Stats & stories!
We ran a survey back in January/February to get a snapshot of the UK Messy Church network.
Some key figures from the results:
- Approximately 17,454 attended Messy Church across the year at the churches who responded, with an average of 96 people visiting each Messy Church in 2025 ==> if we take this average and widen it for the whole UK network, that would be roughly 143,852 people attending Messy Church in 2025!
- Average attendance at a Messy Church session is 43 people
- The age profile is 52% children and 48% adults – that’s a great ratio and a superb amount of young people!
- For nearly 50% of people who come to Messy Church, it is their only church
This demonstrates again that Messy Church is a brilliant way to get both young people and non-churched people into church!
Messy Momentum
Our Messy Momentum pilots began in January, implementing one of six new approaches to better engage young people, and in March, we met with them to hear how getting up and running has gone.
We met with the different approaches over four corresponding sessions to reflect on what has been joyful as well as challenging, what has worked well and what hasn’t, and then problem solve and pray together. By listening to one another and reflecting on what each Messy Church is trialling and discovering, it was so inspiring to see the learning and encouragement bouncing around the Zoom ‘rooms’.
We are currently in discussion with the CofE to run a second cohort of pilots – if you know anyone in your region who might be a good candidate or would be interested, please do flag this to them, or put them in touch with us as we would love to start these conversations ahead of (God willing!) getting the green light over the summer.
Regional Teams
Our Messy Church Regional Teams exist to come alongside leaders and teams of all ages, offering prayerful, practical encouragement and support. Whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience, the teams provide resources, shared learning, and a space to connect with others on the journey.
Regional Teams will provide:
- local connection and encouragement
- shared learning and resources
- support for leaders and volunteers
- opportunities to collaborate with others nearby
Together with the national team, these new regional networks will strengthen and support Messy Churches across the UK.
Diocesan Training Partnership
Through our Diocesan Partnerships we are aiming to work with Diocesan leads and parishes to establish Messy Churches as intergenerational new worshipping communities enabling people of all ages to encounter God and grow in faith.
How will we support you?
- Training: online or in-person (Diocese to cover travel costs).
- Messy Churches in your Diocese can access the Messy Church Support Network both locally and nationally.
- Exciting updates about our Messy Momentum Project around engaging young people in Messy Church.
- Messy Church Microgrants for brand new Messy Churches launched in areas of need.
What are we asking of you?
- To endorse Messy Church as an intergenerational new worshipping community both at a strategic diocesan level and day-to-day in parishes.
- To identify 5 or more parishes where Messy Church could be launched as a new worshipping community, at least one of which should be in an area of need.
- To promote Messy Church resources, training and events in your Diocese.
Registration
Currently, Messy Church is resourced, supported and enabled by BRF ministries. The work of our Messy Church team wouldn’t be possible without the prayer and financial support of individuals, churches and charitable trusts.
To continue to grow and develop the Messy Church network and deepen our support of Messy Churches, large and small, wherever they are found, we are now also looking for financial support from within the Messy Church network itself.
To help finance ongoing development and the new regional teams, this Autumn we are introducing an annual registration fee of £25 per Messy Church.
Registration means the Messy Church is:
- part of the Messy Church network
- included in the Messy Church Directory
- connected to regional gatherings and support
- supported by the national team and wider movement
- use of the trade-marked Messy Church logo, royalty-free
It also contributes to the ongoing development of resources and training that benefit the whole network.
Regional Teams & Registration Fee Summary
Click on the image to download a handy one page summary of these exciting developments.
Microgrants
Messy Church is a fantastic way to bring God’s love into communities through engagement with children, young people and their households. Thanks to generous funding from the Church of England, we can offer a support package to CofE Churches in areas of need wanting to start a new Messy Church. We can offer microgrants of £250 to purchase resources for your new Messy Church, a bundle of Messy Church books worth over £50, training and ongoing support in the form of an online learning community of Messy Church leaders ministering in areas of need.
A partnership with Faith in the North
Alongside the Messy microgrants, we wanted to let you know about the Northern Activation Grants, funded by our partners ‘Faith in the North’, who have a team supporting Church Planting and New Worshipping Communities across the North within the Church of England. These grants are intended to support leaders in starting a New Worshipping Community, when they are connected to training (participating in Messy church training and ongoing learning communities would mean parishes are eligible). If Messy Microgrant recipients still have need for further funding to support the New Worshipping Community in its early stages, they would be welcome to apply for a Northern Activation Grant up to a maximum of £500.
If there are parishes in the Northern Province who are not in an area of need but would still like to establish a Messy Church as a new worshipping community, they would also be eligible to apply for a Northern Activation grant if they are engaged with Messy Church training. Please get in touch for more information.
Get Messy! Volume 4 is out now!
Our overall theme for this edition is Messy Mission. How can we join in with God’s big mission to our world, in a marvellously messy way?
This resource contains twelve session outlines for Messy Churches. Each one introduces one of the five marks of mission, a holistic framework developed by the Anglican Communion to describe God’s mission in the world. They include:
- Tell the Good News of God’s Kingdom
- Teach, baptise and nurture new believers
- Tend and to respond to human need by loving service
- Transform unjust structures of society, challenge violence and pursue peace and reconciliation
- Treasure and safeguard the integrity of creation, sustain and renew the life of the earth
Meet the team!
Aike Kennett-Brown
Ministry Lead
Jane Butler
Training & Development Lead
Sophie Harber
Youth Project Lead
Sarah Smart
Network Development Lead
Nina Seaman
Administrator
