A BUILDING in Lauder associated with a former church once again provided a Christian context for young people at a special event.
The hall of the now-demolished West Church – known today as the Youth Trust Hall – was the recent venue for the first Channelkirk and Lauder “Messy Church” which was attended by 17 children, aged nine months to eight years.
The theme of the session was The Creation and the children played with torches in a dark tent, got messy making junk model animals and paper flowers, wore animal masks and added stickers to a special mural.
With adults also enjoying some of the crafty creations, the gathering joined in songs-with-actions before reading The Creation story.
“The children impressed us all by remembering what God created on each day by placing the right picture in the right order,” said local organiser Dr Rebecca Green.
The session finished with a new song called May You Find Peace before The Creation snack of various fruits, animal biscuits and flower cakes was enjoyed.
As Kirk members of Channelkirk and Lauder seek to help introduce more people from the wider Lauderdale community to the church, the Messy Church is intended to provide an alternative and engaging setting for the celebration of God.
Messy Church is a once-monthly initiative for children and their parents/carers, at a time other than Sunday, allowing them to express their creativity and have fun through word, music and prayer, and to worship through fellowship, hospitality, friendship, creativity, stories and food.
Planning for subsequent sessions remains at an early stage, but there is a strong possibility that Oxton’s War Memorial Hall will be used as an early base. It is likely the sessions take place in the last week of the month, so that any material created can potentially be used in church on the following Sunday during the all-age service.
Dr Green said “We were so grateful to the volunteers from the church who assisted with the programme and we are delighted with the positive reaction from children and parents.”