty at a time! Jesus blessed the
food and reminds us how to share and
care with his love, as he has so much
love to share now and always.
In Romans 12:13 we are commanded
to practise hospitality to those in need.
God’s generosity can be expressed by
providing the community with food,
maybe sandwiches, or a hot pie, or
pasta and crusty bread. It doesn’t
matter what is prepared and cooked,
but it is important that we do it with
hearts of love and generosity.
Reviewing your hospitality at Messy
Church is an interesting exercise. You
may want to list your opportunities for
showing hospitality: welcoming, roving
chatterers, mealtime, farewell time.
Consider a double welcome, when after
registration another welcomer chats
with families, maybe overseeing a
welcome table in another space.
Consider the opportunities at mealtime
when all ages are sitting and eating
together. Engage them in birthday
celebrations with party bags of goodies,
prayer times, questionnaire times, news
or ‘show and tell’ times. Some Messy
Churches offer a ‘chill out’ time with
refreshments as people first arrive.
I remember viewing an online Messy
Church invitation somewhere in the UK
that listed their hospitality values like
this: Open House, Open Arms, Open
Hands. May God bless each Messy
Church with his abundance of love.
Jane Leadbetter, a member of BRF’s Messy
Church team
T
he welcoming of people is, to
me, the single most important
thing in life. Get it right and you
could make a new best friend—get it
wrong and you could have thrown a
million opportunities down the drain.
Our Messy Church welcomes people
in its own way. I don’t know how other
churches do it. It starts by families
walking through the door and being
instantly greeted by the ‘welcomer’,
who shows them to a seat inside the
church. Sometimes they will be given
a prop to aid with the service. Then, if
there are any new faces, the welcomer
takes their contact details so that we
can let them know about future Messy
Churches.
The welcomer greets each age group
in a different way:
• Adults either get a handshake or a
short conversation.
• Teens tend to get a short conversation.
• Children get a ruffle on the head or a
short hello, depending on age.
The welcome, like everything else in
life, can be made better. The welcomer
could give out biscuits, squash and tea,
or be in charge of advertising. If they
wear badges people will know who they
are and be less scared to approach them.
Young people at our Messy Church
are made to feel welcome by being sat
with people of a similar age. This makes
them feel more comfortable and less
awkward. It could also enable them to
make new friends, which means they
will be more likely to return.
The five key points for a good Messy
Church welcome are:
• Always greet with a smile.
• Never turn anyone away.
• Know what you’re talking about,
don’t just blag it.
• Make sure the ‘welcomee’ is introduced to someone else—they won’t
want just one friend in the church.
• Greet everyone
with the same
warm welcome.
So, to finish off, a
good Messy Church
welcome should
make the ‘welcomee’
feel loved in a place
of strangers—a
weird and wonderful
experience to have!
Mark Boyer (aged 14), Cornwell
Community Church, Tilehurst, Reading
SAMPLE – PUBLISHING MAY 2013
10
Warm welcomes
• Visit another Messy Church:
take particular notice of what
you like/don’t like about the
welcome you get.
• Invite children to be part of
the welcoming team and train
them to greet people.
• Make it a team priority to have
everybody ready to chat to
people as they come in.
• Think about having slices of
fruit as a snack to cut back on
the sugar and fat in biscuits.
• Have name stickers/badges
for the team as well as for the
congregation.
11
s
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Use these reflections to think about the month’s story or passage for your own
pleasure as well as to help you talk about it at Messy Church.
May: Invisible God
The Son is the image of the invisible
God, the firstborn over all creation.
Colossians 1:15 (NIV)
Sometimes it’s easier to talk about
Jesus, or God the Father, than to help
our Messy Church children and families
understand about the person and work
of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit isn’t
an ‘It’ or a force, but a person: God
at work in the world God has created,
especially in the lives of human beings.
Jesus is ‘the image of the invisible
God’, and has shown us what God is
like. He promised that when he was
no longer physically present, we would
not be alone, but that the Holy Spirit
would come to continue that work of
making God known to us, and to the
world. As we affirm in a short version of
the Creed: ‘I believe in the Holy Spirit,
who gives life to the people of God, and
makes Christ known in the world.’
