Johannah Myers, Executive Director
October is here, and spooky season has begun. But ask a Messy Church leader what gives them the spooks, and you might hear something other than ghosts and haunted houses.
- An open container of glitter.
- Brand-new carpet in the activity room and slightly scary Trustees watching your every move.
- Someone announcing, “I thought YOU were bringing dinner!”
- A snake on the loose in the church kitchen. (Actually, true story. There’s still one on the loose in our church pantry!)
- When someone asks you in May what your plans are for Christmas. (Honestly, don’t ask me right now about Advent either…just gave myself a chill of fear!)
I’m curious what’s on YOUR list of spooky?
We know a few things about facing the unexpected. We take a deep breath, gather our people, and find a way through—usually with a little laughter and something sticky on our shoes.
But some things unsettle us more deeply. A tired volunteer team. An idea that didn’t work. The question of whether our ministry is making a difference. Those moments feel beyond the silly kind of spooky and can leave us wondering what happens next.
One of the guiding Scripture passages for our 2027 national conference takes us into a scene that fits spooky season surprisingly well: Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones.
God asks Ezekiel whether these bones can live. His answer leaves room for what he cannot yet imagine. Then, as the story unfolds, bones come together, breath enters, and life emerges where hope seemed long gone.
I’ve been reflecting a lot on this passage as our team prepares to welcome Messy Church leaders from around the country in a few months. There are several “spirits” rising up from this passage for me: God’s renewing breath, the possibilities we cannot yet see, and what happens when scattered pieces come together. We’ll spend time with this story at Come Together in the Mess, April 15–17, 2027, in Greenville, South Carolina, and I hope you’ll join us there.
For now, consider this a little preview—and an invitation. Come bring your questions, your creativity, and your stories. Come learn, worship, laugh, and make room for God to renew your imagination alongside other Messy Church leaders.
Early bird registration is open through December 31!
And if glitter gives you the spooks, you’ll be among friends.