Yearly Archive 2020

Pandemic sparks transformation of parish magazine

In the year of ‘more tech, vicar?’ live streaming has become essential for church services and even the humble church magazine has been digitally transformed.

According to a recent poll by CRE exhibitor parishpump.co.uk, who supply graphics and editorial material to nearly 1800 church publications, many magazines have coped surprisingly well during lockdown. 

In March, the Church of England warned against paper delivery of magazines because of Covid-19. ‘For this reason, parishes are encouraged to look to digital communication…’ said the notice. In response, Parish Pump subscribers report that a quarter of parish magazines ceased publication but around two-thirds went digital or are now producing both printed and digital versions.

Anne Coomes, Parish Pump’s editor, said: ‘It is great news that so many have gone digital – we warmly welcome it. Far from stopping your church magazine production during this crisis, we think it is critical to keep it going. People all over the country are now more isolated from their local church family than they have ever been in their lives.  A church magazine can help keep them in touch with each other.

‘In fact, we hope that many of the churches who at first decided to simply stop their magazines will now reconsider, and at least try the digital option for a few months. Of the hundreds of church magazine editors to have gone digital, many are attracting new readers at this time.’

Click here for more information.

• Parish Pump will be exhibiting at CRE South West 2021 (Westpoint, Exeter, 17-18 Mar) and CRE National 2021 (Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey, 12-14 Oct)

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‘Final flight’ for MAF founder

On the day Mission Aviation Fellowship celebrated 75 years since its inception, it also recorded the sad death of one of its founders – 98-year-old Stuart King.

Stuart had joined the RAF in 1941 in the early days of the Second World War and was hoping to be a pilot. However, because he had a degree in engineering, the interviewer told him that, while men could be taught to be a pilot in six months, it took three years for them to become an engineer.

When he left the air force after six years he rejected a call to take up a permanent commission in the RAF to join a small group of people determined to provide support for missionaries in isolated areas – Mission Aviation Fellowship.

It was only then that he learnt to fly, in a de Havilland Tiger Moth. With Jack Hemmings, a war-time pilot, they took off from Croydon Airport on a rain-swept day in January 1948 for the first flight in a MAF aircraft – a twin-engine Miles Gemini. It was to be a nine-month survey flight across Africa, surveying isolated areas to which MAF would eventually be flying. The pair went to Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Kenya and what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo to prove that aircraft could make a difference.

MAF, a regular exhibitor at CRE, now flies to more than 1,400 remote locations in 26 developing countries – more destinations than the six largest airlines in the world combined –supporting more than 2,000 missionaries and humanitarian aid organisations. Every four minutes an MAF plane is taking off or landing somewhere in the world

Stuart was to become a leading figure as MAF UK expanded, taking part in surveys in Kenya, Ethiopia, Chad and Tanzania. He worked for 12 years in Sudan before returning to the UK to become the mission’s president emeritus in 1987.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rev Justin Welby, said of him: ‘Stuart’s tremendous contribution to the founding of MAF has had a profound impact on the ministry of many people across the world and in the Anglican Communion.’

Stuart’s experiences are recorded in his book Hope Has Wings (Marshall Pickering).

Click here for more information

• Mission Aviation Fellowship will be exhibiting at CRE South Wes 2021 (Westpoint, Exeter 17-18 Mar 2021)

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Don’t let ‘egg and spoon’ streaming speed spoil your services

You may have all the latest gear to stream church services but if your internet speed is slower than an egg and spoon race, you will have wasted your money.

So says Dan Herbert of DSAV, exhibitors at CRE South West 2021 and CRE National 2021. 

‘You may have heard the terminology SD, HD, 4K and now even 8K which all relate to display resolution,’ he said. ‘A 4K display, for example, will have a greater number of pixels than a 720p display of equal area and will therefore appear sharper with greater image detail.  The key to remember is, the greater the pixel count, the higher the resolution, the better the image quality.’

Failure to consider the correct integration of 4K-capable equipment into a wider visual system may result in needless cost with little benefit.

‘We recently visited a church that had bought a 4K switcher and cameras,’ said Dan, ‘but as their existing projector and displays supported a maximum resolution of only 720p, and their internet speed was slower than an egg and spoon race, they saw zero benefit.

‘Budget is a key factor but you don’t have to look far to see that adding a camera and associated equipment could cost you many thousands of pounds. However, there are continuing advances in technology and cost-effective solutions are available that don’t compromise on quality. There’s never been a more important time to ensure good stewardship by investing in the right solution.’

If you are contemplating investing in 4K, particularly for streaming services, these are DSAV’s top tips:

• Check the resolution of your existing AV equipment – Some 4K switchers/mixers require input and output resolutions to match, therefore all items of equipment must be capable of displaying at 4K.

