A Suffolk Benefice’s popular Messy Church has celebrated its tenth anniversary.
The Messy Church at Hoxne, held in the village hall at Syleham and Wingford, was launched in 2014 and celebrated its anniversary on September 1. Every month, children and their parents gather to take part in a range of fun craft activities, from finger painting to decorating greetings cards.
Revd Canon Eleanor Goodison, Priest-in-Charge of the Hoxne Benefice, said: “One of the great things about Messy Church is it is for families. Parents bring their children along, and they have lots of fun, but they stay to chat and have a cup of tea too. It’s a wonderful way for all the families and parents to socialise and get to know each other and to welcome new families to the church and wider community.”
Revd Canon Goodison said the Messy Church had become a hugely popular monthly event since it was launched and that activities even carried on throughout the Covid-19 pandemic thanks to its dedicated volunteers.
“It has been held in the same village hall the entire ten years, the only time it wasn’t was during lockdown,” she said. “Even during this difficult time, Messy Church continued – we sent out videos on Facebook with a story, a prayer and instructions on the different crafts the children were doing. We then delivered packages with the materials they needed – it worked really very well.”
Archdeacon Rich Henderson was among the guests to attend the anniversary celebrations at the packed village hall on Sunday.
“We had 19 children and their families who regularly attend Messy Church as well as one new family with their daughter,” said Revd Canon Goodison. “It was a fabulous celebration and we all had a great time – we showed a video from the lockdown period, took part in lots of crafts, had singing and a prayer and a scrummy tea with cakes.”
Archdeacon Rich said, "It was a joy to join in with the Hoxne benefice Messy church 10th anniversary celebrations, seeing children, young people and adults being together, through craft, story, song prayer games and food. Messy Church groups are offered in many of our churches throughout Suffolk often reaching out to families with young children in rural and isolated areas offering welcome and support with opportunities to grow together as God’s people".
Rich added "Messy Church is just one example of Growing Younger with all age worship in a multi parish rural Benefice. We are delighted that Lucy Moore the founder of Messy Church, who now leads the Church of England's Growing Faith Foundation, will be the keynote speaker at our diocesan Growing Younger conference on March 8, 2025. Full details of the day will be available in January, so for now please do save the date".