Messy Togetherness, by Martyn Payne and Chris Barnett 

Essential reading that will encourage those who are already doing Messy Church, and give practical guidance to those who are thinking about how they can best encourage families for whom church is not on their agenda

Messy Togetherness - Being intergenerational in Messy Church
By Martyn Payne and Chris Barnett 
BRF Ministries
ISBN 978 180039 002 7
Reviewed by Martin M’Caw 

 
Messy Church has nothing to do with the efficiency of church or chapel caretakers and cleaners. It’s the overall name given to the radical alteration of the orders of service and rituals in order to integrate children, teenagers,and adults who are regular worshippers along with those who, individually or collectively, have no church or faith background. There are three major parts: Messy togetherness and why we do it, Messy togetherness and how we do it, and Messy togetherness explored through three messy church sessions.  Each part has several pertinent sub-sections. 
 
It is more than giving church a modern intergenerational setting. Within the context of current safeguarding practices the benefits of an intergenerational messy church can be huge. In Chapter 2 the title is Bringing the generations together: it’s important.  Some of the sub-sections are Not just for children and carers, Encountering difference, and Modelling faith.
 
Messy Togetherness is easy to read. The book includes a summary of how messy church evolved through family services, and all age services to messy church as we see it today. It is a creative part of how churches can be dealing with declining attendance, growing secularisation, and Sunday becoming an alternative Saturday.
 
The book consists of several short sections within each chapter such as Bringing the generations together:  it’s important,  Learning  togetherness and why we do it each other,  Eating together, and Discipling together, Moving forward as an intentionally intergenerational messy church.  It has a dual aspect in explaining what messy church is, and helping churches to work out their version of messy church in the cultural context of their situation.
 
There is a Baptist church in North Wales that has been running messy church for 12 months.  The activities are aimed at children aged between 3 and 11, with crèche space for younger ones as well as games that teenagers will enjoy. Their informative advert concludes with ‘so bring the whole family’. 

The minister told me it has been a real blessing with 50-70 people attending – two thirds of whom are not in any church. The minister told me ‘God has certainly blessed us and the community as we have reached out  with the love of God and the Gospel of Jesus.  A number have come to church and to other events and joined the fellowship. It’s exciting to see people coming in and hearing about Jesus and the love of God and having fun together.’

Given the increasing secularisation of society I believe Messy Togetherness is essential reading that will encourage those who are already doing it and give practical guidance to those who are thinking about how they can best encourage families for whom church is not on their agenda. 
 

The Revd Dr Martin M’Caw is a retired Baptist minister, and Wing Chaplain to No2 Welsh Wing RAF Cadets, also retired