Messy Togetherness: Being intergenerational in Messy Church

Published 15th October 2025 by Nina Seaman

by Martyn Payne and Chris Barnett

Unpacks the theory and practice of intergenerational church in the Messy Church context.

Why do more and more people advocate the idea that the generations should explore faith together, and what does the Bible have to say about this? How does this fit with our inherited model of age-related groups for learning and discipleship? And is it really practical and possible to have an experience of church where the youngest to the oldest share the same meeting space, service theme and time to worship? Edited by Aike Kennett-Brown, in Messy Togetherness Martyn Payne discusses Messy Church as an intergenerational expression of church and the benefits of this to the church community. He explores current thinking about faith development and give a biblical rationale for the all-age approach, offering practical advice and sharing stories and ideas from across the Messy Church network. In this revised and updated edition, Chris Barnett provides a brand-new chapter on being intentionally intergenerational.

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