‘Jones the music’ on song for CRE Midlands
With 24 musicals under his belt, musical maestro Roger Jones (above) will bring a Birmingham-based choir to CRE Midlands 2023 (8/9 Nov) for a 50-minute performance of his sixth musical – Saints Alive.
Now 74, Roger recalls becoming a Christian in the late 1960s because of the work of Christian Endeavour. When the mission celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1981, he was asked to write a musical to mark the occasion.
‘As the mission’s motto was “For Christ and the Church” I thought Pentecost would be a wonderful subject,’ he said. Saints Alive will be a revised version of the musical which Roger completed last year, when he added a song and made other changes to the original.
‘It includes 11 numbers highlighting events in Acts One and Two,’ he said. ‘It has a Songs of the Spirit section with a new setting for Breath on me Breath of God and others. Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost gives the whole presentation an evangelistic touch.’
The musical has been performed in many parts of the world – including a memorable one in Jerusalem in 1983, the first of many trips Roger has made to the country. His vision for musicals began as head teacher at Aston Manor School (now an Academy) in 1973. The school choir performed Jerusalem Joy – a performance he wrote around Jesus’ ride into the holy city on a donkey.
He then wrote five more musicals before going full time into Christian music, becoming director of Christian Music Ministries, publishers of his music and other books.
Birmingham-born, Roger also hosts Heart and Soul, a two-hour weekly programme on Brumside Radio, presenting church music. In between he chats to guests. He is looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones at CRE Midlands.
• Christian Music Ministries are on stand DS42 at CRE Midlands 2023
Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3
Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Why there’s no need to fear the staging process
Be it a choral production, theatrical performance or presentation of ideas, an event is so much better if it can be viewed easily.
‘A stage helps to create the perfect platform,’ said Bill Bates (above, seen at CRE 2022), business development manager at Gopak Ltd. The British manufacturer and long-standing CRE exhibitor has been producing its Ultralight Staging System since 2006 alongside a range of lightweight folding tables – firm favourites with churches nationwide.
One church in Sheffield bought a Gopak stage when Covid-19 struck. For the first time their church services were transmitted online and a stage gave the music group and speaker much more visibility. The system is still in use.
Meanwhile a ladies’ singing group decided a portable stage would enhance their performances and a Gopak system won the day.
‘Our Ultralight staging system, constructed from aluminium like all other Gopak products, is a simple folding option ideal for any organisation without a permanent stage,’ said Bill. ‘It is great for choirs, musicians and performers who go from venue to venue and need to ensure they have a raised stage.
‘We have a range of 14 additional staging packages that include apron-fronted options, catwalks and drum risers. With straightforward assembly and disassembly, Ultralight is ideal for churches with limited time or space. Unlike many other options, our stages are made in Britain with care.’
While the company started in an East Sussex shed in 1954, it moved to purpose-built premises in Hythe, Kent in 1973 from where it has been producing its range of award-winning products.
‘We have supported CRE from its inception in 1985 and it is a great opportunity to discuss new products with a huge number of prospects and existing customers in one place,’ said Gopak’s Diane Ponting.
• Gopak are on stand P65 at CRE Midlands 2023
Photo: Bill Bates, business development manager at Gopak Ltd
Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3
Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
How refugee Maral was embraced and empowered
Maral Berberian (above), who fled Aleppo seeking refuge in Armenia when war broke out in 2011, is now part of a women’s craft co-operative supported by CRE exhibitor Embrace the Middle East.
‘I treasure our group of women artisans,’ said Maral, who learned traditional Armenian embroidery techniques as a child in Syria. ‘The women enjoy their handicraft and the ambience of harmony and joy which they have crafted themselves – with the warmness coming from their hearts.’
EmbraceME, a member of the World Fair Trade Organisation, is supporting social enterprise in the region by providing an international market for fairly-traded handicrafts created by Maral and her colleagues. Founded three years ago by Sonya Varoujian, Noor and Katu create hand-painted rosettes and hand-embroidered felt eggs.
