_D2B0797There was enthusiastic support for Messy Church at St Budoc Church near Falmouth when parishioners from Budock Water, Mawnan Smith and Feock joined together to learn more about setting up their own congregations.

Nearly 20 people attended to hear Shelley Porter, Diocese of Truro Discipleship Project Officer, explain how Messy Church works and provide advice and support as to how the three parishes could begin their own Messy Churches.

Messy Church aims to bring whole families together once a month to enjoy a couple of hours of messy, fun activities which are based around a Bible story and this is followed by singing and a meal together.

Shelley said: “With modern family life becoming so busy, coming to a traditional Sunday morning service is not always possible and often the traditional service can be daunting for families who feel they need to keep their children still and quiet. While that’s certainly not the case, Messy Church was suggested as one way of reaching out to families and offering them an appealing alternative.”

With over 2,000 Messy Churches across the UK and in more than 18 countries, Budock, Mawnan and Feock have plenty of examples to follow.

Budock Church has been very eager to move with the times and has had a large screen and projector installed to allow for more visual and creative services and there is an active junior church and Saturday night youth group. It is hoped that Messy Church will enable them to expand their activities and welcome more of their community in, especially the children at the nearby church school.

Tina Mead from Budock said: “It has felt as if we have been missing a generation of people and we hope Messy Church might help us bridge that gap and welcome more of our community in.”

Shelley said: “Messy Church is not a gateway into traditional services. It is a congregation in its own right but it’s always good when there is support from all corners. We are keen to stress that Messy Church isn’t just for the children. It is for the whole family to enjoy and there are lots of fun activities for the Dads as well!”
For anyone wanting more information on Messy Church there is more information on the Diocese website – www.trurodiocese.org or there is a facebook page – Messychurch