Worthen Church is a vibrant church community that has been offering Messy Church for a number of years. The Messy Church is led by two church wardens, Ann and Vicky Jones, and is a core part of the church’s ministry in the community, where it seeks to serve others and, hopefully, transform lives.
Messy Church began in the local church school as an after-school programme but has evolved into something deeper, leading the church community to take the bold decision to relocate to the church building itself.
‘We wanted these children and parents to experience the church building and feel comfortable in it,’ explains Revd David Moss, Rector of Worthen. ‘The church isn’t just a building for Sunday worship—it’s a place for community, learning and growing together in faith.’ Despite a small reduction in numbers following the move, Messy Church continues to thrive with approximately twenty adults attending, each bringing one or more children.
During the summer months, Messy Church transforms into Muddy Church, a style of worship that is centred around a campfire in the recently cleared church field.
‘There’s something deeply spiritual about gathering around a fire in God’s creation,’ says David. ‘The children connect with faith in different ways when they’re outdoors. Muddy Church gives us opportunities to teach biblical principles through nature that you simply can’t replicate indoors.’
‘For me as rector, it’s about seeing where God is at work and being willing to try different or new things.’ As this Messy Church continues to evolve, he says, ‘We are gently introducing more traditional church elements of worship while maintaining the welcoming, accessible atmosphere that has made it successful.
‘We’re not in a rush to make dramatic changes. Each term, we try to make it a little more church and a little less ‘youth club.’ It’s a gentle journey of discipleship that respects where people are in their faith journey.
For David, discipleship means ‘walking with’ and not ‘preaching to’. ‘We are walking with the families in Worthen on their own individual journeys; we are praying that those journeys will lead them to the foot of the cross but know this might take some time.’
As yet the children’s work hasn’t delivered an increase to the Sunday congregation, and it’s important to recognise that for the people who go to Messy Church, that is their church. ‘The main thing is that they recognise that they are loved. We want them to know that we are genuinely interested in and care for them. Through Messy Church we’re showing how local churches can serve the everyday faith of people by meeting them where they are and creating meaningful connections beyond traditional Sunday services.’
Adapted with kind permission from an original article published on: 22nd April 2025 © Diocese of Hereford https://www.hereford.anglican.org/news/faith-in-motion-charting-the-evolution-of-worthens-messy-church.php
You may also like
Lis Telcs is the children and families minister at St Nicholas’ Church in Saltdean near Brighton, a highly inclusive – look them up on www.achurchnearyou.com – warmly welcoming anglo-Catholic congregation. Lis recently contacted the Messy Church support team to ask them to pray for a very special occasion: Holly and daughter Lily had asked to be baptised in a Messy Church celebration. With their kind permission, Lis shares their story.
Lydia Harrison is the children and family work enabler in the Goole and Selby Methodist Circuit. There are five Messy Churches in the circuit and Lydia also volunteers with the Messy Church national team as a reader and writer and prayer team co-ordinator. ‘Prayer’ she says, ‘is completely integral to all of that’, so who better to talk to about the Messy perspective on prayer.
Read about the first year of an ecumenical Messy Church meeting in a community centre on an estate.
