CRE News

ByDave Hall

For the Bible in 100 languages turn to Chapter Two

More than 250 languages may be spoken London and one bookshop is rising to the challenge by providing bibles in more than 100 of them.

Simon Attwood is manager at Chapter Two in Plumstead, East London, exhibitors at CRE National 2022. He is thrilled to provide God’s word to so many visiting the shop and using its online service.

The shop was founded by the late Edwin Cross in 1976 and Simon was one of the trustees. Taking over in 2009 when Edwin died proved something of a challenge to Simon, a local government officer in revenue collection. Chapter Two, servicing customers from all parts of the world, is a faith venture with none of the staff paid wages.

‘We recently had an order for 14 bibles in the Maltese language and we are regularly providing customers with Eastern European language versions – as well as African and Indian languages,’ he explained. ‘In fact, we recently sold a Nepalese bible.’ The shop will be displaying some of the products at CRE National 22.

‘Last year it was a question of getting back to normal after the pandemic,’ said 67-year-old Simon, ‘but things have changed again. It seems that we are standing on quicksand so it’s good to remember the words of Jesus to his Father: “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). That’s stability and makes it a privilege for every Christian bookshop to supply people with God’s word – something Chapter Two has been doing for many years. The Bible has changed so many lives down the centuries and it still does today when people read it prayerfully and carefully.

‘We also sell new and second-hand books that help children and adults understand the scriptures better and enables them to put what it says into practice in their lives.’

• Chapter Two are on stand E17 at CRE National 2022

Book your tickets to CRE National 2022 for as little as £3 (£8 on the door)

Our next exhibitions

CRE National 2022
11-13 October 2022
Sandown Park, Surrey

CRE North 2023
3-4 May 2023
Exhibition Centre, Liverpool

ByDave Hall

The dramatic conversion of St Paul’s

A congregation camping in a huge barn far too big for its needs.

Does it have a familiar ring to it? Like so many of its kind St Paul’s, Slough, is a very large, Victorian-style, 20th century church that had lost its former grandeur in a big way. But through the sale of some land for housing and fundraising, the church raised £1m to turn the church into a place fitting as an offering to the glory of God. Like the saint it is named after, it witnessed a dramatic conversion. Jeremy Bell, of CRE exhibitors JBKS Architects, explains how:

St Paul’s is enormously high and was so hard to heat that in the 1960s a flat-roofed interior structure was built to provide a smaller hall that was easier to heat hall, entirely within the west end of the church.

The result was an out-of-proportion piece of nave and a dowdy flat west end hall, with plastic fold-back doors. Inevitably the roof of the hall room had accumulated old chairs and cardboard boxes.

St Paul’s during the conversion process

The whole place had lost its former grandeur in a big way. Dusty utilitarian lights, ice-cold draughts and a rickety screen balanced on disused choir stalls. It all gave the impression of the congregation camping in a huge barn far too big for its needs.

However, the congregation is very much alive and represents the wide diversity of Slough itself, adding spice to this vibrant community. 

After more than a decade the team (consisting of tireless vicar Revd Mike Cotterell, church warden Chris Broadbent and JBKS Architects) finally saw the work complete in March 2020. It is stunning, and a modern interpretation of the original. All the former beauty is magnified by amazing lighting and colour, but it has been augmented by some remarkably successful features.

The chancel has been blanked off by a magnificent full-height glazed screen with a huge wooden cross holding it up. Far from being a partition, it is a sparkly glam structure in which are reflected the stained-glass windows which appear like exciting holograms suspended in space. The white stone colours have been up-lit, allowing them to contrast and accentuate the warm brickwork.

The completed conversion of St Paul’s

The lovely arts and crafts wall decoration has been restored and in places, repainted. It adds such a quality of delicate tactile decoration. There are additional frameless glass screens to form a chapel at the west end. Again, they sparkle.

The main feature is that the whole focus of the worship is now sideways in the nave, which is wide enough, and accommodates a gracious curved dais.  Everyone is gathered around, in one space.

