Do you have a three-year-old in your life? Are they filled with curiosity? Are they always asking ‘why’? Are they becoming more independent? Do they enjoy playing with others? According to a quick google search, those are some of the developmental characteristics of a child turning three. As a three-year-old organization, Messy Church USA has some of these same characteristics. We officially turned three on October 6th which is the date our first Board of Director’s met and signed an agreement with Messy Church BRF to be the home of Messy Church in the USA.
Stay Curious
We stepped out in faith and curiosity to begin Messy Church USA. There were six of us who had been meeting via google chats for a little over a year visioning how we could provide encouragement and support for the growth of the Messy Church movement in the USA. We were curious which led to innovation and experimentation as we set up a brand-new nonprofit organization. We continue to stay curious as we learn and adapt to a changing pandemic and post-pandemic world. As a Christ-centered organization, as we stay curious, we open ourselves to the leading of the Spirit in our organizational decisions and strategic plans.
Ask Why
We are continuing to ask ‘why’ at Messy Church USA. Sometimes it can be a difficult question to answer, such as when a young child asks, why is the sky blue? The pandemic has forced us to ask many why questions this past year which has led to changes. Rather than in-person training events, we have moved to on-line training. When Johannah Meyers, came on board as Associate Director of Messy Church earlier this year with the primary focus on regional coordinators network, she began to ask why regional coordinators? Over the next few months, we will be announcing a change in the structure of how we support local Messy Churches.
Play Well with Others
I am so excited that we have grown in numbers over the past three years and there are so many great people in Messy Church in the USA as well as the world that we can ‘play with’! I am amazed at how this network has grown with so many talented and gifted people who are passionate about sharing the Messy Church story here in the USA. We are a strong team and I am so grateful that so many new messy friends have come into my life these past three years.
I am especially grateful for the team of Robin Cannon, our social media consultant and Johannah Myers, our associate director, who work with me, with the support of so many other people to fulfill our mission to equip Messy Churches to start, sustain and connect in the USA.
Happy Birthday to us! We welcome and need any donations you might be willing to make. You can make a tax deductible donation through our website. You will receive a receipt. Thank you for your generous support over these past three years!