A messy church for all
If you’ve seen banners or posters advertising a Messy Church near to you but you’re not sure what it’s about, find out how you can get involved.
Messy Church is a national movement and part of the Bible Reading Fellowship. It creates church communities that are, well, messy! That means we can get messy with paint and glue and other creative stuff, and it means we can get messy in showing our vulnerable sides with one another too. Read on for more about what happens in a Messy Church.
What happens at Messy Church?
Messy Church will have lots of fun activities for parents and children to do together. Then there will time to worship God before everybody shares food. It’s a chance to find out more of God’s stories and grow together as God’s people.
Activities might be art, or games, or drama. The worship might be traditional or modern, or a mixture of both.
We don’t have to be perfect when we come to church – our kids’ hair can be uncombed, they can make noise, we can be sad or anxious or lonely, and we can explore our wonderful creative God through stuff that leaves Play-Doh and paint everywhere.
When Is Messy Church?
Usually, Messy Churches happen at times other than Sunday mornings. Some are on weekday evenings, some on Saturday or Sunday afternoons. Some happen once or twice a term, some happen every month or even every week.
Where Is Messy Church?
You might notice a banner or a sign for Messy Church in your community. However, you can search for your local Messy Church.
Some are in churches, some in school halls or village halls. We can do church anywhere – it doesn’t have to be in a church building. The people, not the building, are what makes the church.
Who Is Messy Church For?
Messy Church is for all ages, to worship together. Many of the events have lots of toddlers, some may have only a few – but you are welcome whether your child is one of 30 in their age group, or the only one.
And a good Messy Church will be for you too. The parents and carers aren’t just there to supervise their children – they’re there to worship, and come closer to God, and grow in faith. Find a Messy Church that nourishes your faith as well as your child’s – the experience of worshiping together as a family, walking alongside each other on your journeys, is truly special.