Dan O’Callaghan, head of trading for EmbraceME, said: ‘They source uniquely beautiful handicrafts from fair trade artisans in Armenia. Their motto, “artful giving with a conscience”, spells out everything they do – sourcing raw materials locally, finding talent in rural communities and providing fair wages and safe working conditions for all their artisans.
‘The name, Noor and Katu, translates as “pomegranate and cat”. In Armenian culture the pomegranate is a symbol of life and abundance, while cats are traditionally revered.’
Hand-painted wooden rosettes are laser-cut by women war veterans with disabilities from the Armenian war. Designs inspired by ancient church carvings, cross stones (khachkars) and monasteries are created by Anna, Satenik and Arusyak – art teachers who fund their school, pupils and community in Koghb by selling handmade products.
‘We had to fund the school somehow,’ said Anna. ‘The three of us are art teachers, so we decided to create our own products. All our time outside the classes is dedicated to this project.’
As Dan added: ‘When you choose fairly-traded, hand-crafted decorations and gifts from Embrace, you are supporting the life-changing work that our partners do throughout the Middle East and ensuring that artisans can continue to provide for their families and communities.’
• Embrace the Middle East are on stand E3 at CRE Midlands 2023
Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3
Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Benefact outrank Asda and churches pocket the difference
Essential support to churches and their communities is now available through new grant-giving programmes from Ecclesiastical, Benefact Group and their charitable owner Benefact Trust.
The Building Improvement Grants programme helps protect and enhance churches and Christian buildings – ensuring their continued use for generations to come. The programme will support capital costs such as essential repairs and improvements, conservation and restoration and energy-efficiency measures. Also, the new Community Impact Grants Programme, which helps projects making a positive and transformative impact on lives and communities, is also now open for applications.
These initiatives come at a time when the Benefact Group has been named the UK’s third-largest corporate donor to charity, according to the Directory of Social Change – The Guide to UK Company Giving 2023/24. This has been achieved by donating all dispersible profits back to churches, charities and communities.
In fact, the Benefact Group finished higher in the rankings than corporate giants such as Vodafone Group plc, Goldman Sachs International and ASDA Stores Ltd. The group has given almost £200m to good causes since 2014 and is aiming to reach its ambitious cumulative target of giving £250m by 2025.
Mark Hews, group chief executive at Benefact Group, said: ‘Owned by a charity, here at Benefact Group all available profits go to good causes, helping to transform thousands of lives for the better. The more the group grows, the more we can give and make an even bigger difference in society.’
Their flagship Movement for Good Awards is now in its 5th year and enables individuals to nominate their favourite charity (or charities), putting them into a draw for a chance to receive an award. This year they will be giving away over £1m in three main ways:
£1,000 draws – nominate a favourite charity at any time for the £1,000 draw. There will be three £1,000 draws this year, giving away between £120,000 and £150,000 in each.
£5,000 special draws – four themed special draws over the year, giving 10 awards of £5,000 in each. The first draw will be launching soon, so keep an eye out on their website for these limited time themed draws.
Larger Grants – These £10,000+ grants are available from July to support larger transformative projects get off the ground.
• Ecclesiastical are on stand P29 at CRE Midlands 2023
Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3
Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Why there are 29,000 reasons to use a trusted energy broker
When the gas supplier to St Andrew’s Church, Islington, went into administration the church made a sensible decision – to call in a specialist energy broker.
Regular CRE exhibitor Andrew Silley, 64, found the church a more competitive supplier than the Ofgem supplier of last resort. However, due to the company’s poor practice, the contract never went live – an issue which didn’t come to light for a couple of months. Andrew raised a complaint with the supplier, who refused to accept any responsibility.
A former churchwarden himself, Andrew then submitted a complaint to Ofgem who upheld the complaint, found against the energy supplier and agreed to Andrew’s suggested resolution – that the PCC of the Barnsbury Team Ministry should not be financially disadvantaged as a consequence of the ‘negligent’ actions of the supplier of last resort. The remedy agreed by Ofgem is that the supplier has been instructed to credit the Barnsbury Team Ministry approximately £29,000 over the next three years.
