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Messy Church ® is a registered word mark and the logo is a registered device mark of
The Bible Reading Fellowship
Text copyright © Jane Leadbetter 2012
The author asserts the moral right
to be identified as the author of this work
Published by
The Bible Reading Fellowship
15 The Chambers, Vineyard
Abingdon OX14 3FE
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1865 319700
Email: enquiries@brf.org.uk
Website: www.brf.org.uk
BRF is a Registered Charity
ISBN 978 0 85746 055 4
First published 2012
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
All rights reserved
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Printed in Singapore by Craft Print International Ltd
The paper used in the production of this publication was supplied by mills
that source their raw materials from sustainably managed forests. Soy-based
inks were used in its printing and the laminate film is biodegradable.
Messy Church® is growing! Every month, families
who have never set foot in a church before are
enjoying Messy Church, and every month more
Messy Churches are started all over the UK and
worldwide. Messy Church is proving effective in
sharing God’s good news with families across
denominations and church traditions. There are
now well over 1,000 registered Messy Churches—
and the number is growing all the time. For more
information about Messy Church, visit www.
messychurch.org.uk.
Messy Church is enabled, resourced and
supported by BRF (Bible Reading Fellowship), a
Registered Charity, as one of its core ministries.
BRF makes Messy Church freely available and
derives no direct income from the work that we do
to support it in the UK and abroad.
Would you be willing to support this ministry
with your prayer and your giving? To find out more,
please visit www.messychurch.org.uk/champions.
Contents
Foreword 6
Introduction 8
Chapter 1: The Messy Nativity Project 10
Chapter 2: The Messy Nativity Sheep Trail 15
Large sheep knitting pattern 26
Small sheep knitting pattern suggestions 28
Messy Nativity Sheep Trail leaflet 29
Chapter 3: The Messy Nativity Set Journey 34
Nativity Set suggestions 41
Messy Nativity Journey Rota master sheet 42
Messy Nativity Set prayer sheet 43
Messy Nativity Set instruction sheet 44
Chapter 4: The Messy Street Nativity 46
Messy Street Nativity script ideas 50
Conclusion 51
Acknowledgments 52
Further resources from BRF 54
Foreword
Very early on the last Saturday morning before
Christmas, after the first unexpectedly heavy snowfall of winter, I tentatively found my way to the local
BBC radio station.
I was to explain the Messy Nativity that we were
planning for later in the day to their audience. Half the
radio production team had failed to make it through
the snow to work. We feared the worst. However,
although we were much fewer in number than we’d
planned, our indomitable Messy Nativity production
team represented several different Christian
agencies: our Diocesan Children’s Work Adviser;
Mission in the Economy Chaplaincy Providers; Youth
with a Mission; the city centre Pioneer Minister;
Liverpool Anglican Cathedral’s Sunday school choir
and last but not least, the Mothers’ Union! It was a
truly multi-agency happening.
More importantly, in the city centre market and
shopping precinct where we staged our production
we engaged such diverse cast members—an angel
from the cold meats counter, a Joseph from the
mobile phone shop, a props assistant from the
antiques stall… Magnificent chaos and great fun!
How could such diverse people who have very little
6
or no connection with ‘church’ come together and
manage to share the spirit of Christmas?
Messy Nativity allowed them, and those who looked
on, to be reminded of the real meaning of Christmas
in a most memorable way—with photos to prove it.
They learnt that Jesus Christ is the gift to end all gifts,
non-returnable and with no sell-by date, given amid
the mess and chaos of a stable in an oppressed
society. Only God could make that magnificent!
Messy Nativity left a new trail of fresh footprints for
those who have never thought of going his way before.
May it continue to point the way for others to follow.
Revd Jean Flood, Mission in the Economy
7
Introduction
I am not a shopaholic. Indeed, normally, you have to
drag me to the shops, kicking and screaming. I don’t
understand all of that BOGOF or coupon jargon. In my
mind you either want it or you don’t. So, as Christmas
2009 approached and the present list stared me in the
face, I just had to grin and bear it, and off to Liverpool
ONE shopping centre I went—160 shops, more than
20 bars and restaurants, a huge cinema and a park
packed with Christmas attractions.
As I shuffled around the shops, I looked for evidence of
the Real Christmas. I spotted Christmas decorations:
robins, snowmen, snowflakes, penguins, puddings,
stockings, holly and mistletoe. Everywhere there were
garlands, miles and miles of green boughs adorned
with baubles and lights. I also spotted Santas (or Father
Christmases if you prefer)—large hanging ones,
giant blown-up versions, smaller ‘nodding head’ or
talking Santas—but I couldn’t find Jesus anywhere.
