Sally Hockinson

Messy Church

Community Stories
Messy Church participants are led in activities such as crafts, games, and interactive play. Messy Church participants are led in activities such as crafts, games, and interactive play.

The first Messy Church began in 2004 at a church in England that imagined a new way
to connect with local families that were not coming to Sunday morning worship. The
people of the parish used their creative gifts and hospitality. Since their first season of
experimenting, Messy Church has evolved into a global movement that is reaching
people of all ages with new ways of encountering the Gospel of Jesus through art,
discovery, story, song, and fellowship. 
 

I learned about Messy Church while participating in Fresh Expressions training and
traveling with a Learning from London cohort in 2023. As a minister for children, youth
and families, I was eager to find new ways to meet the needs of people who are moving
farther away from including Sunday morning worship in their weekly rhythm. Messy
Church offers an innovative approach, but also two decades of established learnings
from experiments and implementation, so I didn’t have to start from scratch. I love that
Messy Church is rooted in the creativity of Anglicans, but also that it is a Christ-centered
community that has become an ecumenical movement around the world. 
 

When I registered Trinity Episcopal Church in Excelsior with Messy Church USA, we
became the only Minnesota location in their directory. At our first two gatherings we
celebrated the attendance of 10-15 people. In October we explored the parable of the
Mustard Seed, and in the present moment it feels as though our Messy Church has only
just been planted in the field. There is reason to have faith that someday its roots will
grow just as deep as the ancient pattern of worship I celebrate with my parish on
Sunday mornings. It is exciting to be at the beginning of something so new, and to feel
connected to a global community of courageous and imaginative disciples willing to
forge a new path to share Jesus with those outside the institutional church, or those
who have disengaged. As sure as I am that the future invites us to innovate in order to
speak to new generations, the strength of our inherited tradition keeps me grounded
and centered in the timeless story of God’s love for our world. 

If you would like to experience Messy Church at Trinity, we invite you to join our time of
welcome, creativity, celebration, and fellowship! We meet monthly on 2nd Saturdays at
5:00 pm. We welcome EVERYONE of ANY AGE to encounter God through hands-on
art and sensory activities. We then worship through song, story, and prayer. After
worship, we gather around a table for a shared meal. Upcoming dates for Messy
Church are November 16* (please note that this is a 3 rd Saturday), December 14, and
January 11. If you would like to learn more, I would LOVE to connect with you! My email
is sally@trinityexcelsior.org. Messy Church is an expression of God’s love and joy that can be as simple as you need to make it. It will be as rich as the gifts God has given
your faith community.