The chancel is not lost. It is gloriously still at its axial east, and still features the old high altar and the richly painted reredos. However, the chancel is now the place of fellowship and gathering for a coffee and a chat after the service. Perhaps it is fitting that this part of the church, once reserved for choir and clergy, has been given over to the warmth of personal relationships. After all Jesus said: ‘Love one another – by this will all men know that you are my disciples’ (John 15:12). 

May the restored beautiful church at St Pauls Slough equip the congregation to love one another in the sumptuous new space and thereby make disciples.

For more information click here.

• JBKS Architects are on stand V1 at CRE National 2022

Book your tickets to CRE National 2022 for as little as £3 (£8 on the door)

Our next exhibitions

CRE National 2022
11-13 October 2022
Sandown Park, Surrey

CRE North 2023
3-4 May 2023
Exhibition Centre, Liverpool

ByDave Hall

Make the most of Barry and Dave’s cost-cutting crusade

Two Christian bookshops are promising to make 2022 a cost-cutting year for visitors to their stand with many items priced at £2.22 – or less.

‘It’s been a difficult 12 months and we appreciate people cannot always afford to spend as much as they would like much,’ said Barry Mockford, manager of Canaan Christian Ministries in Staines. He and Dave Lock, from Manna Christian Centre in Streatham, aim to encourage visitors where they can, displaying a large range of books, cds, posters and cards for all ages – and representing the small, independent Christian bookshops in the UK.

Barry Mockford and Dave Lock

‘We all know everything is going up in price,’ said Barry. ‘However, where possible, we intend to bring our prices down at CRE. Many of our items will be cheaper than you will usually find in the shops, or online, with many at our special £2.22 price or less. It will be the ideal time to not only support a couple of local bricks and mortar shops but also grab some excellent bargains.’

• Canaan Christian Bookshop/ Manna Books are on stand N3 at CRE National 2022

Book your tickets to CRE National 2022 for as little as £3 (£8 on the door)

Our next exhibitions

CRE National 2022
11-13 October 2022
Sandown Park, Surrey

CRE North 2023
3-4 May 2023
Exhibition Centre, Liverpool

ByDave Hall

Facing the facts: new booklet dispels popular myths about Jesus

The 2022 Talking Jesus survey shows that only 54 per cent of the UK population are sure that Jesus was a real human being – and those who believe he is a mythical or fictional character has risen from 22 per cent to 28 per cent!

That’s why Andrew Halloway, editor of the national evangelistic newspaper Good News, has written an evangelistic booklet called Jesus Unmasked: Fact-Checking the World’s Greatest Influencer.

‘Specifically designed for giving to non-Christians, Jesus Unmasked tackles atheist propaganda that says the Bible was written long after Jesus lived, that it is biased and therefore unreliable and that there is no evidence that Jesus actually existed,’ said Andrew. ‘All these things are simply false and the booklet shows why.’

Besides the historical facts, Jesus Unmasked also explains why the life and teaching of Jesus, and ultimately the resurrection, form a strong argument for his divinity. At the end, the reader is challenged to consider Jesus and discover a relationship with him for themselves.

Copies of Jesus Unmasked cost £1 each or 80p if ordered in a pack of five (plus p&p). The booklet will be available on the Good News Evangelistic Newspaper stand at CRE National 2022.

• Good News Evangelistic Newspaper are on stand D5 at CRE National 2022

Book your tickets to CRE National 2022 for as little as £3 (£8 on the door)

Our next exhibitions

CRE National 2022
11-13 October 2022
Sandown Park, Surrey

CRE North 2023
3-4 May 2023
Exhibition Centre, Liverpool

ByDave Hall

Home is where God’s heart is

Finding a home for every UK child and teenager who needs one – through fostering, adoption and supported lodgings. That’s the bold vision exhibitors Home for Good will share at CRE National 2022.

‘We believe churches have a crucial role to play to make this vision a reality,’ said CEO Tania Bright (pictured). As a former supported lodgings host and foster carer, and now adoptive mum to ‘two brilliant boys’, Tania knows personally the joy and challenge that can come as we reimagine family and open our homes.

