MESSY CHURCH USA
CELEBRATE 2020

December 1^st, Part I

Roberta J. Egli

What are you experiencing as we enter this final month of 2020?  Relief? Exhaustion? Anticipation? Grief? Gratitude? Fear of what 2021 will bring? Perhaps it is a combination of many different emotions. As a nonprofit organization, Messy Church USA is reflecting back and looking forward as we seek to fulfill our mission to equip Messy Churches in the USA to start, sustain and connect.  Throughout the month of December, we will CELEBRATE that even in the midst of the uncertainty of a global pandemic, we have experienced many good things! We CELEBRATE that we have experienced God’s movement in and through our work this past year and we place our trust in God as we move beyond 2020 into 2021.  The first thing we CELEBRATE is the starting of Messy Churches in 2020.

Celebrate 2020: Starting Messy Churches

• Before COVID became our reality, we gathered 22 churches, and 58 people at two in-person Getting Started trainings in South and North Carolina
• We adapted our training to a team approach Getting Started On-line to equip 39 churches and 68 individuals in three separate trainings
• We give thanks that in the midst of a pandemic, there have been 27 new Messy Churches that became members of the Messy Church USA Network in 2020. These new churches and the 57 churches that renewed their yearly membership in 2020 help us stay connected with one another. Our current network consists of 179 active USA Messy Churches in our three different levels of membership.

Look for further CELEBRATIONS throughout December as we say goodbye to 2020 and look forward to 2021.  In the coming weeks we will CELEBRATE Sustaining and Connecting Messy Churches. 

We are counting down until December 13^th when our CELEBRATE 12 Days ‘Till Christmas social media campaign begins.  During the 12 Days till Christmas you will receive a Messy Reflection, a Messy Activity or a Messy Story to share each day via our social media posts. We celebrate that Messy Church is making a difference in many lives even in the midst of a pandemic.  As you consider your Christmas gifts this year, we ask you to consider giving a tax deductible gift to Messy Church USA. Your donation will give us the resources we need to share the love of Christ through Messy Church today and in the years to come. Thank you for your support!