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Messy Church – Recognising Jesus

Ipswich Road URC | Saturday 17th January | 4–6pm

Theme this month: John the Baptist – Making the Way

At Messy Church this month we began our new theme for the coming months: Recognising Jesus.

Together we explored how people first recognised Jesus through John the Baptist. John lived simply and didn’t put himself at the centre of the story. Instead, his whole life pointed people towards Jesus and helped them get ready for what God was doing.


WHAT WE GOT UP TO

  • John the Baptist peg dolls, reminding us that John pointed the way to Jesus
    • Paper doves, remembering Jesus’ baptism and God’s words: “This is my Son, whom I love”
    • Sandals and wilderness crafts, imagining John’s simple life in the desert
    • Locust crafts and honey & “bug” sandwiches, exploring John’s unusual diet
    • Baptism crafts and a jigsaw activity, thinking about what baptism means
John the Baptist sandal

WONDERING TOGETHER

Throughout the afternoon we shared questions

together, including:
• What did John the Baptist look like?
• Why is the dove important in the story?
• What is baptism?
• Which activity helped you recognise Jesus the most?

EATING TOGETHER

The afternoon finished with a lovely shared meal of sausages and mash, followed by cake and ice cream for dessert beautifully cooked by Gareth and Caroline. Everyone ate together in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, enjoying time to chat and connect.


LOOKING AHEAD

Our time together reminded us of an important truth:
John made the way… but Jesus is the way.

Over the coming months at Messy Church, we’ll continue exploring different ways people recognised Jesus, and how we can recognise him in our lives today.