I went down to the Church shop this morning to get a new second hand book to read. Clare and I met up for lunch at an excellent tapas bar near the main church, discovered yesterday, then I made my way slowly through the back streets to San Miguel church for the teatime meeting of 'Messy Church', an outreach by the Anglican congregation to mothers with pre school children. An undercroft room below and behind the main sanctuary is borrowed for this purpose, and a dozen adults, mostly of grandparental age, involve themselves in the offer of hospitality, themed art and craft activities with children or leading a simple act of worship.
Few if any of the families attend regular church, but clearly this English speaking social enterprise is valued, and has lately attracted as many as twenty children. On this occasion there were only half a dozen for no obvious reason except that the week after San Isidro's festival sees some shops and businesses taking a few days off and normal working patterns disrupted. In my experience there's never a single reason for the wide variations in attendance patterns of any activity involving parents and small children. What's important is being there, and being there regularly to welcome anyone who turns up, and taking an interest in them. Nerja Anglicans are enjoying the challenge and sustaining their commitment thus far. The need is as much there in an English speaking expatriate community as it is back in Blighty. It's admirable that so many are willing to take part.
Up in the church sanctuary at the same time, local Catholic kids were meeting either for a catechism class or to be prepared for a confirmation or first communion ceremony to happen in the coming weeks. May is the month when these things traditionally happen. It's a positive witness to the barrio of the church's care for children in the community that these two activities happen simultaneously.
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