In Ezekiel’s vision of the Valley of
Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37) it is the breath
or wind of God, the Holy Spirit, who
breathes life into death. Like the wind,
we may not be able to see the Holy Spirit,
but the Spirit is at work, in our lives,
and in the world around us, bringing
vitality and spiritual power. Sometimes
the presence of the Spirit is like a mighty
rushing wind, filling, refreshing, renewing. Sometimes the Spirit’s work is more
like a gentle breeze, making Jesus more
real to us, giving a deeper sense of the
love of God the Father.
Over time we see fruit growing and
developing, the outworking of God’s
life in us—love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness
and self-control—small at first, but
growing little by little. We can’t put
God the Holy Spirit in a box, but
God graciously comes to us, creating
in us that beautiful inner music of
God’s presence, and we learn to dance
in step.
Eleanor Williams
She became a missionary in India and
devoted her life to rescuing and caring
for children. It has been said that in
many ways she was an unlikely candidate for missionary work, as she spent
many weeks at a time in bed due to ill
health. Throughout the Bible, God has
called people whom we might describe
as the most unlikely candidates to bring
about his kingdom, but they were all
part of his plan.
God spoke to Amy through a child
when she herself was a child. It was
then that she gave her promise to God
to help children in need. It wasn’t until
many years later that she realised that
God had answered her prayer, only
not in the way that she had expected.
He had given her brown eyes so that
she would not look different from the
children she was rescuing.
God loves you just the way you are
and has a plan for your life. I wonder
how God might be using you now as
you minister to children and families.
I wonder who the most unlikely
candidates are in your Messy Church.
I wonder if you’ve prayed and thought
that God hadn’t answered your prayer.
Lord, thank you that you made me
and have a plan for my life. Thank
you that you hear my prayers and you
answer them, but sometimes not in the
way that I might expect. May your grace
be sufficient for me and your power be
made perfect in my weakness. Amen
Kim Gabbatiss
July: Calming the storm
August: Zacchaeus
Then he got into the boat and his
disciples followed him. Suddenly a
furious storm came up on the lake, so
that the waves swept over the boat.
But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples
went and woke him, saying, ‘Lord,
save us! We’re going to drown!’ He
replied, ‘You of little faith, why are
you so afraid?’ Then he got up and
rebuked the winds and the waves, and
it was completely calm. The men were
amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man
is this? Even the winds and the waves
obey him!’
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing
through. A man was there by the
name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax
collector and was wealthy. He wanted
to see who Jesus was, but because he
was short he could not see over the
crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a
sycamore-fig tree to see him, since
Jesus was coming that way. When
Jesus reached the spot, he looked up
and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come
down immediately. I must stay at
your house today.’ So he came down
at once and welcomed him gladly.
All the people saw this and began to
mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of
a sinner.’ But Zacchaeus stood up and
said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here
and now I give half of my possessions
to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back
four times the amount.’ Jesus said to
him, ‘Today salvation has come to this
house, because this man, too, is a son
of Abraham. For the Son of Man came
to seek and to save the lost.’
Matthew 8:23–27 (NIV)
Today we are faced with the pressures of
modern living, stress in the workplace,
the breakdown of family life, a growing
insularity and self-absorption, alienation
and disaffection of the young and the
old. Opening a newspaper or switching
on the news, we are bombarded with a
catalogue of worrying and frightening
events from all over the world, over
which we have no control.
Jesus was well into his mission of
preaching, teaching and healing. His
words and miracles had caused a
sensation. He was a star, but this
passage starts with ‘I’m a Celebrity,
Get Me Out of Here’. Jesus was in great
demand. He was followed wherever he
went, and even after he had spoken to
huge crowds and performed wonderful
miracles the people wanted more.
Jesus is so exasperated by the constant
attention that he says, ‘Foxes have holes
and birds of the air have nests, but
the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his
head’ (Matthew 8:20). He escapes
onto a boat on the lake and falls into an
exhausted sleep, but it doesn’t last long.
The storm blows up out of nowhere:
the disciples panic and wake him. Jesus
rebukes his disciples: ‘You of little faith,
why are you so afraid?’ Then he gets up
and rebukes the wind and waves, and it
becomes ‘completely calm’.
Reading this passage, I feel Jesus
gently rebuking me: ‘Why are you
worrying? Why are you so anxious?
Where is your faith? Lie back, take it
easy with me on the cushions in the
stern of the boat, let the storm blow
itself out, you are safe at my side, I am
here, be still and know that I am God.’
John Rowlandson
choices that the ‘church’ wouldn’t
approve of. How wonderful would it be
if in years to come you could pick out
people who were ‘unlikelies’ who came
to know Jesus through the friendship
and love shown to them through Messy
Church?