The company concerned challenged Ofgem’s decision but this was dismissed and Andrew is now working to ensure payments are made to the PCC of Barnsbury Team Ministry.
None of the staff at St Andrew’s have had to spend any time securing the outcome – they simply had to be patient and trust Andrew’s expertise!
‘Lots of churches, charities and businesses think they can do it best when it comes to renewing energy supply contracts. Why use an energy broker?’ said Andrew. ‘But this episode demonstrates why it is worth getting expert advice.’
Andrew, who has exhibited at CRE for many years, is committed to using his industry knowledge and expertise to help churches and charities get the best deals for their energy. National retail chains, schools, care homes, churches and charities are amongst his customers.
‘I will usually get customers a better price from energy suppliers than they can obtain for themselves,’ he said. ‘I’m also available to be used by my customers as a remote consultant, to deal with issues that might arise.’
Things can go wrong when switching between suppliers and that’s where his industry knowledge and expertise comes into its own. He will never invoice for his services and offers a completely ‘hands free’ service that will save churches and charities time, effort and money. His work saves churches time and the hassle of dealing directly with energy suppliers.
• Andrew Silley is on stand C35 at CRE Midlands 2023
Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3
Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Pursuing a dream and changing a life
‘Your “student” has done better than she ever imagined possible,’ read the message. ‘We have obtained funding from seven out of 12 applications!’
They are words which blessed Sean Tully, a trusts and foundations specialist with more than 20 years’ experience in grant-making and trust fundraising. Sean now works for CRE exhibitor and sponsor Action Planning, a specialist consultancy for charities and other non-profit organisations.
‘It was a simple piece of work but had a profound personal effect on the volunteer, who prefers to remain anonymous,’ said Sean. ‘It’s always good to hear our support is bearing fruit for an organisation but the message went on to reveal a valuable personal benefit, too.’
The message continued: ‘The whole process caused me stress and angst. As a newbie to the village in which I live, what would it be like if I achieved nothing for the community? I realised there are things I can put my heart and soul into that can turn into something special from a starting point of nothing. In this respect the process has been life changing – thanks to your experienced counselling. So this is a very personal thank you for helping me through the process and for challenging what I was doing, to make it more relevant. We are now obtaining tenders for our project and the whole village is excited about the prospect of a new space for community to flourish.’
Action Planning’s work with churches ranges from very simple challenges like this, to complex challenges such as the successful bid compiled for the Diocese of Oxford in which a £2m grant was won from the Church of England Strategic Development Fund.
‘This client testimony came as a welcome reminder never to underestimate the impact we can have on the people we work with, regardless of the size of the prize,’ reflected Sean.
The thank-you letter concluded: ‘Bid writing is a lonely job and one which I had not tackled before but only by doing the job does one discovers what is involved. I am now thinking about what else I could tackle that I never thought I could do – singing is one of my thoughts!’
Sean commented: ‘Singing tuition in not among the many services we offer at Action Planning, but if our support inspires our clients to sing as well, we’re very happy with that!’
• Action Planning will be on stand B15 at CRE Midlands 2023
Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3
Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Let auto-reporting ease your copyright burden
A new system which automatically reports which hymns and songs have been used during a church service has been well received by churches throughout the UK.
‘Auto-reporting removes one of the biggest pain-points facing our licence holders,’ said Rich Burrough of CRE Midlands exhibitors CCLI. ‘We rely on reports from our customers so that royalties can be fairly and accurately distributed to song owners. But we know that it can be a burden and we have long wanted to make it easier to do.’
For the past few years, all reporting has had to be done manually online with churches encouraged to report weekly following their Sunday services.
