FAITH IN THE COMMUNITY: Our Messy Church offers glue, glitter and great family fun

By the Rev Richard Hutchins, Vicar, Catherington and Clanfield

I WONDER if you’ve heard of ‘Messy Church’? It’s a fairly new church activity that began back in 2004, just down the road from us in St Wilfrid’s, Cowplain.

It is a way of whole families doing ‘church’ together, and has spread to thousands of churches all around the world, based on creativity, hospitality and celebration. Typically, it involves a combination of telling stories, singing songs, doing art and craft together, and sharing a simple meal.

We’ve been offering monthly Messy Church sessions at St James Church, Clanfield, for the past four years or so. It’s great to be able to gather together families – some of whom don’t come to church – for a celebration around a specific theme. It’s on Saturday afternoons between 3.30pm and 5.30pm.

Usually, we introduce the theme in the church itself, then pop over to the church hall, where various tables will be set up with art and craft relevant to the theme. There is colouring, glue, sparkly things and a whole range of other messy possibilities.

Our most recent Messy Church was based on Pentecost, so children and parents could create flame-themed hats that replicated the Holy Spirit landing on the heads of the disciples; they could make windmills to remind us that the Holy Spirit comes like a wind; and they could make candle holders that included a battery-operated tea light.

We then go back into church to sing some action songs based on the theme. Some of our current families love dancing at the front of church, and it’s great to see them so comfortable in a church setting.

Then we have tea together back in the hall. It’s often something simple, but usually involves home-made cakes. There’s always something about eating together that helps us all to realise we are sharing life together.

You’d be very welcome to join us – it’s usually on the fourth Saturday of each month, and on June 27 we are offering mini-taster sessions at the Clanfield Festival so we’d love to say hi there.

Of course there may well be a Messy Church closer to you, in your own local church. Check out www.messychurch.brf.org.uk to find one close to you. And check out www.facebook.com/CatheringtonClanfieldPC to find out more about Messy Church in Clanfield.

If your experience is church has tended to be more formal and less fun, you might be surprised to discover just how different Messy Church is.

ST JAMES CHURCH, South Ln, Clanfield, Waterlooville PO8 0RA

www.achurchnearyou.com/church/16732/