This is a powerful story that can help
people on a journey to understanding
that Jesus loves them, no matter what
they’ve done in the past. It can serve
as a reminder to us too. How did Jesus
find you? Were you living a perfect life
or were you ‘up a tree’? Did he give you
an invitation you just couldn’t refuse?
Who will you make sure gets to hear
that invitation for themselves?
Sharon Lakin
Luke 19:1–10 (NIV)
SAMPLE – PUBLISHING MAY 2013
14
June: Amy Carmichael
But he said to me, ‘My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is
made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore
I will boast all the more gladly about
my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power
may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
I wonder if you have ever wanted to
change something about yourself or
your appearance. Amy Carmichael was
the oldest of seven children. She was
born with brown eyes and desperately
wanted blue eyes. She used to pray to
God that she would wake up with blue
eyes. It seemed to her that God was not
answering her prayer.
The Bible tells us that God made
each one of us (Genesis 1:27) and has
a purpose for our lives. Even from a
very young age, Amy trusted God and
believed that he had a plan for her life.
Why did Zacchaeus become a tax
collector? A strange question maybe,
but was it because he wanted power
and control? As a small man, it may be
that he felt inferior, and was boosting
himself by becoming more successful
than others. Acquiring great wealth,
even if by dishonest means, is perhaps
a sign of his desire to become a man
to be metaphorically looked up to and
respected.
Unfortunately, in his efforts to
meet his own needs, Zacchaeus only
alienated his fellow men. In trying to
become a significant man, he became
a hated man. In picking him out for
special favour, Jesus addressed his basic
needs—for acceptance and friendship.
Some of the Jews were, of course, upset
by this.
It’s easy for us, too, to ‘mutter’
disapprovingly when certain people
come to Jesus. Jesus can meet anyone,
any time, anywhere. It’s our job to
share the good news of Jesus with
everyone, even those with a bad
reputation, low status or just ‘unlikely’.
Messy Church often presents us with
people who just don’t know that much
about Jesus or maybe have made life
15
Session material
How does this session help people
grow in Christ?
Amy Carmichael believed from a
young age that God had called her,
and she gave her life to helping those
who could not help themselves. She
rescued children from being sold as
temple prostitutes, and set up an
orphanage and a school at Dohnavur,
in Tamil Nadu, South India. Her story
of dedication and service has inspired
many. But she was physically weak,
and not an obvious choice for such a
life of service. And yet God used her as
she was. Her story can be an encouragement to the kind of faith that looks
beyond the circumstances we find
ourselves in, and believes that God is
able to use us to accomplish amazing
things. Because Amy Carmichael’s story
may not be familiar, it may be better to
have the story first, before the crafts. Or
you could print off sections of her life
story and place them around the Messy
Church area, beginning with a map, so
parents and children can read the story
as they go round. For more background
information there are a number of
articles on the internet. If you don’t
already have links with charities working in India you may want to research
organisations working with children in
need, or communities rebuilding after
natural disasters.
Activities
June
Amy Carmicha
el
by Eleanor W
illiams
1. Sari dressing-up
You will need: sari fabric, or long lengths of thin fabric; photos of
women in saris. If any Messy Church members have their own saris,
it would be worth letting them know in advance so that they can
bring them in on the day
Try dressing in a sari—show photos and demonstrate how, then let everyone
have a go!
Talk about how Amy spent most of her life living in India, dressed in Indian
clothes, because she believed God wanted her there, so that she could help
people.
2. Flower prayers
Amy Carmichael
4. Bangles
You will need: clean empty plastic bottles cut into
bangle-width rings (stick masking tape over any
sharp edges); strips of coloured tissue paper;
PVA glue
Find a plastic ring that fits over your wrist. Cover with
strips of tissue paper.
Talk about life in India, the different clothes, jewellery
and food.
5. Junk model elephant
You will need: boxes, tubes and other junk bits
and pieces; different types of glue and sticky tape
suitable for different materials; grey paint
7. What do you see?
You will need: mirrors with Bible verses stuck to
them, e.g. Psalm 139:13–15; Jeremiah 1:5;
Jeremiah 29:11; Ephesians 2:10
Set up the mirrors in a quiet area if possible, a little way
apart. Encourage children and adults to move around
and look in the different mirrors, as someone else reads
the verses.
Talk about how God has made each of us and how we
are all created in ‘a wonderful way’ (Psalm 139:14, CEV).
