What is Messy Church
It’s a place of celebration and creativity, where conversation and laughter fill the air, and food, fun and faith are shared. Messy Church is where all ages come together to discover Jesus and at BRF Ministries we seek to facilitate this alongside local churches.
It is primarily designed for people who don’t already belong to another form of church – no matter how ‘messy’ they feel their lives are. Research has shown that 40% of Messy Church families have had little or no prior contact with church and 61% of Messy Church families wouldn’t otherwise be at church.
There are around 2,500 Messy Churches in 4 continents.
What we’re working on
Our Messy Church team work to help every Messy Church be all it can be by providing training and support to Messy Church leaders and by developing projects that will serve the whole Messy Church network.
We’re working on:
- Messy Church Goes Wild – the movement within Messy Church which aims to encourage Messy Churches to meet God outdoors, love the natural world, experience a sense of awe and wonder there and to be more eco-aware in all we do, both inside and out, as gathered and dispersed church, for the good of the planet. We’re excited to share our Messy Adventures resource: 12 units of material to give leaders the tools and confidence to take their Messy Church outdoors.
- We are piloting a reworked version of ‘Messy Basics’ – an intergenerational small group resource, due to be launched alongside Get Messy! volume 2 during Summer 2024, helping all ages go deeper in discipleship.
How Messy Church is funded
Each year we need around £300,000 to sustain and develop Messy Church. Most of these funds are donated by individuals, churches and charitable trusts. We are so thankful to those who have generously given to support this ministry.
While we do generate some income for Messy Church through charitable activities, for example Messy Church training events and sales of Messy Church books and resources, this income doesn’t cover the full cost of what we offer. Read more about how we are funded here.
Donate today to support our vital work!
Messy Church is for everyone!
In this two-minute video, Aike Kennett-Brown, Messy Church Ministry Lead, talks about Messy Church being a place where everybody can come – young and old – to learn about the Christian faith and to meet God.
How to get started
Find a Messy Church near you
There are more than 1600 Messy Churches in over 30 countries on our directory, with the number rising each month. Search to find a Messy Church near you using your postcode, town or city.
Find a Messy Church near you
Messy Church resources
Browse our comprehensive range of resources for running a Messy Church, including the Get Messy! magazine.
Messy Church resourcesMessy Masterclasses
Book to join us for 90 minutes of live and interactive training on Zoom. Choose from one of the masterclasses.
Explore our MasterclassesMessy Church Projects
Explore our Messy Church projects such as Messy Church Goes Wild, Messy Church Does Science and Messy Discipleship.
Read moreGet Messy! Magazine
Everything you need to run your Messy Church, including activity photos, mealtime cards, social action ideas and templates.
Explore Get Messy!
Messy Church Ministry Lead
Aike is responsible for leading the BRF Ministries Messy Church team as they seek to support the Messy Church network both nationally and internationally. This includes writing, reflecting, speaking, developing resources and projects, so that the work of Messy Church can continue to transform lives.
Aike has been involved with Messy Church since 2010. Over a seven-year period, her Messy adventures include growing a team of Messy Young leaders, four weekend Messy Camps, taking Messy Church to the local Parksfest and hosting Messy Munch, an intergenerational small group. She joined the Diocese of Southwark in 2017, supporting parishes in their ministry with children, young people and families. This included hosting Messy Celebrations at Southwark Cathedral exploring Messy Communion and Baptism.
Visit the Messy Church website
