CHILDREN got stuck in at Messy Church in the Methodist Schoolroom at Tintagel last Friday.

Messy Church aims to be fun and informative, providing a simple introduction to what Christians believe and why.

At many of the Messy Churches, a whole range of crafts, connected to the Bible story, are on offer, as well as different themes for the children to try. However, at Tintagel, because the majority of regularly attending families have very young children, mostly under the age of eight and pre-schoolers, the activities tend to be tackled together.

Recently, the group thought about ‘does God really care about us?’ They looked at the story that Jesus told of the lost sheep, and searched for a flock of sheep puppets hidden around the church, and, with their help, told the story.

A frieze was made together, using palm and finger printing techniques and sticking on cut-out sheep, coloured and crafted by the children and their parents.

Older children and ‘handy’ parents can partake in more demanding crafts with power tools, and more sophisticated techniques may be on offer. But at Tintagel, the groups enjoy doing the simpler tasks together.

The group also learned a song and heard a real-life story about experiencing God’s love — all very simple, but very much enjoyed by all concerned.

Rev Doreen M Sparey-Delcassa said: “Why not come along and try it? If you have rather older children, you might like to try our messy churches at Camelford, Week St Mary or Canworthy Water — or we can adapt out Tintagel Messy Church to a broader clientele.

“However old you are, Messy Church is fun!”