•  Check your target output – Scaling switchers mixers that upscale to match your chosen display resolution are available. However, the target output needs to be considered, particularly if you are feeding both a live stream and displays with the same content.

•  Check your internet connection will handle 4K without buffering – To stream 4K you will need a minimum 25MBps upload speed. For live 4K broadcasts however, at least 50Mbps is recommended.

•  Check that your laptop/media-player supports 4K – Most laptops aren’t 4K-compatible and old Blu-Ray players cannot play the new format 4K Blu-Ray discs.

•  Check your storage capacity – 4K video files are large and if you intend to keep them on your system you will need extra storage capacity.  This is important if you are planning to playback or record content locally.

•  Check your content resolution – Presentation content will display at its native resolution (e.g. a photograph or image with a 720p resolution will be displayed as 720p even on a 4K display).

Click here for more information

• DSAV are exhibiting at CRE South West 2021 (17-18 Mar) National 2021 (12-14 Oct 2021)

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Ofsted ‘misapplied law’ in connection with Christian adoption agency

An evangelical Christian fostering agency has won the right to retain its religious ethos.

The High Court rejected Ofsted’s attempt to force Cornerstone North East Adoption and Fostering Service to work with non-evangelical Christian carers. But while the court ruled that Ofsted’s attempt to get Christian organisations to abandon faith when they enter the public square was out of order, they also ruled that Cornerstone cannot require carers to abide by its Christian beliefs on appropriate sexual conduct.

Cornerstone North East, an exhibitor at CRE National 2021, welcomed the court’s ruling confirming that the organisation can continue to require carers to sign up to its statement of faith but will consider appealing on the sexual conduct issue. 

The ruling vindicates the decision by Cornerstone to take legal action against Ofsted over an inspection report demanding that the agency abandon its religious ethos. Despite previously being rated ‘Good’ in all areas, the report issued in June 2019 downgraded Cornerstone’s fostering work to ‘Requires Improvement’. It accused the charity of unlawful discrimination because it only recruits evangelical Christian carers. Ofsted also said it was discriminatory for Cornerstone to require its carers to abide by its code of conduct on living consistently with the charity’s Christian beliefs about marriage between a man and a woman. Cornerstone claimed that Ofsted had misapplied the law. 

Under the Equality Act 2010, religious charities may restrict ‘the provision of benefits’ to those who share their faith and beliefs. Cornerstone’s right to rely on these provisions was endorsed by the Charity Commission in January 2011. 

Speaking after the judgment was handed down, Cornerstone’s chairwoman, Revd Sheila Bamber, said: ‘The judgment justifies our decision to pursue this legal action. Our right to support Christian families in providing the best possible outcomes for vulnerable children and young people has been upheld. But I am saddened that the fundamental place of biblically-based Christian marriage in our beliefs has not been recognised.’

A spokesperson for Cornerstone said: ‘Everybody at Cornerstone is a practicing Christian so we can understand and support our families as they fulfil a call from God to foster or adopt. It’s important to make it clear that children in our care can, of course, have any or no religion and we do not try to convert them in any way.’ Cornerstone is not yet an adoption agency, however the majority of children placed with its foster carers go on and adopt the children in their care. This means that the charity stops receiving money from local authorities when a fostering placement turns into adoption. 

Cornerstone specialises in so-called ‘hard-to-place’ children, including large sibling groups, children with complex medical needs and disabilities. The organisation will be at CRE National 2021 to meet Christians from all over the UK who are already foster carers and would like to transfer to an agency that can fully support them. It is also interested in meeting Christians who are interested in fostering.

Click here for more information

• Cornerstone North East Adoption and Fostering Service will be exhibiting at CRE National 2021 (Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey, 12-14 Oct)

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Retired but not redundant: unearth your new role

When Dave Carlos stopped working he was determined not to come to a grinding halt – and those experiences form the backcloth to his CRE At Home 2020 online seminar Retired but not Redundant.

Now available to view on the CRE YouTube channel, the seminar will be helpful to those considering imminent retirement and others who have retired but are finding it unfulfilling. It also provides useful advice for churches wanting to help mobilise members who are in similar situations.

‘Retirement is not what is used to be,’ said Dave, now 68. ‘People develop skills and expertise over the years, and it can be helpful to identify areas in which their retirement can be personally rewarding and of great use to church and community.’

With a lifetime of interest in computers – in the early 1980s he was editor of Home Computing Weekly – Dave started his own PR company, advising producers of computer games, before moving to Christian charities Agapé UK and then Care for the Family.

