What is Messy Church?
Messy Church was started in 2004 in an ordinary, smallish Anglican church in Hampshire, England, and now there are Messy Churches in over 30 countries. The tagline for the global Messy Church movement is, “Church, but not as you know it.” If you have previously attended Sunday-morning church, Messy Church may not look like church to you. At Messy Church, all ages meet together to learn about Jesus through crafts, activities, playfulness, music, and storytelling from the Bible. A foundational ingredient of Messy Church is to gather around a table for a meal and to build relationships with each other, God, and the world. Messy Church believes, with the historic churches, in one God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The aim of Messy Church is to introduce Jesus to everyone, no matter their age, experience, or faith background, and to give each person an opportunity to encounter Jesus and grow closer to him.
Here is what you can expect:
- A personal welcome;
- A relaxed, ‘messy’ time to explore a biblical theme through creative activities;
- A short celebration time involving story, prayer, and songs; and
- A sit-down shared meal.