God has a plan for our lives. How do we find out what
God wants us to do?
8. Bird bath
You will need: terracotta plant pots and saucers—
perhaps one per family; strong glue; emulsion or
acrylic paint; sponges
SAMPLE – PUBLISHING MAY 2013
Bible references
Jeremiah 29:11; Matthew 28:18–20;
2 Corinthians 12:9
Messy team theme
• What challenges us about Amy’s life?
• How can we help adults and children
connect with the story?
• What are the messages we would like
people to go away with?
22
You will need: sugar paper; wide shallow bowl of water
Cut the paper into simple flower shapes with five or six petals. Then fold the
petals in. Place in the water with folded petals uppermost. As the paper gets
wet the petals will unfold.
Variation: write a prayer in the centre of the flower.
Talk about how Amy said that sometimes prayer is talking to God, but
sometimes we need to listen to God first, so that we know what to pray. As
the paper flower opens, think about listening to God.
3. Postcards to sponsored children (or to any linked mission partners)
You will need: blank cards A6 size; pens and crayons; details of
sponsored children (if your church doesn’t already sponsor a child,
perhaps this is a good time to think about starting!)
Draw a picture on one side of the card, and write a message to say hello and
say something about yourself on the other side.
Talk about how different life is for your sponsored child, and how we can
give them a special surprise gift with these cards. What might they feel like
when they receive lots of beautiful cards? Talk about how Amy said, ‘You can
give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.’
Reprinted with permission from Get Messy! May–Aug 2013, published by BRF.
This is a challenge to construct an elephant—use your
imagination!
Talk about how Amy must have been very surprised
when she got to India, to see how different everything
was, with animals like elephants, but how she believed
God wanted her to live there.
6. Icing fruit
You will need: white fondant icing; food colouring
in different colours; fine paint brushes suitable for
food; pictures of exotic fruit
Mould the icing into fruit shapes and paint them with
food colouring.
Talk about people who go to work in different countries,
and how they have to get used to eating different foods!
Glue a saucer, facing upwards, on top of an upside-down
plant pot. Sponge on emulsion paint.
Talk about how Amy didn’t want people to spend a lot
of money and make a fuss about her after she died,
because she believed the most important thing was
helping children in need. But the bird bath was a lovely
way to remember her.
9. Big group collage
You will need: different kinds of pulses (not red
kidney beans as these are poisonous raw); large
sheet of card with an Indian design on it; PVA glue;
words printed on a card from one of the Bible
verses, e.g. Jeremiah 29:11 or 2 Corinthians 12:9
Spread glue over the whole design and then, using the
different pulses, fill in sections of the design, encouraging
as many people as possible to take part. When finished
add the Bible verse. (Make sure the children know not to
eat the dried pulses.)
Talk about how sometimes we can do more when we
work together, and how God gives us what we need.
Reprinted with permission from Get Messy! May–Aug 2013, published by BRF.
23
Amy Carmichael
10. What’s special about me
You will need: paper or card with Psalm 139:13–15
printed on it; drawing materials
Draw a self-portrait and write on it something about
yourself—things you like doing, things you’re good at.
Ask the people you’ve come with for suggestions.
Talk about how God has made each of us, and has a
plan for each of our lives.
Celebration
(Show a map or globe of the world.) Does anyone know
where Northern Ireland is? (Point to map.) Does anyone
know where India is? (Point to India on the map.) Does
anyone know where Tamil Nadu is? (Point to the tip of
India.)
Amy Carmichael was from Northern Ireland, but she
spent almost all her life in India, looking after children
who needed help—she worked there for 56 years without
going back home for a holiday! That’s a very, very, long
time, isn’t it? Let’s find out a bit more about her.
Amy was the oldest in her family, and had six brothers
and sisters. When she was very little, Amy didn’t like her
brown eyes, and she prayed for God to make them blue.
The next morning she rushed to the mirror, but they
were still brown. She was so disappointed. But one day,
she realised why God had said no that day.
There were other things that happened when Amy
was little, that helped her know what God wanted her
to do with her life. Once, before her father died, she had
travelled to a big city with her mother. They stopped at a
tea room for lunch. While they were eating, Amy noticed
a little girl outside. Her face was dirty and her hair was
straggly as she pressed her nose against the window. Her
sad eyes looked right into Amy’s.
Amy could never forget the poor little girl. So when she
was back home again, she wrote her a special promise.
