VALUES
Christ-centred: Messy Church is a church, not a craft club, that helps people encounter Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
All-ages: It is for adults and children to enjoy together – every element should be relevant and accessible to all ages.
Creativity: It uses hands-on activities to explore Bible stories, to reflect a God of creativity and to give people a chance to play together.
Hospitality: It reflects a God of unconditional love and is a church for people outside church, providing an oasis of welcome and a safe space in which to thrive. Messy Church is about hospitality, expressed most evidently by eating together – whether it’s a plate of sandwiches to share, spaghetti dinner or other prepared meal.
Celebration: It reflects a God of joy who wants his people to have life in all its fullness.
AIMS
Messy Church happens once a month, with the following aims:
- To provide an opportunity for people of all ages to worship together
- To help people of all ages feel they belong in church and to each other
- To help people have fun and be creative together
- To introduce Jesus through hospitality, friendship, stories and worship
PRINCIPLES
Messy Church is not a stepping-stone into existing congregations, but it is a congregation in its own right.
Messy Church is ecumenical and seeks to work with all Canadian Christian churches.
