Muddy Church is about each group in their own community.  We all have a voice, experience, ideas and stories to share.  However, there are a few of us over in the main Muddy Puddle keeping things going in the background....

Lucie Hutson is the founder of Muddy Church and has been involved in church ministry for over 30 years.

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She has an MA in Mission, Ministry and Practice as well as Post Graduate qualifications in Education and also Children & Young People Integrated Practice.  Lucie is a qualified HE teacher and also has a BA(Hons) in Youth and Community Work with Applied Theology.  She has a JNC in Youthwork.

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Lucie lived as a missionary for a number of years overseas and it is all of these experiences that come together to form the ideas, ethos and values behind Muddy Church.

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Lucie is available to talk to about Muddy Church as well as offering services as a consultant.  She is experienced in preaching, teaching and speaking at seminars in the UK and overseas. Find out more about Lucie and the range of services, training and consultancy she offers.

Wendy Coleman is the research lead at Muddy Church, having been one of the first Muddy Church facilitators to join forces with Lucie. Wendy has been a children and family worker for 12 years, starting out as a volunteer whilst running her own business.

Wendy was Licensed Lay Evangelist in 2012 and took a certificate in Children’s ministry in 2013, along with accredited Godly Play training. In 2019 Wendy was licensed as Reader, in recognition of the significant ministry she had developed with children and families over the preceding years.

On appointment as Children’s Minister at St. Andrew’s Church, Rugby in 2016, Wendy passed on her business so that she could concentrate fully on ministry. Wendy started studying for a BA (hons) Contextual Ministry and Practical Theology in 2017, where she met Lucie.

A conversation with former rector Revd Imogen Nay, (Now canon of Evangelism and Discipleship at Chelmsford Cathedral) recognised the mental health benefits of getting families back out into nature. It was decided due to the town centre location of St. Andrew’s Church, that Muddy Church would be a good name. On finding out that Lucie had already set up Muddy Church they immediately linked in with her. St. Andrew’s were awarded two years of funding from Saltley trust in 2019, to research and develop Muddy Church work.

Wendy is an advocate for Godly Play UK and has previously offered introduction training days. She works alongside Revd Peter Privett at St. Andrew’s Church. Peter is international trainer and co-founder of Godly Play UK. Godly Play and Children’s Spirituality principles are therefore at the centre of all of Wendy’s ministry.

Wendy would love to hear your Muddy Church stories for our research. I wonder….what has been good? What has surprised you? What might you need help with? You can contact Wendy via email: childrenanfamily@rugbychurch.org.uk

Hannah is a teacher – currently teaching English and Religious Studies at an independent school in Northampton

· She obtained her PGCE from the University of Warwick

· Prior to training as a teacher, she worked as a lawyer and investigator in competition and economic regulation for the Office of Fair Trading and the telecoms regulator Ofcom, and before that she was a solicitor in private practice

· Hannah’s undergraduate degree was in Religion with Literature – and this is what she has returned to in her teaching and work with children and families through Muddy Church

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· She has a masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy and has practised voluntarily as a counsellor in prison and alcohol advisory settings

· Hannah and her husband John moved to Warwickshire 10 years ago to be nearer to John’s children

· The move also enabled them to explore pastoral work centred around experience of animals and nature at their smallholding May Blossom Farm, just outside Rugby

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· Hannah is a member of St Andrew’s, an Anglican church in Rugby’s town centre

· She has worked with St Andrew’s Children and Families minister Wendy Coleman to develop a Muddy Church group as part of St Andrew’s mission to be at the heart of its community