While Messy Church is popular among all sorts of people, I was still rather nervous about placing it for discussion before the students on the summer school of the Theological Institute of the Scottish Episcopalian Church. Not being a theologian or an ecclesiologist, I panic when the depth of my ignorance is revealed. (QED I spend much of my time panicking.)
And as soon as I got to know the students a little, I realised that here was a group of people I respected and admired and I knew I would be upset if they poured cold water on the idea of Messy Church, as their good opinion was worth having.
Interestingly, the Messy Church sessions were happening in the context of the wider theme of interfaith dialogue: maybe there is some tenuous link with Messy Church about learning from people whose outlook on life is very different from our own.
I needn’t have worried. The conversation was positive and open, informed, warm and receptive, and an email from the Director of Studies afterwards kindly told me the students were unanimous in their enthusiasm for Messy Church and were still talking about it in the Epilogue session at the end of the week. Messy revival in Scotland?
You may also like
Messy Momentum Autumn Update
17th Nov 2025Catch up on the story so far with our latest research project.
Messy Mary’s Mission to the Philippines
14th Nov 2025Mary Judkins is a member of our volunteer support team and leads a Messy Church Goes Wild in Cornwall. Read all about her recent mission trip to the Philippines.
When disaster strikes
24th Oct 2025Aike draws comparisons between a recent visit to Pompeii and warning signs in our Messy Churches!
Making Messy Music Memorable
26th Aug 2025Whilst 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.