His talks on cyber security have been welcomed by many organisations and he has also teamed up with Lancashire Police, helping to train new officers. On top of all this, he is a leader in his local church and helps run a computer clinic, along with other computer enthusiasts! They meet regularly in a local pub, inviting anyone with a problem computer, or who has difficulties with an application, to pop in and allow them to sort it out.

‘This gives me the opportunity to gently give a Christian prod to those I am helping and also to those working with me,’ he said.

The key to knowing what to do when retiring, he maintains, is not just about the person’s skills and interests, but prayer.

‘The individual must pray about his or her circumstances,’ he said, ‘and local church leaders should certainly pray for those they know who are about to retire.’

Retirement is not simply about finding something to do that is fulfilling, he points out, but to becoming involved in something which provides opportunities for evangelism and simply helping others. The seminar is a valuable aid, reflecting Dave’s personal experience, and provides many helpful tips for those approaching ‘the great change’. It is one of more than 20 seminars available on CRE TV in the week beginning Mon 12 Oct 2020 – when CRE National 2020 should have taken place but for Covid-19. The seminars will remain available for months to come.

Click here to watch Retired but not Redundant by CRE’s Dave Carlos, part of CRE At Home 2020.

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Printer ink: costing you more than Dom Pérignon?

When Gestetner closed its offices and made one man redundant it did churches a great big favour.

Nigel Page went on to launch Apple Office Equipment, specialising in reducing the cost of printing for churches and charities. Now, 27 years later, his company leads the way in auditing the way photocopiers are being used and suggesting cheaper and more efficient alternatives.

‘Some printing devices are expensive to run,’ he said. ‘Our audit makes sure organisations are not paying above the odds for ink, toner, or the use of a particular machine. A national newspaper recently pointed out that printing ink can be more expensive than Dom Pérignon champagne. That is perfectly true. We recommend the best machine for the setting and the most efficient way of using it. We often find churches and charities have the printer set at colour when it is totally unnecessary. There are ways to ensure the machine only prints in black unless a code is put in to allow the user to switch to colour.’

With a fully-trained team of technicians available to deliver a high quality of friendly service – suitably protected in these days of Covid-19 – Nigel’s promise is that all their machines have been through extensive testing before delivery, to ensure that they reach the customer at a high standard. And he can also offer various purchasing and leasing options including the company’s Apple Rental Agreement.

‘We have no tie-ins, no contracts, no hidden costs – just honest ethical trading with friendly advice and expert help,’ he said. ‘We will miss CRE at Sandown Park. We love meeting old customers and making new friends. It’s a great meeting place for those looking for a better way to do everything.’

Click here for more information.

• Apple Office Equipment will be exhibiting at CRE South West 2021 (Westpoint, Exeter, 17-18 Mar) and CRE National 2021 (Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey, 12-14 Oct)

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Lockdown has been a grind, especially for coffee producers

The pandemic has affected billions across the globe ­– not least the farmers and communities in coffee and tea-growing regions.

‘Fairtrade have been working hard to support producers, farmers and their families,’ said Kingdom Coffee’s Darren Rayner. ‘And during lockdown we’ve found a way to deliver Fairtrade coffee and tea to the home market, so you can enjoy a lovely cup of Clipper tea or Fairtrade coffee while you join your congregation online.

‘We’ve missed seeing everyone at summer events and while a small number of churches have returned to offering socially-distanced tea and coffee, we await a time when we can get back together, sing and freely enjoy a cup of coffee together after worship.’

Kingdom Coffee was founded in 1998 to promote Fairtrade and fairness. More than 20 years on, the company continues to deliver products that are Fairtrade, ethical, sustainable, high quality and yet affordable.

‘Our new range of coffee equipment from brand leading names like Bodum, Hario and Pezzetti will help you produce an excellent cup of filter coffee at home,’ said Darren. ‘We’ve also introduced 500g bags of two of our popular beans – Fairtrade Blue Mountain and Ire Mocha Italia for those that like to grind their own coffee beans!’

For discerning tea drinkers, Clipper were recently praised for their sterling work in offering plastic (polypropylene) free recyclable and biodegradable teabags and string and tagged enveloped teas. Clipper are one of the very few tea companies not to bleach their teabags – so you just great tasting Fairtrade and organic teas – with no added nasties!

For more information click here.

• Kingdom Coffee will be exhibiting at CRE South West 2021 (Westpoint, Exeter, 17-18 Mar) and CRE National 2021 (Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey, 12-14 Oct)

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Idolatry: time to expose today’s false gods

How should Christians be faithful disciples in the current political turbulence?