Tania Bright, CEO Home for Good

‘Our faith inspires, motivates and encourages us to act and believe that change is possible as we stand firmly on a strong theological foundation and commit to prayer for every aspect of our work,’ she said. ‘For some this will mean personally exploring fostering, adoption or supported lodgings. For others it will be about intentionally offering support to families who love and are raising children with an experience of care in our churches and communities. The boys and I would not be where we are today without the outrageous love and fierce commitment of families in our church and beyond.’

Tania, speaking on all three days at CRE National 2022, will point to the fact that there are more than 50,000 churches in the UK. In every village, town and city these churches – big, small and in-between – are filled with people who want to follow the example of Jesus and walk alongside the marginalised.

Father and son time

‘When we read the Bible, it’s impossible to ignore an issue that is close to God’s heart,’ she said. ‘Psalm 68 tells us that he sets the lonely in families. Imagine the transformational difference the church could make if even more individuals and families in our congregations opened their homes to children and young people! Imagine the impact if church communities wrapped around those families with love, encouragement, prayer and practical support.’

• Home for Good are on stand V5 at CRE National 2022

Book your tickets to CRE National 2022 for as little as £3 (£8 on the door)

Our next exhibitions

CRE National 2022
11-13 October 2022
Sandown Park, Surrey

CRE North 2023
3-4 May 2023
Exhibition Centre, Liverpool

ByDave Hall

Trussell Trust: time to close all food banks

There are about 1,200 food banks in their network – but the Trussell Trust wants rid of them all.

That will be Rev Jessica Foster’s message to visitors at CRE National 2022 (11am, Tue 11 Oct). Jessica, head of church engagement at the trust, will encourage Christians to join the call for an end to the need for food banks and the poverty which has led to their necessity.

Rev Jessica Foster, Trussell Trust

‘We support about two thirds of the food banks in the UK to provide a minimum of three-days’ nutritionally-balanced emergency food for people in crisis,’ she said. ‘It is time for a change and that will only be possible as we raise our voices together.’

With more than 14 million people in the UK living below the poverty line, she will point to the need for communities to challenge the structural issues that lock people into poverty – and campaign for change.

The trust was founded by Carol and Paddy Henderson in 1997 using a legacy left by Carol’s mother, Betty Trussell. The first projects focused on improving conditions for more than 60 children sleeping at the Central Railway Station in Bulgaria. In 2000, Paddy received a call from a mother in Salisbury who faced sending her children to bed hungry. Paddy investigated data on poverty and deprivation in the UK and started Salisbury Foodbank in his garden shed, providing three-days’ emergency food to local people in crisis. The food bank model spread rapidly through church networks.

More than 20 years later, the trust supports a network of food banks across the UK, supported by thousands of volunteers. Each provides emergency food to people in crisis, and additional support to help tackle the root causes which sweep people into poverty.

‘We know it takes more than food to end hunger so we bring together the experiences of food banks in our network, and their communities, to challenge the structural economic issues that lock people in poverty,’ said Jessica Foster (pictured). ‘We campaign for change to end hunger and poverty in the UK so food banks can be resigned to the history books.’

Book your tickets to CRE National 2022 for as little as £3 (£8 on the door)

Our next exhibitions

CRE National 2022
11-13 October 2022
Sandown Park, Surrey

CRE North 2023
3-4 May 2023
Exhibition Centre, Liverpool

ByDave Hall

CRE debut for Two Lads and a Laptop

An unusual musical trio will join comedian Tim Vine at the opening of CRE National (10am, Tue 11 Oct).

Two Lads and A Laptop comprises Brazilian Nick Ingles, an accomplished cellist, Mike Roberts, a British-born electronic musician and a 16-inch MacBook Pro (birthplace uncertain) the founding member of the group and natural leader as far as it is concerned – at least for the next few years until it’s replaced… but that’s confidential.

Mike Roberts

Laptop allows Mike to turn cups into bells and even transforms Nick’s cello into an orchestra. In his spare time, when not attempting world domination, ‘he enjoys obsessing over the numbers 0 and 1, chilling by himself with an internal fan, and global networking,’ explains Mike. ‘But together, we’re on a mission to spread love, joy and peace!’

