Playfully Serious

04 July 2019

Significant new research from the Church Army’s Research Unit confirms the serious effectiveness of Messy Church. Playfully Serious: How Messy Churches create new space for faith proves that Messy Church is not ‘just a bit of fun’, as some critics persist in believing.

Rather, Messy Church is reaching people who weren’t previously attending church, growing disciples and modelling new patterns of leadership, and it is doing so across a wide range of economic and social contexts.

Founded in 2004 by Lucy Moore, and supported throughout its remarkable development by the Bible Reading Fellowship, Messy Church now numbers over 2,800 registered groups in England and some 3,500 worldwide.

Playfully Serious, which published 21 February 2019, is the result of a two-year research project by the Church Army's Research Unit, commissioned by the Archbishops’ Council and led by Claire Dalpra. According to the Church Army’s own statement, it ‘documents at a high level what we have learnt about the effects of Messy Church'.

‘I’m thrilled that the report recognises what we’ve been hearing from churches for the last 14 years: Messy Church is working.’ - Lucy Moore, Founder of Messy Church

To read the whole report download here.

To read more from the Bible Reading Fellowship click here.

Take a look at Messy Church here.