The message ?

September is the start of a new School Year ... and in some ways it is the start of a new Parish year... yes I know the Church year begins with Advent but for all intents and purposes it is September which sees new things happening in the parish.

It's also a time when we can look around and question the things we are doing, and ask about how effective we are being in ministry and mission.

Over the past little while I've been reading and thinking, discovering and pondering. As a parish we've been looking at our mission and what we're doing - but in a microcosm of this, as a team in Messy Church (which we run once a month) we're going to be looking at our message and how we communicate that message to those coming along to Messy Church.

At the heart of all communication is a message ... and I wonder what message we are communicating? As a church to the surrounding culture.

What is the heart of the message for us as Christians? ... That could take a lifetime to sort out or it could be done in a few seconds.

It could be done in various mediums, ways and techniques but we need to find ways of Just Doing It!

It needs to be done simply and straightforwardly, unashamedly but also sensitively to the culture into which we are speaking.

We have a message to proclaim ... good news in the midst of a world of bad news ... news of hope and a future for all.

God doesn't want a people who are sitting on the fence ... he wants a people who know him to tell others about him. Simple and straightforward people.

So the question i'm asking over the next while to Facebook friends, fellow bloggers, Messy Church Team ... What's The Message?

and subsequent followup questions ...

• how is it best communicated?
• what prevents us from sharing The Message?