‘We’re indebted to the many churches who report,’ continued Rich. ‘In the UK, the accuracy (and therefore integrity) of our pay outs is admired by mainstream copyright organisations, some of whom we work in partnership with. But, while most of the time it’s a fairly straightforward process, with a repertoire of 600,000 authorised songs, finding the correct version of a song can sometimes be a time-consuming process. With more than 24,000 UK churches registered with CCLI, plus a similar number of schools and Christian organisations, it’s so important that we get this right, so we’re really pleased to be introducing a better way.’
Now, with Auto-reporting, churches can connect a growing list of participating presentation and planning tools to CCLI’s reporting website – and their reports will be done for them! Auto-reporting is now available through ProPresenter, EasyWorship, MediaShout, Proclaim, OnSong, ChurchTools, SongBeamer, Loop Community’s Prime multitracks app and three free WorshipTools applications – Presenter, Planning and Music Stand. Other popular applications are coming soon.
How you enable Auto-reporting depends on the application you use but is typically as easy as ticking a box within your worship software. Then, as long as the songs in your setlists and service plans include the CCLI song number, they’ll be reported automatically. The best and easiest way to ensure the song number is always present and correct is to use CCLI’s SongSelect to pull in lyrics. Lyrics on SongSelect are now available free to all CCLI Church Copyright Licence holders.
‘Thousands of churches have already enabled Auto-reporting,’ says Rich, who will be at CRE Midlands 2023. ‘I’m looking forward to showing CRE visitors how easy it is, and helping more and more to get started.’
• CCLI are on stand D29 at CRE Midlands 2023
Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3
Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Twin your turnips and bless a family
Twin your garden and plant hope for a family in rural Kenya.
That’s the suggestion from Ripple Effect, a charity that works alongside farmers in six countries in East Africa, helping them learn more, grow more and sell more.
‘If you are proud of your garden, whether it is large or small or even a simple patio, you might like to twin it with a family in Migori, Kenya,’ said Ann Hatton, Ripple Effect’s church development executive. ‘By doing so, you will plant hope for a family, so they can grow more food in their own gardens.’
Ripple Effect started in 1998, under the title Send a Cow. Christian farmers answered an appeal from the Bishop of Uganda, with families desperately short of milk after a long civil war. But from that humble beginning the project blossomed, enabling African families to learn how to create productive allotments on small plots of land – to produce food to feed the family and provide enough to sell for other necessities.
‘We are a farming expertise charity, training women how to improve the quality of land they farm,’ said Ann. ‘We also offer talks on health and safety, as well as social development – and in more recent times, Covid-19.’
Ripple Effect, exhibitors at CRE Midlands 2023, are now asking UK Christians to twin their gardens to plant hope for a family in Migori, Kenya. A £60 donation provides three years training in sustainable organic farming, beginning with a small kitchen garden which the families are encouraged to set up and use as a small business which can also provide for others.
‘Not only that, but the families helped are encouraged to share what they have learned with neighbours and communities, creating a ripple effect across rural Africa,’ explained Ann.
‘Families learn to build productive farms and adapt to the effects of the climate crisis. Women and people with different needs and abilities get a greater voice and influence in their communities. Farmers learn enterprise skills and become resilient entrepreneurs, in charge of their own futures.’
She pointed out that UK donors not only gets the pleasure of knowing they are giving a new start to a family in a rural district of Kenya, but also receive a sustainable wooden plaque to mount in their own garden, a vegetable growing guide from no-dig expert Charles Dowding, and wildflower seeds to give a colourful annual reminder of the help they have given to others. In the same way, churches with gardens can twin them and display the plaque to those who visit.
• Ripple Effect are on stand F7 at CRE Midlands
Organisations looking to book a stand at CRE Midlands 23 should contact Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk) or James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk).
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Visitor registration for CRE Midlands 23 will begin in the Spring
Facing the facts: booklet dispels popular myths about Jesus
An evangelistic booklet called ‘Jesus Unmasked: Fact-Checking the World’s Greatest Influencer’ is already into its second print run.
