Lucy Moore
Lucy Moore works for the Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF) as Messy Church team leader. She is responsible for developing the work of Messy Church nationally and internationally – writing, speaking, reflecting and developing Messy projects. She continues to help lead the local Messy Church in her own church in Bishopstoke.Before working full-time with Messy Church, Lucy was a member of BRF's Barnabas team, offering training for those wanting to bring the Bible to life for children in churches and schools across the UK, and using drama and storytelling to explore the Bible with children.Her books include the Messy Church series (over 12 to date), Bethlehem Carols Unpacked, The Gospels Unplugged, The Lord's Prayer Unplugged, Topsy Turvy Christmas and Colourful Creation (all published by BRF).A secondary school teacher by training, she enjoys acting, walking Minnie the dog, marvelling at the alien worlds of her two adult children and reading eclectically.
Martyn Payne
Martyn Payne is the Messy Church (UK) team member with a brief for gathering information about Messy Churches and reflecting on the movement. He joined the Barnabas team in January 2003, having worked with CMS (Church Mission Society) for eight years as their National Children's Work Coordinator. Prior to his time with CMS, Martyn worked for 18 years as a teacher in East London.He has written a number of books for BRF including Footsteps to the Feast, A-Cross the World, Bethlehem Carols Unpacked, Where in the World?, The People's Bible, The Big Story and Messy Togetherness. Martyn is looking forward to visiting Canada and meeting up with everyone - listen to what Martyn has to say.Worship Leaders
BEACON Worship Team - Adam Furfaro
BEACON is the Worship Team from Light On The Hill: St. John The Baptist Community Church in Oak Ridges, Ontario. BEACON serves a wide variety of congregants of all ages and ethnicities.
BEACON's Worship Leader, Adam Furfaro, is also the new Executive Director of Light On The Hill. He and his family were congregants from 2004 to 2012 when they moved to Alberta where he served as Executive Director of Rosebud Centre of the Arts. Formed in a growing, young, Jesus-centred, family focused church, BEACON consciously chooses to make “family friendly” sung worship part of the DNA of Light On The Hill’s Sunday morning gathering. The band includes many young adult and youth artists who also lead worship for the entire congregation.
He says, "As a family, we have been involved in the sung worship experience at Light On The Hill and Hope Church in Strathmore, Alberta. Both congregations have a rich family focused worship experience and our selections reflect that. I am doubly blessed in that my whole family is involved with the worship team so it is a way for us bring glory to God and serve the congregation together. We are looking forward to leading worship at the Messy Church conference."
Workshop Leaders
Nancy Rowe
Rev. Nancy Rowe started the very first Messy Church in Canada in April 2007 and has been involved with Messy Church ever since. She has done numerous workshops, acts as a resource person for other Messy Churches, and is a Regional Coordinator for Messy Church Canada. She has attended several conferences and meetings with the Messy Church UK team. She is fascinated by how organic Messy Church is, with its challenges and opportunities to explore new ways of being ‘the church’. She is excited to be part of this evolving and dynamic ministry.
Heather Liddell
Rev. Heather is a Priest in the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton. She has been involved with Messy Church since 2011 and is proud to serve as the Regional Coordinator for Alberta. Heather was born in Fort McMurray but grew up in the Diocese of Edmonton and is passionate about intergenerational ministry and creating safe spaces for people to encounter God.
Carol Fletcher
Carol Fletcher, on Twitter @cjlfletcher and the congregation of Transcona Memorial United Church @tmucWpg have been involved in Messy Church since 2011. Since 2014 Carol has been serving as Messy Church Regional Coordinator for the Prairies (now Manitoba and Saskatchewan). Carol believes that in striving to live love and compassion for all, we do our best of God’s work when we truly connect with people where they are. Carol does not simply use social media: she connects with others in ways that are truly sociable, engaging and loving.
Andy Kalbfleisch
Andy is a Messy Church Canada leader and practitioner and has worked with the Messy Church Team in the UK numerous times since 2009. He was instrumental in the launch of Messy Church Canada as part of Wycliffe College in 2014. Andy, working with the MC team, has led over 40 Messy Church presentations across Canada since 2010 – with his focus on discipleship in the Messy Church context. Through these venues the Messy Church message is being spread across Canada.
