Messy Nativity

From The Good Bookstall - September 2012 This book details three really exciting possibilities for Advent or Christmas community outreach projects. Although obviously these projects were done under the Messy Church umbrella, the title is somewhat misleading. This is not a book that will help you to do your normal Messy Church sessions at Christmas! The three projects are as follows: A sheep trail in your town utilising shop windows. A posada journey of nativity figures around your church, Messy Church, or school families A street nativity (script not included) If you are looking for an exciting Christmas project to help you engage with your local community then this book might help! The most detail is given for the sheep trail including knitting instructions for the sheep. The nativity journey is also well explained and detailed. The street nativity leaves much to your own imagination! Well worth buying if you would like to explore either of the first two ideas. The sheep trail has obviously been very successful in South Liverpool and reading all about how they did it is quite inspiring. Messy Christmas is on its way, so hopefully that will help with Messy Church session planning! Reviewed by Kathy Bland
Church Times, Nov 2012 Messy Nativity narrates the story of a successful city-centre project to use the Christmas story evangelistically. The book includes three possible projects that worked well together in Liverpool: a shop-window treasure hunt for knitted sheep; a nativity-set journey similar to Posada; and a street nativity. With good community links and enough enthusiasm, this could work in any town or city, and will draw different agencies and communities together. The Revd Dana Delap is Assistant Curate of St James and St Basil, Newcastle upon Tyne