messy church
Messy Church is a FREE FAMILY EVENT and a ministry of Danforth Mennonite Church (DMC) and is held once a month on a Saturday evening from 5-7p.m.
What is Messy Church you’re thinking? It’s a program of DMC that provides faith-based programming once a month on a Saturday evening from 5:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. for families with children (roughly from 4 – 14 years of age). With today’s schedules we recognize that getting to church on Sunday mornings can be a challenge and so the timing and format of the Saturday evening works as a better option for some families. Messy Church offers about 30 minutes of faith-based activities informed through a peace church perspective, followed by a shared meal and then game-based activities.
As part of this program, we also designate four Saturdays in a year in which DMC cancels our Sunday morning service and joins Messy Church.
We ask that parents/caregivers accompany their children for this family event.
Schedule of Saturday events:
October 18 November 15 December 13
January 17, 2026 February 21 March 21
April 18 May 23 June 20
Men's breakfast
Men’s Breakfast: The second Saturday of every month the men’s breakfast group meets in the fellowship hall at 9:00 a.m. We each prepare and bring items to share ranging from baked oatmeal and quiche to an assortment of fruits. The discussion ranges from faith, sports, politics and all things in between.
The men’s breakfast group started just before the turn of the last century (1999). Bill Bryson was one who instigated this gathering, and it has continued to meet since then. Currently, Fazal organizes this event, and the gathering is structured around sharing breakfast together, but other than that, the topic of conversation emerges organically given the makeup of the group and what’s been happening in our lives and in the world. It is an informal opportunity to get to know people and connect on common, or maybe not-so-common interests.
Ladies Walking Group
The ladies walking group started September 28, 2021 during the midst of COVID. It was an opportunity to get out of the house, meet in an open environment – and of course be 6 feet apart.
The ladies meet every Tuesday morning at 10:30 a.m. for an hour’s walk (mid-September through to mid-June). We focus on the east end of Toronto and we have our usual spots – Rosetta McClain Gardens, Allan Gardens, Pine Hills and St. John’s Norway cemeteries, Bluffers Park, Warden Woods, Birkdale Park, Taylor Creek Park and Greenvale Park. We are always interested in new places to explore.
Our walks are ideal for all ages and abilities. It’s a time to enjoy the outdoors, meet new and old friends, and get to know each other a bit better. We hope you’ll join us.
Contact Bonnie at DanforthMennoniteChurch@gmail.com to receive the weekly notice of where we will meet.
Little Library
Take a book, leave a book...
Our thanks to Bill Bryson who in 2014 proposed a Little Library for our front yard. The library cabinet was built in a similar shape as our church building, and installed in the front courtyard in 2016.
The library is open 24/7, meaning it’s always open, because it never closes. The instructions are simple — the book one brings back need not be the book they took.
For inspiration for your own church Little Library visit LittleFreeLibrary.org.