Does anyone else feel like March showed up overnight?
Right now, my local Messy Church team’s energy is fully focused on Messy Easter. It’s consistently our biggest Messy Church of the season—which means more activities, more volunteers, and yes… more mess.
When we expect a crowd at Easter, hospitality has to be more than an afterthought. Are we ready to greet everyone who walks through the door? Are our activities truly accessible and welcoming? If this is someone’s one experience of church this year, are we prepared to share the love of Jesus in ways they can genuinely receive?
With that in mind, I’m excited to share two new resources to help you make your Messy Easter welcoming for everyone. In the supplemental materials for both the Easter Surprise session and the Messy Easter Around the World session, you’ll find practical guidance and expert tips to help your team fully embody our core value of hospitality.
These resources were created especially for us by Elizabeth Christie, a leader in children’s and family ministry for more than two decades. She has served in a wide range of ministry contexts, speaks regularly at gatherings and webinars, and is deeply committed to creating ministries that include all of God’s children. Elizabeth currently serves as Canon for Early Christian Formation at The Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and works as a children’s and family ministry consultant with Practical Resources for Churches.
That’s her official bio. If you ask Elizabeth directly, she’ll tell you: Elizabeth Christie has been the pebble in the shoe of the church for over 25 years. Good luck with her.
We’re grateful for her voice and her wisdom!
The Messy Church USA team wishes you many Messy blessings as you prepare to celebrate Easter!