Written by Andrew Halloway, editor of national evangelistic newspaper Good News, the booklet was only published last year but sold out within six months. Specifically designed for churches and individuals to give away to non-Christians, Jesus Unmasked tackles the effects of a recent survey which shows that only 54 per cent of the UK population are sure that Jesus was a real human being. Those who believe Jesus is a mythical or fictional character has risen from 22 per cent to 28 per cent. Only 49 per cent of those aged 18-24 believe in the historicity of Jesus.
‘There’s always a need to share the good news about Jesus in a way that is contemporary, fresh and relevant,’ said Andrew, ‘so this booklet is written in today’s language and illustrated throughout. We live in a society where most people know very little about Jesus. What they do know is often inaccurate because of the untruths that are pushed around by atheists on the internet. Yet, as the Talking Jesus survey showed, one in three non-Christians want to know more about Jesus Christ. I’ve written the booklet to counter false impressions that many have innocently taken on board.’
Step-by-step, the booklet tackles arguments about the Bible being written long after Jesus lived (and inaccurate) or written by a biased Church. It shows there is plenty of historical evidence to back up the Gospel accounts. Jesus Unmasked also shows why Jesus’ life and teaching, and ultimately resurrection, form a strong argument that he is the son of God. At the end the reader is challenged to consider Jesus and discover a relationship with him for themselves.
Jesus Unmasked can be read in full here and costs £1 for one copy or 80p each if ordered in a pack of 5 or 20, plus p&p. Email: goodnewsoffice7@gmail.com to order.
With more than 30 years in Christian publishing behind him, Andrew will be at CRE Midlands in November to talk about the booklet and his monthly publication, the Good News newspaper, which offers a selection of easy-to-read articles with testimonies and helpful material for non-Christians. Thousands of copies are given away in door-to-door ministries and in personal evangelism.
• The Good News newspaper is on stand C15 at CRE Midlands 2023
Organisations looking to book a stand at CRE Midlands 23 should contact Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk) or James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk).
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Visitor registration for CRE Midlands 23 will begin in the Spring
Church of the Ascension rises from the ashes
A church in Greater Manchester has been spectacularly rebuilt following a devastating fire six years ago.
The blaze, which destroyed the roof and much of the interior of The Church of the Ascension in Lower Broughton, took dozens of firefighters with six fire engines to extinguish. Gas pipes melted with the subsequent ignition causing additional damage. The roof of the building collapsed and the interior was destroyed.
The £5m restoration of the Grade II-listed church in Salford has involved many partners including specialist insurer and CRE Midlands exhibitor Ecclesiastical – along with local architects, contractors, engineers and project managers overseen by the Diocesan Advisory Committee.
Damage to the 149-year-old church, designed by eminent Manchester architect James Medland Taylor, occurred after the community had spent three years fundraising and securing grants totalling £250,000 to go towards a renovation.
Jeremy Trott, claims director at Ecclesiastical Insurance, said: ‘It’s fantastic to see the church restored to its former glory and to bring the community back through its doors. As a specialist insurer set up more than 135 years ago, we have a huge amount of expertise in working with churches. We understand the complex nature of a restoration of this scale. I’d like to thank the teams who worked on the project and the church community for their support.’
Fr Falak Sher, priest in charge, took over two years ago and was delighted when the church was officially reopened in November last year.
‘Broughton is a poor area and the church is surrounded by blocks of flats which have recently been built so the church is a witness to the new community of all nationalities,’ he said. ‘In the past few months I have conducted six weddings, 15 baptisms and three funerals, so it is already being well used. The reconstruction means that, while the exterior looks similar to the past, the interior is completely suitable for community work – a mixture of old and new which presents a lovely welcome atmosphere.’
To mark the six-year anniversary of the devastating fire at the Grade-II listed church, the team at Ecclesiastical Insurance have created a case study which showcases just how much adversity the church overcame to restore the beautiful building.
• Ecclesiastical are on stand P29 at CRE Midlands 23
Organisations looking to book a stand at CRE Midlands 23 should contact Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk) or James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk).
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Visitor registration for CRE Midlands 23 will begin in the Spring