National TV and radio coverage of the buildup to Christmas during Advent advertised many
seasonal events, and I heard more and more about
‘WinterFests’ or festive grottoes. Traditional school
Nativity plays were being revamped to incorporate
penguins and lobsters! It was political correctness
gone mad. Was the city of Liverpool sliding down
this slippery route of squeezing out the Real meaning
8
of Christmas? I sensed it was. But could I do anything
about it? How could I help to introduce or reintroduce
Jesus into people’s lives as they shopped for their
bargains and presents for their loved ones?
I once went to see a production of Lloyd Webber/
Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar. During the performance I
overheard a family behind me saying that they couldn’t
understand why someone was hammering nails into
the hands of Jesus. Since then I have never undersold
the stories of the Nativity and Easter. I feel that we
can never assume that all generations are familiar
with the real reason for celebrating Christmas and
Easter, and why we buy presents and chocolate eggs.
In this book I share a story of hope. Jesus said to
his disciples, ‘Go throughout the whole world and
preach the gospel to the whole human race.’ So
why, even at Christmas, is this becoming so hard to
do, when the story of Jesus’ birth is gradually being
squeezed out of our towns and cities, amongst the
hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, during
the season of Advent? When the Real meaning of
Christmas is being replaced with Santa’s Magical
Kingdom and WinterFests? How can we bring Jesus
back into our communities during Advent?
I pray that this book will inspire you to take action
and enjoy the challenge of linking Messy Sheep with
the Nativity story and getting Jesus baaaack in town!
Jane Leadbetter
9
Chapter 1:
The Messy Nativity
Project
10
I coordinate a Messy Church in South Liverpool. We
particularly aim to invite families who choose not to
come to a Sunday service in church, so once a month
we hold Messy Church on a Saturday afternoon.
Messy Church is a time for all ages to come together
to be creative with crafts and activities, to celebrate
and to eat together. It is centred on Christ, and
from the moment you enter a messy space you are
worshipping.
Messy Church is engaging and fun and growing
rapidly all over the world. There are Messy Churches
on weekdays and at weekends, incorporating lunch
times, tea times, breakfasts. They are held in school
buildings, church halls, churches and community
halls. At my Messy Church we are always looking for
different ways to fill the monthly gap. We have had a
presence at a local market and Fun Days, and given
out take-home sheets to families.
You may wonder how this links with the Messy Nativity.
I am also the Messy Church Regional Coordinator for
the Merseyside area. I discovered that the Diocese
of Liverpool Mothers’ Union was planning events
to celebrate its 120th anniversary in 2010. Could I
help them with any projects? A summer day on the
beach was planned, but what about something to
end the year? Could it be an Advent project? After
discussions we decided to link the Mothers’ Union
and Messy Church, as both organisations work with
11
families, and to find a workable project that would
promote the Nativity story. A new Christian pioneer
ministry was taking off in Liverpool city centre—River
in the City—and I felt God wanting me to include this.
I also discovered a group of city-centre chaplains,
doing quiet and wonderful work in various ways
and with links to Liverpool Mission in the Economy. I
wondered how they felt Christmas in the city centre
was developing.
Then my daughter informed me of how knitting, for
all ages, was on trend.
I don’t knit. Well, I could if pushed, but it had been
years since I tried to knit the proverbial scarf and
became bored with it before finishing. So I had
no idea how popular knitting had become once
again. Knitting groups and clubs were popping up
everywhere. University students started ‘knit and
natters’. Libraries, pubs and cafes became regular
venues, and knitting blogs and websites were on the
increase.
So the Messy Nativity project grew out of Christmas
shopping, Mothers’ Union celebrations, Messy
Church and creative knitting! At the heart of the
project was the desire to spread the story of Jesus’
birth. As the project aimed to run during the season
of Advent, I was conscious of how busy everyone
already was and that I wouldn’t be able to create a
large team to deliver a large project. As I worked
12
full-time, the project had to be easy to set up and
easy to manage. So I split the project into three
parts:
1. The Messy Nativity Sheep Trail (spot the knitted
sheep in shops);
2. The Messy Nativity Set Journey (the Posada
idea with added knitted sheep);
3. The Messy Street Nativity (tell the Nativity story
in the street using drama/script).
Featuring in all three parts of the project were sheep!
I enjoy working with people and teams, and the Messy
Nativity project allowed me to approach people and
include them in the project: the Diocese of Liverpool
Mothers’ Union, Liverpool ONE management and
their chaplain, River in the City, Mission in the
Economy. This may sound like lots of organisations,
but I really only worked with one key person from
each, and on different parts of the project.
God led me to people who also had a heart for
spreading the story of Jesus’ birth and together we
piloted the project in Liverpool. But this project can
happen anywhere: in a city, or local shops, a retail
park, a market, a village, anywhere. You can do the
whole project or just use one part of it. You can work
with others or on your own. First of all, pray about
it. I hope that the following chapters will give you
13
the practical help and know-how, but first you must
decide why you want to do it. Do you need to put Jesus
back in your town during Advent? Prepare yourself
for an opportunity to create a messy community in
Jesus’ name.
14
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