Helpful ways to finance your Messy Church

Helpful ways to finance a Messy Church: 

Borrow craft supplies and basic equipment from other people for the first few sessions: Brownie cupboards, playgroups and so on. Invest in your own when you are sure that your Messy Church will be long term.
If your church already has a large banner, for an Alpha Course for example, use the blank reverse side for a Messy Church banner. Use a local printer.
The mother church pays for the mission in the community as a gift. 
Donation bowls/buckets are shaken during meal time, the Celebration, or the end of a Messy Church session. 
Organise regular fundraising events such as Cake or Table Sales. You can discover sellable craft ideas on our Pinterest Board.   
Each family is charged a minimal amount of money.
Core teams channel their regular giving towards Messy Church. 
Invite local businesses to become sponsors.
Be included in supermarket community schemes. Ask your local supermarket for help. Many employ Community Champions.
Messy teams share the crafts and food outlay.
Invite the Messy Church congregation to bring food for Messy meal sharing a couple of times a year. It could be cold meats or quiches and your Messy Church supplies the salad and bread rolls.
Supermarket bag-packing is a popular fundraiser. Invite different families to take part each time. Use this activity as a promotional opportunity by giving out leaflets.
Experiment with an annual rota of regular meals, such as baked potatoes, cottage pie, vegetable pasta and a sausage bake. Over time you may become aware of the shops offering the best value.
Invite all congregations and church organisations, including children’s groups, to collect recycling items such as cardboard tubes, collage materials, yogurt pots and so on. 
Prepare a priced shopping list of things you are regularly in need of. Invite people to buy something eg. Paint, glues, aprons…
Ask your Core Team where they go to do their family food shopping. If a variety of shops are highlighted ask them to look for food bargains each month. Use a Messy food checklist of basic needs such as paper plates, sausages, ice cream, for example. 
Apply for denominational mission grants. 
Apply for local councillor grants.

Questions to consider and pray about:

What does charging or offering Messy Church for free say about God to the families who come?
How do you think introducing money into Messy Church changes the relationship between the church and the families?
Would you like families to give in order to cover costs or to learn about God and money?
In an ideal world, how much would you like each family to contribute and why?
Does your church consider the regular planned giving from the Messy Church team members as part of the giving that comes from Messy Church?