She gave it to God, since she couldn’t deliver it to the
poor child.
When I grow up and have money,
I know what I will do,
I’ll build a great big lovely place
For little girls like you.
Amy believed that God wanted her to show his love
to others, to help people and tell them about Jesus.
She wasn’t very big or strong, and she was ill a lot
Session material
of the time. But she trusted God. And God did some
amazing things!
When she was 28 she arrived in India. One day a little
girl came to Amy and asked her to keep her safe, and
Amy did. From then on, Amy spent her time rescuing
children from danger, and looking after them. Sometimes, so that she could rescue the children, Amy would
disguise herself and make herself look as much like her
Indian friends as she could. She would dress in clothes
like theirs, and make her skin look darker by rubbing
coffee in it, so that she didn’t look different to them. And
it was only then that she realised why God had given her
brown eyes, not blue! Throughout her life Amy learned a
lot about praying, how sometimes we need to listen
to God first, so that we know what to pray for and ask
God for.
Amy said, ‘You can give without loving, but you cannot
love without giving.’ She was often ill, and weak, but she
loved God, and loved people, and she went on and on
giving throughout her life. Amy didn’t get married and
didn’t have her own children, but by the end of her life
she had cared for over 1,000 children, who called her
‘Amma’, which means ‘Mum’.
When Amy died, she didn’t want people to spend
money on a big stone marking her grave. So instead the
children put a simple bird bath there, with the word
‘Amma’.
How does this session help people
grow in Christ?
It’s very easy to question whether Jesus
cares about us, particularly when the
going gets tough. Jesus is always with
us, even when it doesn’t feel like it. He
can take control of any situation, he has
so much power and at times we have so
little faith. Although only a few verses
long, this story can teach us a great deal
about having faith and handing over
our problems to Jesus.
Bible reference
July
Calming the s
Activities
torm
by Sharon L a
kin
1. Storm in a teacup
You will need: paper cups and saucers; paints and brushes; pens
Paint the words ‘Peace, be still’ onto the saucer. Paint a picture of a storm on
the outside of your cup.
Talk about bad things that have happened in your life. How did you deal
with them? Have you ever asked Jesus to help you through these ‘storms’?
Matthew 8:23–27
Messy team theme
• Have there been times in your life
when you have had little faith?
• How do you explain to nonChristians that having faith in Jesus
can be helpful in tough times?
• How can you share the idea that
Jesus is with us during our storms,
even when it doesn’t feel like he’s
doing much?
2. Marbled boats
You will need: boat shapes cut out of card; marbling inks; water;
tray; metal teaspoon
SAMPLE – PUBLISHING MAY 2013
24
Reprinted with permission from Get Messy! May–Aug 2013, published by BRF.
Prayer
Select three colours and gently mix them into the water in the tray with the
spoon. Place your boat face down onto the surface of the water. Carefully
remove and set aside to dry.
Talk about what makes you feel mixed up. What makes you feel calm and
peaceful?
Dear Lord, thank you for Amy Carmichael. Thank you
that you used her to help hundreds of children, and to
tell them about how much you loved them. Help us
to see who you want us to love, and how you want us to
give. Help us to tell people about you. Amen
3. Rain sticks
Song suggestions
Use the double-sided tape and coloured paper to cover your tube. Cut out
two circles of paper larger than the ends of the tube. Secure one circle to one
end of your tube with electrical tape. Ensure there are no gaps and criss-cross
the tape over the end of the tube to make sure the paper doesn’t burst open.
Fill the tube two-thirds full with polystyrene chips and then put three or four
spoonfuls of lentils and rice into the tube (take care that younger children
don’t try to eat them!). Cover the open end of the tube with a paper circle
and electrical tape. Decorate with stickers.
‘God’s people aren’t super-brave superheroes’,
John Hardwick
‘Help me be your eyes, Lord Jesus’, Doug Horley
‘Make a difference’, Fischy Music
Meal suggestion
Lentil curry and rice, with pitta bread or naan. Fresh
fruit—the more exotic the better—cut into small, easyto-eat pieces.
You will need: kitchen roll tubes; polystyrene chips (parcel packaging);
dried rice and lentils; spoons; coloured paper; scissors; double-sided
sticky tape; stickers; coloured electrical tape
Talk about the disciples being scared of the storm. What makes you feel
scared?
Reprinted with permission from Get Messy! May–Aug 2013, published by BRF.
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