Our Messy Church has been running for over 10 years, which has always been held in place of a usual Sunday morning service and we’ve seen a whole new congregation form as part of this. It’s been key to church growth with new families joining as they see how we make space for the mess, the noise and the joy that children bring (and from some adults too!).
As a worship leader and songwriter, but also having young children, I found it quite easy to adapt to the Messy Church style, I’m just a big kid after all. Sometimes we have live worship using guitar but most often we use videos from artists like Yancy, Orange Kids and Life Kids.
Whilst these videos are amazing and everyone enjoys singing, clapping and dancing along, there was a challenge stirring in me as a worship leader and songwriter to bring that upbeat music into our Messy Church, but live, and in person, rather than on the screen.
MC J Messy made his first appearance in 2019 with a new song ‘Ask, Seek, Knock’. This was used as part of our celebration section inspired by the May 2019 Messy Church ‘Pray, Pray, Pray’. We planned for me to leave the main church building, change into my alter ego outfit and be announced as a special guest! We had baseball caps for the children to wear as part of the experience.
Covid lockdowns put a hold on live performances and the creativity requirements shifted. We ran our Messy Church services on Zoom, for which, as a family, we created video versions of the stories. Whilst MC J Messy didn’t get on screen it was a time of development in terms of video editing, sound and song production and we did create a ‘Temptation of Jesus’ rap video! A sign of things to come.
Photo credit: Jemma Aiken
Photo credit: Holly Williams
Since then, MC J Messy has made several appearances at our Messy Church, released songs on Spotify and performed at outreach events including Lifefest in Diss, Norfolk in 2024. This year there are plenty of dates in the diary including our Messy Church for Pentecost with the song Holy Flame, but also branching out with an appearance at Souled Out in Bristol and Lifefest ’25 in Diss.
MC J Messy came from a heart to get creative with Messy Church worship and make it memorable. Perhaps take some time to reflect on this idea as a Messy Church team.
Are there some volunteers willing to break out some dance moves? If you feel shy, get some outfits, make it into a show…we are called to be undignified before God, but we sometimes need help to overcome embarrassment.
Get everyone involved. Maybe co-create a song during the activity time? This could involve creating cue cards with the song words, encouraging people to hold them up every time they hear the words.
Maybe ask your Messy Church to come up with a dance move as part of the song? Although, proceed with caution, whenever I’ve tried this, the first suggestion children make is always a back flip. Not recommended unless you are a professional!
As MC J Messy has developed I have felt more of God’s heart for this ministry come in to focus. It’s like a glimpse into the future where a previous Messy Church attender is facing a life struggle, suddenly a song or dance move comes to mind. They start to wonder about the guy with the shell suit, baseball cap on backwards and sunglasses singing about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. My hope and prayer is that this memory leads them towards Jesus, into the arms of the one who can truly save.
So, be brave, make your Messy Church music memorable, because you never know the impact it might have on someone’s future.
Joe Aiken (aka MC J Messy)
Backgroud image: Ben Mansfield
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