It’s a question at the heart of a new book that combines exegesis with practical discipleship. Written by Christopher J H Wright, an esteemed Old Testament scholar, Here Are Your Gods! (IVP) calls readers to consider connections between ancient idolatry and today’s culture that leans further and further into the worship of our leaders.

He also sounds a warning about the approach of many Christians to politics.

‘There is still a curious imagination, flying in the face of the Bible’s insistence that there is only one Saviour and Lord on the throne of the universe, that the best way for Christians to save the world would be for Christians to rule the world, or at least, that part of the world we might have some realistic hope of ruling over by having Christians in the seats of government,’ he said. ‘In fact,we desperately need to name and expose the false gods and idols we are tempted to bow down to – and find our stand in these turbulent times.’

An international ministries director of the Langham Partnership International, Wright previously taught at Union Biblical Seminary in India, and acted as academic dean and then principal of All Nations Christian College.

‘Wright’s careful dive into Scripture on the meaning of idolatry packs a punch for our times and provides an important reminder that idols, including political idols, are false gods that we create in our image,’ said John Inazu, professor of law and religion at Washington University in St. Louis, USA.

‘The biblical warning to “keep yourselves from idols” hones in on the source of spiritual, social, moral and existential ruin,’ said Paul Copan of Palm Beach Atlantic University. ‘Wright’s fine study on idolatry, and his application of it to our Western world, helps us see more clearly what is at stake.’

Click here for more information

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The green, green grass for homeless people

In 1999, Pastor Pete Cunningham, his son Andrew and Vicki Woodley, already housing the homeless in their church building in Southport, put their hands in their pockets and purchased two flats in Southport to give homeless people somewhere to live.

The first recipients of Green Pastures were a single mum and her child. Two decades later, there are now hundreds of people housed by the charity at any one time and thousands more have benefitted over the years.

In 2003, a chaplain from North Staffordshire found out about the work and asked the charity to buy a property in Stoke-on-Trent – so his team could take ex-offenders from the prison gate to house and care for them.

‘Taking a step of faith, we bought a property for someone else,’ recalled Pete. ‘The results were amazing! As we provided more housing, the re-offending rate reduced. Now we partner with dozens of other churches across the UK and house more than 1100 people. Many of our partners look after ex-offenders and a good percentage stay out of prison and become good citizens. Many go on to have faith in Jesus Christ. This is our modus operandi – saving souls. Our properties and staff work to that end.’

For those who cannot work with homeless people direct, it is possible to invest in the work – with the funds working ethically. Investors are paid up to five per cent and with the money Green Pastures buy property for local churches and provide all the paperwork, expertise and ongoing support to operate a successful supported housing project. 

The enormous changes in towns and individual lives can be seen everywhere. Residents of The Greenhouse Project in Plymouth have experienced the faith of the support workers in their Green Pastures home. One resident said: ‘When I met the guys at The Greenhouse and saw how they love Jesus and the way that they were living for God, that appealed to me, and that helped me get back into recovery and faith.’

For more information click here.

• Green Pastures will be exhibiting at CRE South West 2021 (Westpoint, Exeter, 17-18 Mar) and CRE National 2021 (Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey, 12-14 Oct)

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Andrew’s seminar aims to de-mystify the data regulations

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides a legal framework for keeping everyone’s personal data safe.

It requires companies to have robust processes in place for handling and storing personal information. It’s also designed to protect us as individuals from being contacted by organisations without our express permission. However, the details are still a mystery to many people, so we asked Andrew Horler of CRE exhibitor AMDH Services, to record a seminar for CRE At Home 2020 which explains how your church can get on top of GDPR. Listed below are five key areas you need to consider.

Do you know what constitutes personal data? If you don’t understand what personal data is, it’s very difficult to ensure you meet your obligations concerning it.

Do you know what personal data you hold? This could be data about people who attend church, kids’ clubs, men’s breakfasts or even people in the local community. This includes names, email addresses, phone numbers and financial information on how they support the work of the church. You must understand what data you hold, where you keep it and who has access to it.

Do the people about whom you hold personal data know you have their data and why? You can’t just keep personal data because you might have a use for it in the future. You need to keep it only for a specific reason or reasons and you must have told the people whose data you are keeping what this reason is.

Is the personal data you hold held securely and kept only for as long as you need it? You cannot keep personal data about someone indefinitely but only for as long as you need it based on the reasons you gave when you collected it. You must hold it in a secure manner which means you must intentionally control access to it.

Do your staff know their responsibilities regards data protection? Your staff and volunteers should understand the UK data protection act and the GDPR along with what data you hold and why you hold it. They must understand what they can and cannot do with that data.

Andrew’s seminar is just one of more than 20 that will be available, at no cost, on CRE TV – as part of CRE At Home 2020

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