Rev. Roberta J. Egli
Stepping into Retirement
There are moments when words feel both deeply inadequate and completely necessary. This is one of those moments. As I step into final retirement from Messy Church USA, my heart is overflowing with gratitude, wonder, and trust in what God will continue to do through this beautiful movement.
From the very beginning of a single small church in England, Messy Church has been a way of seeing church through the eyes of grace, creativity, hospitality, and intergenerational joy that has spread throughout the world. It has been a reminder that faith is formed not only through words, but through play, storytelling, shared meals, and relationships that welcome everyone exactly as they are. Becoming the founding Executive Director of Messy Church USA has brought many joyful international and national connections who have enriched my life these past eight years.
Words fail to express the amount of gratitude I have for the many colleagues, board members, ambassadors and local Messy Church leaders from all over the country. Trusting the Spirit of God to grow a network of leaders who embraced the mission to equip Messy Churches to start, sustain and connect in the USA has been amazing to experience. Collaboratively working together as we invested our prayer, time, creativity and resources to expand and grow the organization has been extremely fulfilling. Together, we discovered that the ancient story of God’s love can be shared in fresh, playful, meaningful and messy ways.
I also give thanks for the countless local church leaders, volunteers, pastors, parents, grandparents, and children who have shaped Messy Church communities across the country by taking a risk in starting something new. You are the ones who set up tables, prepare activities, tell Bible stories with imagination, wash dishes, listen deeply, and make room for holy moments that often arrive unexpectedly. You are the living testimony that church can be joyful, accessible, and deeply rooted in the love of Christ.
As I retire, I do so with confidence and hope. Messy Church USA does not belong to single person or group of leaders. It belongs to the Spirit at work in communities large and small, urban and rural, established and emerging. The movement is strong because it is carried out by people who understand that church is not something we consume, but something we create together—month by month, table by table, household by household, community by community.
(Pictured above: Lynn and Roberta Egli, December 2025. A huge thank you to Lynn, my life partner who has managed the financial/ business side of Messy Church USA since the beginning!)
Moving into retirement with deep peace
Personally, I move into retirement with a deep sense of peace. I will always carry Messy Church in my heart, cheering it on, praying for its leaders, and trusting God’s continued faithfulness. While my role is changing, my gratitude and love remain.
Thank you for walking this journey with me. Thank you for believing that church can be messy and holy at the same time. And thank you for continuing to make space for wonder, welcome, and grace.
The story of Messy Church USA is far from finished. In fact, I believe the best chapters are still being written.
With deep gratitude, love and every blessing, Roberta
A Blessing for Messy Church USA
May God continue to bless Messy Church USA with holy imagination and generous hearts.
May every table be a place of welcome, every story a doorway to grace,
and every gathering a reminder that God delights in being with us.
May leaders be sustained, volunteers be encouraged,
and families discover again and again that they belong.
And may the love of Christ guide Messy Church into its next chapters,
faithful, joyful, and beautifully messy.
Amen.