Monthly Archive June 2017

ByCRE

At last! Jonathan Veira to perform at CRE

At home singing opera at Glyndebourne and Gospel at Gold Hill Baptist, Jonathan Veira’s considerable vocal and comic talents make him a hugely popular performer.

He has performed across the globe in a variety of musical styles from Mozart to John Adams. In addition to operatic roles, Jonathan regularly broadcasts on BBC radio and TV He has recorded numerous cds and contributed to TV programmes across many genres, including light entertainment and religious broadcasting, particularly BBC TV’s Songs of Praise.

His Christian faith has been an essential part of his life and work and he has recorded a number of albums with something to suit all tastes, from traditional hymns and carols to blues and gospel.

‘It will be great to be at CRE2017 with my old friend Cindy Kent MBE (who will host Cindy’s Bar) and “All Kinds of Everything” legend Dana,’ said Jonathan. ‘It’s intriguing to wander round the exhibition, checking out the extraordinary range of resources available to the church today. Every need is met – from chairs and candles, to hymn books and, this year, me! I look forward to performing a short programme of what I can offer to the modern church – and renewing many friendships.’

Jonathan will be a guest on Cindy’s Sofa at lunchtime on Wed 18 Oct, before performing at 3pm on the same afternoon. His books and CDs will also be available.

ByCRE

Cut the clutter! Put it on an app

Mobile apps can simplify church communications and help you reach and engage new members.

So says James Dickson, founder of CRE exhibitor Piota (Put it on the App), makers of high quality, affordable mobile apps for churches, schools, charities and local community organisations.

‘Keeping your congregation engaged and in touch is not easy,’ said James, who worked in finance for 20 years before setting up Piota. ‘They want to hear from you but their inboxes are crowded. Add to that a young adult demographic that doesn’t do email, a website which broadcasts information but can’t personalise it and ever-decreasing attention spans. Even the most inspiring or urgent material goes unread.’

If you are struggling to cover everyone through a mix of emails, texts, Facebook feeds and website announcements, you already know the problem!

‘You need a high-quality mobile app versatile enough to double up as both a messaging centre and information hub for your congregation, volunteers and wider church family,’ contends James.

‘Our church app, which we will demonstrate at CRE, is your one-stop shop. It speeds up communications in rich formats, directly to everyone with the app or specific sub-groups. It’s a quick reference source with immediate access to everything people need to know, from meeting timings to last week’s sermon, to how to donate. It is affordable and should even pay for itself in cost and time savings.’

* Piota will be on stand S57 at CRE2017

ByCRE

Rachel and team consider ‘revival’ among young people

TED-style talks on school missions, worship for all ages and intentional discipleship are among a host of subjects covered in the Youth Zone at CRE2017.

Open all day for three days, the zone will feature a range of speakers including:

Rachel Gardner (pictured above), Relationships Lead at Youthscape and president of the Girls Brigade, who will share from her long experience in engaging with young people in tough-to-talk-about topics.

Jamie Sewell of Message Trust, who will outline his work with young people in mission. Jamie has many years’ experience as a youth pastor and is developing the trust’s mission teams, reaching and discipling young people.

Laura Hancock of Youth for Christ, who will explore current youth culture in relation to the local church.

CRE’s Youth Zone comes at a time when new figures show one young person in six self identifies as a practising Christian. The statistics show that 13 per cent of 11 to 18-year-olds say they are regular churchgoers and more than one in five (21 per cent) describe themselves as active followers of Jesus.

The study, commissioned by the HOPE Revolution partnership and carried out by ComRes, suggests that a commitment to Christianity is much higher among young people than previously thought. Another study, Youth for Christ’s Gen Z: Rethinking Culture research, showed similar results, suggesting that a surprisingly high number of young people still describe themselves as Christian.

‘We will look in depth at the results of our survey and take time to explore what it means for local churches in their attempts to engage with current youth culture,’ said YFC’s Laura Hancock, who will also lead the zone. ‘We will consider how best to take the good news of Jesus to a fresh generation of young people.’

Youth Zone exhibitors include:

Bible Education Services
Sandyholme
The Treasure Box People
Discover Archery
iSingPOP
Pulse Ministries
Hope Now
Nicodemus
Youth For Christ

ByCRE

‘Card-carrying’ gospel duo set for Cindy’s Bar

From Croydon to Esher, via Germany, Italy, Poland, Jamaica and the USA – that’s the journey of Clif and Marie Reid, special guests at CRE 2017.

Surrounded by church choirs from birth, the duo started singing and playing at an early age in south London. Their love for music was further influenced by Thomas Whitfield, The Winans, Fred Hammond, Donnie McClurkin, Yolanda Adams and the Clarke Sisters. Accomplished and exuberant vocalists in their own right, Clif is now a sought-after keyboard player. They have also produced their own album, If Only, offering upbeat urban Gospel.

Married in 1998, they have also launched My Truth, a conversational card game for married couples. Marie invented the game after writing subject headings on paper, screwing them up and challenging Clif to share his views on the subjects in question.

‘I was amazed and surprised at some of the insights Clif shared,’ admitted Marie. ‘Even after 17 years of marriage, I really saw his heart on issues more deeply. If this ‘game’ could bring out new insights for us I figured it could do the same for other couples.’

‘Answering the questions really made me dig deep,’ admitted Clif. ‘Marie and I have a strong marriage but this game made it stronger.’

The couple will sing each lunchtime in Cindy’s Bar, a dedicated venue offering entertainment and conversation, hosted by Rev Cindy Kent MBE.

‘CRE is a fantastic place to meet people and discover new ideas and resources,’ said Marie. ‘Seeing so many organisations in one place, focused on strengthening and supporting the church, is truly inspiring. We are honoured to share our music and card game, to help touch and heal hearts and relationships.’

ByCRE

All kinds of everything… for all types of church

Irish singer Dana opened CRE in 1993 (see picture) and, we’re delighted she will do the same again – cutting the tape on an exhibition that offers all kinds of everything for all types of churches.

Dana will be with us for three days, where she will be interviewed by Rev Cindy Kent MBE about her wide-ranging career in music and politics and take part in various special events.

As Ireland’s first winner of the prestigious Eurovision Song Contest, the school girl from Derry became an overnight singing star, with a number one record throughout Europe. Years of recording success followed with chart-topping albums and singles and she hosted her own hit series, A Day Out with Dana (BBC), andWake Up Sunday (BBC).

In the midst of a successful mainstream career, Dana started to speak publicly about her faith. She and husband Damien began writing songs together, including Totus Tuus – inspired by the motto of the Late Pope John Paul II.

In 1987, Dana was invited to lead 86,000 young people in singing Totus Tuus for Pope John Paul II in the New Orleans’s Super Dome. Around this time, she was also invited to sing at three of Dr. Billy Graham’s Crusades, two in the US, and one in London’s Wembley Stadium in the UK.

During the 1990s, she entered the world of politics, securing a nomination to run in the 1997 Irish Presidential election, the first non-political, non-party candidate ever to do so. She campaigned on protecting the Christian family values and life enshrined in the Irish Constitution, and earned a respectable 14 per cent of the votes, beating one of Ireland’s major political parties. In 1999, she was subsequently elected as a Member of the European Parliament, representing Ireland’s Connacht-Ulster constituency from 1999 to 2004.

Dana and her husband Damien have their own new music production company called DS Music Productions. She has remained close to her Irish roots, working tirelessly for peace and Christian family values.