messychurch wythenshawe

Relaunch of messychurch wythenshawe attracted over 200 people in Woodhouse Park!

2011-07-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

Our recent Alice in Wonderland & Jesus themed messychurch family fun day was the relaunch for us in June and it was a fab event celebrating with lots of different kinds of families and partnering with Campaign to Save Sure Start and The Dandelion Food Community on the day, supported by Sustain offering a fresh fruit and veg stall, local free range eggs and homemade jam, painting, cafe, badgemaking, mad hatters tea party, outside giant bouncy castle and sandpit, soft play area for babies and an indoor chillout healing garden which was our biggest success. Lots of lovely feedback has meant we have kept it in the building but moved it somewhere else.
Next big event is SAT 6th AUGUST 1-4PM Superheroes family fun day - come dressed up as your favourit superhero and share about some of messychurches superheroes. No worries if you dont have fancy dress - you can make some on the day - there will also be painting, other messyplay, bouncy castle (if good weather), The Dandelion Food Community fresh fruit & veg stall with yummies to buy, SureStart campaign and activity table and more!

Teddy Bears Picnic!

2010-07-17T14:13:00.000-07:00

Saturday 24th July 10am-12noon at
St. Marks United Reformed Church, Oatlands Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester M22 6AH
Come along with friends, family & teddy to play and eat (50p per plate!) and fundraise for kid & families in Zambia.
There will be stalls, crafts and bouncy castle as well as refreshments to buy!
all for Manchester Aid for Children http://www.manchesteraidforchildren.org to help build a childrens village in northern Zambia, Africa

We look forward to welcoming you to messychurch in 2010!

2010-04-24T13:07:00.001-07:00

Come and experiment, meet people, pray, eat and play. Bring family and friends. Be together as messychurch. Messychurch welcomes YOU! 2010 is our year of peace at messychurch and St. Marks United Reformed Church.

Zambian children & families helped!

2009-10-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

Just to say thankyou - over £35 was raised for vulnerable Zambian children of Chingola village at the picnic. Some of you may not have had that news so wanted to share it here.
It will mean that several families can be supported with the staple food of maize meal for a month which is great. Two volunteers from Manchester, Lisa & Dave, have recently spent 6 weeks in total out with partners in Chingola planning the housing for their childrens village supported by Manchester Aid for Children so there will be more news soon...

Also, our messychurch review has now begun. A group of us met early October and over the next couple of gatherings at messychurch wythenshawe we'll be listening, planning, suggesting new things together to begin in January 2010. All children, young people and adults are part of this review and it's been great to hear what is loved and what ideas you have to share about changes that can be made - like having a short intro circle at the start of messychurch gatherings where we can introduce the theme for that month, that our meditation time is loved as all ages relax and get used to it month by month, that children are also becoming helpers as they bring their friends, and that more interactive storytimes like godly play & using our storybox would be fab! Another idea is to meet up again during the month to watch a family film or go to the park together or do something else together as a group. These and all the other ideas and suggestions will be shared and talked about until December & changes started in January for the new year. Keep them coming!

As usual we continue to welcome new faces each month as we aim to grow and build real relationships with 50 families over 5 years. We're almost at the end of year 2 and the messychurch relationships and networks are growing between adults & children month by month and in-between our gatherings.

It's also been really encouraging that 5 other churches in the North West of different types and flavours have been to visit messychurch wythenshawe in the last year and all decided to start them in their areas outside wythenshawe - adapting to what is appropriate in those areas like after school times during the week or Sunday morning alternatives. Good news spreads!

Coming up at messychurch!

2009-09-24T03:55:00.000-07:00

Sat. 26th Sept: messychurch Harvest 10am-12noon - please bring dried or tinned food to give away to families in Manchester who are destitute. Clare & Tim will be our guests leading Godly Play with us too this month - something new for us to try out together.
We've planned a range of fun play & activities in a relaxed atmosphere for differing ages to share in together.
Also coming up on Sat 3rd Oct 10am-12noon is our first messychurch review when we're providing childcare (if booked in advance through any of the messychurch helpers) to look back and look ahead together, share ideas for activities and play and support each other more. Children and adults of all ages are welcome but if you want childcare for smaller children it MUST be booked - let us know on Sat 26th Sept at messychurch or via phone or email which is on the messychurch flyers you get monthly.

Look forward to planning and playing together to make messychurch even better!!

Breadmaking day was tasty!

2009-09-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

Ruth Dillon came to make bread and share some breadmaking stories with us recently. Some from messychurch came along to share in recipes and stories and prayers together around the table.

Afterwards we found we'd baked over 25 loaves and over 40 rolls to give away and share with others as well as having enough for lunch!

Thanks to all 14 people who came and took part from around Wythenshawe and Manchester!

We look forward to more breadmaking days in 2010!

If you'd like to share in our next messychurch it is Sat. 10am-12noon 26th September at St. Marks United Reformed Church and our theme is Harvest with Godly Play. We'll have some guests with us from East Manchester leading Godly Play storytelling and there will be harvest activities for us to join in with!

Hope to see you there!

Decorating the community garden with messyplay plaques!

2009-08-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

August messychurch began to decorate St. Marks Church community garden shared with Wythenshawe Community Initiative (a family centre) with lots of colourful messy play wooden plaques. Around 50 of them were painted at the recent national Playday at Wythenshawe Community Initiative attended by over 500 children and their families!

We also decorated t-shirts for International Peace Day on 21st September next month and welcomed 3 new people amongst about 15 regular familiar faces! It was good to meet Mark, Sue and Dwain with their friends and families!

Next month is an eco theme with Harvest and Godly Play storytelling with Tim and Clare from East Manchester. If you are able to bring tinned or dried food with you next month we will be giving it away to people in Manchester who need it as part of sharing Harvest time.

Come to the Annual Teddy Bears Picnic Sat 25th July at messychurch wythenshawe!

2009-07-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

Saturday. 25th July 10am-12noon is our annual Teddy Bears Picnic at messychurch wythenshawe! This year is also a fundraiser for children & families in Zambia. For £2 adults & 50p kids you'll get your picnic plate & drink & activities! There will be a couple of stalls of selling items for your pocket money & we have booked sunshine for the day!

Bring your teddy & friends along to enjoy the day & meet others!

We're gathering at St. Marks United Reformed Church, Oatlands Road, Woodhouse Park M22 6AH where The Tree of Life Centre is also based. All children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.

Welcome to messychurch wythenshawe!

2009-06-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

messychurch is:
A monthly gathering for people who like making things, eating food & playing together!
A community of ordinary people with messy lives who live in hope!
An activities-based church for children, their friends & families of all ages in Wythenshawe!
Gatherings are 10am-12noon
On 4th Saturday monthly
Venue: St. Mark’s
United Reformed Church,
Oatlands Road
Woodhouse Park M22 1AH

Why messychurch?!

messychurch because life is messy! messychurch is about people who want to be real together, build community and make the world a better place!

One size doesn't fit all so one style of church doesn't suit all people.

messychurch is for people who don't really do church, aren't religious, but who want to connect with God and to make room for others to do that too and to make a difference. Come and see!