West End Methodist Church
Trafalgar Square, Ashton-under-Lyne
Lancashire  OL7 0LL

Minister
Rev Karen Hilsden

There was a great turn out for the first Messy Church at West End on Thursday 27^th October 2011.

Those who came were given a choice of craft and games activities that included:

o       decorating a wooden spoon as an animal puppet.

o       making a boat and sailing it in a paddling pool,

o       painting a rainbow with hand prints,

o       playing with a model of Noah’s ark,

o       designing their own rainmaker,

o       decorating a bun in all the colours of the rainbow

o       and playing an animal pairs game.
 

After these activities everyone was invited to join in with parachute games before enjoying a boat shaped snack.

As you might have guessed the theme of the session was ‘Noah’s Ark ’ and our celebration included singing ‘Who put the colours in the rainbow’ and the Fishy Music song ‘Weird and Wonderful’, which begins: ‘Polar bears are all left-handed! Wow that’s amazing!’

A big thank you to all of the volunteers who worked so hard to plan the afternoon.

Watch this space for dates and details of future Messy Church events.

West End Mosaics

When the children's centre opened next door to West End Methodist Church , the manager said that they had some money for extemal decoration. They were intending to have a mosaic and asked if the church would also like one. We accepted with alacrity. Some two and a half years later - yes, I did say alacrity - we decided it was time to get the mosaic.

The mosaic expert was contacted and came to talk with the congregation. We decided what kind of pictures we wanted on the mosaics, and how big they should be. Then the mosaic expert said, "It might be nice if you all participated in making them." A good idea, we all thought, little realising that she really meant that she would be our guide and mosaic mentor, and we would do all the making!

So, for three weeks in the Spring of 2010, we all turned up at church and worked together to create our masterpieces. We broke up tiles and glued the pieces to create our mosaics like people completing a jigsaw. It made our finger-tips bleed and our backs ache.

Two or three mornings each week the whole congregation including our minister Keith, worked together and watched the pictures emerging. It was a great time; a time of effort, laughter, true fellowship and accomplishment.

Finally our mosaics were finished. The surfaces were cleaned and glazed, then they were ready to be put up on the wall of the church. We intended to invite the other churches in the Circuit to the unveiling, but the builders working on the wall had other ideas. They put the mosaics up so that the rendering could be completed. So we had to have the unveiling without much notice.

The mosaics were unveiled by Mrs Annie Amitage, West End's oldest member (she is 21!) and now they can be seen in all their splendour on the wall of the church. If you haven't seen them, please come and have a look. And, if you want advice on making mosaics, you know who to ask. Just don't get blood on the pieces!