Logo

 

Banner Image:   Baptist-Times-banner-2000x370-
Template Mode:   Baptist Times
Icon
    Post     Tweet


Messy Discipleship by Lucy Moore 


The book asks the question ‘does messy church create an environment that is likely to sustain lifelong, intentional Jesus-centred living for all ages?’ As many of us are in the process of a post-pandemic re-think about church, many of the points raised in this book are worth considering  

 


Messy DiscipleshipMessy Discipleship - Messy Church perspectives on growing faith 
By Lucy Moore 
BRF
ISBN: 9780857469533
Reviewed by Sandra Crawford


Here we have yet another book about Messy Church – but I have no problem with that. Messy church is the fastest-growing fresh expression of church in the UK, and from the earliest days Messy Church has been serious about researching and evaluating what they are about.

This book focuses on discipleship and is a collection of academic analysis and practitioner wisdom. The book asks the question ‘does messy church create an environment that is likely to sustain lifelong intentional Jesus centred living for all ages?’. The working definition of discipleship used is ‘an intentional following and learning from Jesus that is accompanied by specific actions that embody and encourage living in a Jesus way’.

I wholeheartedly agree with Lucy Moore’s frustration that Messy Church is still not viewed as proper church and the Biblical principle of all-age church is still only valued by the few. For so many their view of a perfect service is still the nostalgic dream of sending the kids out to Sunday School while we get on with proper church. Messy Church is not an activity we do to children and families occasionally as a feeder for the Sunday congregation, but it aims to be truly relational and intergenerational, where all benefit, all are equally valued and all give and receive. 

How open are we as adults to growing, learning, and changing as a consequence of our relationships with children? Following five years of leading a Messy Church congregation, this book asks the questions I was asking, ‘if Messy Church is a congregation or church in its own right is there a challenge here for leaders to wholly commit to this and not be spread thinly across other church activities as well?’  If the team could focus just on Messy Church there would be more time for the team to disciple one another, learning and living the Biblical stories, and understanding how to communicate the story to those without any faith background.

As with many of the Messy Church books, each chapter leaves you with questions which can be considered by your team, and each book is a great resource to help you reflect, evaluate and plan. I wonder, do we ask the same questions of other areas of church life such as Sunday worship, midweek gatherings? As many of us are in the process of a post-pandemic re-think about church, many of the points raised in this book are worth considering.  
 

Sandra Crawford is a pioneer minister in Jaywick



 
Baptist Times, 02/07/2021
    Post     Tweet
Believe in Tomorrow by John Dyer
​Well written overview of scientific and biblical perspectives of the cosmos, showing how science and Christian faith can work together towards a fuller understanding of the universe and its creator
​Wholehearted Leadership, by Simon and Ceri Harris
'An invitation to step out of striving and shame, into a more integrated, grounded, and grace-filled way of leading; offers guidance for anyone longing to lead from a deeper place'
Atonement and the Life of Faith, by Adam Johnson
'Covers a lot of ground in a short space, but has great theological reflection, offering fresh insights and bigger view of the centrality of atonement to our life of faith'
The little book of Easter, compiled by Canon Arthur Howells
'Insightful collection of reflections, poetry and prose which remind us of why the Easter story should and does shape us in a world filled with the darkness of Good Friday'
Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human, by Cole Arthur Riley
'Cole Arthur Riley’s writing offers up a voice from the margins which speaks into our wrestling with embodiment, with the wonder of being human, and the aches of trauma - a gift to anybody, and especially any worship leader'
Blessed be God: a book of blessings and resources to write your own, by Ruth Burgess
'This book will be an excellent resource for those leading services, but also for all who wish to bless others or indeed themselves and those closest to them'
    Posted: 21/03/2025
    Posted: 04/10/2024
     
    Text Size:  
    Small (Default)
    Medium
    Large
    Contrast:  
    Normal
    High Contrast