Messy Church
It may be messy – but it’s still church!
Messy Church at All Saints began in October 2009 to fill a family-sized gap in our praise and worship – something that would grasp the imagination of families with children who wanted to be part of a church but couldn’t, for whatever reason, come on a Sunday.
Messy Church is about praise, worship and learning about God’s story. It isn’t about calm, quiet and sitting still. Our Messy Church is part of a world-wide movement of similar Messy Churches.
It starts with a welcome and craft/activity session to get everyone involved, followed by a short time of celebration and we finish by having a cooked meal together. Each session is based on a Messy theme and is suitable for everyone.
Messy Church is designed for:
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Families who don’t normally come to church
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Children of all ages with their parents or carers
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Families with busy lives – hence the day and time.
It’s a valid service in its own right and not a stepping stone to ‘proper’ church although you’ll always be welcome on Sundays.
It takes place on the first Thursday of each month, starting at 3.30pm and ending around 5.45pm.
On the third Thursday of each month we also have a smaller Messy Meet Up. There are refreshments as well as table top games and a few other activities and it is a chance to chat but there is no meal or designated celebration time.
There’s no charge for Messy although we always appreciate a small donation towards running costs if you are able.
Messy Church is co-ordinated by Helen Ellis who can be contacted via the church office.
Protecting our children
Everyone who works with children, young people or vulnerable adults at All Saints – whether paid or voluntary – is vetted and has a current clean Criminal Records Bureau disclosure (CRB check).