Lavenham Deanery’s Messy Easter in a bag project proved to be a big success!
The project started off by initially being just for the 11 regular families at the Messy Church (with a total of 22 children) but with the additional £300 grant from the Growth Fund, families that weren’t originally involved ended up being reached out to and asked to come along – and the final total of people who participated was a hefty 18 families, with 39 children, 11 of which were teenagers.
The bags included all sorts of age appropriate Easter goodies - the younger children’s bags included a copy of Lucy Moore’s’ ‘Easter Family Time’ and ‘The Seriously Surprising Story’ upon which their activities were based. There was great effort involved so that the whole of the Easter story from Palm Sunday to Easter Day, could be covered. Activities included cardboard donkeys with clothes peg-legs, making palm crosses, some cookie dough along with a cross shaped cookie cutter, cross weaving kit and everything necessary for making an easter garden, including the grass seeds.
The teenagers (or almost teenagers) had a different set of activities from the younger children. As with the younger children, the entire Easter story had been covered and a copy of the gospel according to Mark (Authentic Youth Bible version) was included. Theirs also included a journal with a pen and ideas for using it, a packet of bread mix, a wooden cross kit and a key ring kit. Both groups of youngsters had a Real Easter Egg with an explanatory leaflet.
Plenty of appreciative emails were received, both from the regular Messy Church families and from the newcomers to this event.
“Child L really enjoyed hers and they had some good conversations with her”
“Thank you so much for the incredible Easter in bag which was delivered for my children today. The thought and kindness is truly overwhelming.”
“Having started the Easter story only last night it is such a true bag of wonderful treasures which at the present moment in time, having given my all to home schooling is such a welcome pack of creative treats.”
In addition to these comments, an Easter card had been signed by the children and delivered by one of the families, including contact details so they could keep in touch more efficiently.
The benefice is hoping and planning for a return to a normal, real life Messy Church (being mostly outdoors) featuring a BBQ at their usual venue once lockdown measures have eased.
