New film shows how Messy Church is popular with families in Rochdale

Messy Church in Kirkholt

The Diocese of Manchester has launched a short film featuring Messy Church in Kirkholt, Rochdale led by The Revd Angela Bryan.

Messy Church is a form of church for children and adults that involves creativity, celebration and hospitality. The film illustrates how this form of church, that has grown in popularity over the last few years, works in practice, often reaching families who have no previous connection with church.

Called Spotlight on Messy Church, the film is the second of a new series from Manchester Diocese that highlights areas of ministry that might not be familiar to all.

In the video, Angela Bryan explains: “We hope to meet people where they are and offer something that they need: community, family, activities and a place to belong and feel welcome. This is a congregation in itself. It’s not a feeder for proper church, this is proper church. If Jesus walked in here now he would love it. He’d get stuck in with the glue, the paint and the cotton wool balls.”

Rt Revd Chris Edmondson, Bishop of Bolton and Bishops’ national advocate for Fresh Expressions, said: “Messy Church – of which there are now nearly 3000 across the UK – is one of the most significant examples of fresh expressions of church. It’s part of the mixed economy of church that I believe we need to see developing in every parish, if we are to reach with the love of Jesus the thousands of people for whom church simply isn’t on their radar.”