Kerry Cromarty
Kerry has been actively involved with Messy Church since 2012. She is the Team Leader for the Messy Church at St. George’s Anglican Church in Trenton, Ontario. She has also been a Regional Coordinator for an ever changing and evolving area in south-eastern Ontario. When she’s not dreaming of the activities for her church’s next Messy Church, Kerry is kept busy with her job at the local Legal Centre, as a Girl Guide leader and helping her husband run around with their two beautiful daughters.
Beverly van der Jagt
Beverly is a Lay Pastor in the Diocese of Algoma. She has been involved with Child and Youth Ministry for a number of years as a Vacation Bible School coordinator, Puppet Ministry Leader, a Clown for special events, and in the past five years supporting Messy Church both hands on in the Deanery of Sudbury/Manitoulin and as the MC Regional Coordinator in Algoma.
Prior to moving to the Sudbury area she worked with adults as a trainer helping her students towards building their self-esteem and gaining valuable work skills. In her social work capacity she always tried to lead by example a concept which she trusts also overflows into her Christian life as she attempts to model the life of a disciple.
She has a passion for fun and creativity. Having experienced various forms and styles of worship she takes an eclectic approach in sharing the Good News whether in formal Sunday Service setting or as part of Fresh Expressions initiatives.
Katherine Brittain
Katherine is a wife, mom of 2 little girls and an Ordained Minister with the United Church of Canada, based in Toronto. She is committed to ministry with youth and children and has had a mixed experience with Messy Church – success and failure. She is passionate about faith formation for all ages, and spending a 5 month Sabbatical looking at how we can shape this ministry in a 21st century context.
Sue Kalbfleisch
Sue is a Messy Church Canada Team Leader and practitioner and has worked with the Messy Church Team in the UK numerous times since 2009.
Sue and the MC team has led over 50 Messy Church workshops since the fall of 2009 that include workshops, Messy Fiestas, and Messy Meet Ups across Canada. Presentations have involved over 1000 participants (from Anglican, United, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Salvation Army churches, to name a few). Through these venues the Messy Church message is being spread across Canada.
Jane Hird-Rutter
Jane was raised in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia where she worked in the elementary school system for 32 years as a teacher and principal.
Following retirement, Jane actively volunteered in a hospice and soup kitchen. Then, in 2009, her minister handed Jane a copy of Lucy Moore’s ‘Messy Church’ book and suggested that she might be interested. For five years, along with husband, Mark, and some amazing volunteers, she ran a Messy Church at St. Catherine’s Anglican Church in Port Coquitlam, BC. When Mark retired in 2014, they moved to Vancouver Island, joined St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Quamichan and started a Messy Church there.
In addition, Jane and Mark are currently the Messy Church Regional Coordinators for both the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. Jane says, “Prayer is such an important component of any church. Encouraging children and adults to become comfortable talking to God is a task that is close to my heart.”
Mark Hird-Rutter
Making maps has been Mark’s background since 1974. Everyone likes maps. Maps show the lay of the land, all manner of detail, and help people to navigate on land, sea and air. Maps are art. Maps also are a great way to communicate. There is a relationship between the cartographer, the map and the user. Which way do I go, what is important, how do I find it? Mark says “I like to help people find their way.”
Messy Church is also about helping people find their way. Mark and his wife Jane have led two Messy Churches in BC and also work together as Regional Coordinators for Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.
Mark uses his creativity and science background in his Messy Church ministry. He says, “One activity that I found most remarkable at Messy Church was trying to explain prayer. We had a crowd of very active boys. How do you keep their attention? The concept was Morse Code. Write a small prayer and beam it over to the other side of the hall. With very little prep we were set up and to my wonderful surprise I lost complete control of the craft. Little boys were eagerly writing prayers and sending them across the room to colleagues. They would then rush over to see if the prayer had been received accurately.”