Loving music of virtually every genre and context, the three pals are happy to turn their hand to anything – performing unique versions of songs that inspire and lift spirits. They will perform at different times throughout the exhibition’s three days and they have a stand on the show floor as well, to chat to anyone interested in their repertoire or who think they may provide a useful contribution to the schedule of a local church.

Nick Ingles

Nick’s first encounter with the cello was in church. Classically trained, he has always explored an alternative repertoire, from gospel to pop, choral to musicals, and says ‘the cello seems the perfect instrument for such broad exploration.’ Mike’s first encounter with expressive sound was a blend of gospel organ from his Pentecostal roots ‘mingling with the jet sounds of planes approaching Heathrow.’

Mike, married with two children, and Nick, married with one daughter, live in nearby villages in Cambridgeshire and met when their two churches – Anglican and Baptist – held a joint get-together in 2020. Two Lads and Laptop often contribute to church-based events but also enjoy secular contexts – ‘just playing to bring pleasure.’

‘We love the opportunity to share the Gospel in music and welcome the opportunity to introduce our approach to CRE visitors,’ said Mike.

• Two Lads and a Laptop are on stand Y5 at CRE National 2022

Book your tickets to CRE National 2022 for as little as £3 (£8 on the door)

Our next exhibitions

CRE National 2022
11-13 October 2022
Sandown Park, Surrey

CRE North 2023
3-4 May 2023
Exhibition Centre, Liverpool

ByDave Hall

Info-Point: your visitors’ new guide

Two brothers-in-law have created a system for showing visitors round any church – without a personal guide.

Dan Boys and Joe Middleton established Info-Point from WildFi two years ago when Dan, a geography and environment management graduate, realised the system would benefit historic churches in remote areas with poor or non-existent wi-fi. It allows visitors to discover more about the building, its historic background and even the people buried in the churchyard.

The size of an A4 box file, Info-Point powers a QR code system which links with mobile phones to provide commentary in words, text or using photographs at key points in the church and grounds.

‘The system is simple and entirely self-contained and doesn’t use phone signals or require connection to the internet,’ said Dan.

St Swithun’s Church, Long Bennington, Lincolnshire have Info-Point. Anyone visiting the church with a smartphone can connect and take a historical tour of the church, read about its WW1 story and war graves, discover the God’s Acre churchyard wildlife project, download walks and rambles – and be informed of the church’s upcoming events.

On the Scottish Orkney island the unmanned Rousay Heritage Centre, which has no internet access, has the system installed to allow visitors to discover the island’s heritage using a touchscreen or their own device. The system can be installed in any church or churchyard – with solar power if no mains connection is available.

‘We are also using the system in a church which will need to be closed for redevelopment for some months,’ said Dan. ‘It will enable people to discover why the church is closed, the progress being made and when it will re-open.’

A church without a lot of historical background can still find the system useful. A notice board outside the church can provide the link to details of service times and other facilities.

• Info-Point from WildFi is on stand H4 at CRE National 2022

Book your tickets to CRE National 2022 for as little as £3 (£8 on the door)

Our next exhibitions

CRE National 2022
11-13 October 2022
Sandown Park, Surrey

CRE North 2023
3-4 May 2023
Exhibition Centre, Liverpool

ByDave Hall

A Bible for new Christians? Easy does it

The company which has made Bible reading easier to understand for children and young people has completed the age range with its latest publication – the ERV (Easy-to-Read) Holy Bible (Anglicised).

‘It is packed with extra help to enable you to understand what you are reading and encourage you to apply godly wisdom to your life,’ said Rachael Franklin, product manager for Authentic Media.

Based in Bletchley, the company is already the producer of the International Children’s Bible and the Authentic Youth Bible. The new publication, which completes the range, includes book overview guides, 164 ‘Bible Bits’ that explore key passages, 275 ‘Insights’ that explore the meaning of verses, as well as advice on how to read the Bible and maps of the Bible lands.

‘The ERV uses accessible and contemporary words and phrases,’ said Rachael, ‘and will be particularly helpful for new Christians, anyone new to reading the Bible or those on discipleship and evangelistic courses.’

It is available in three hardback designs – Floral, Black and Teal – for £19.99. The individual Matthew’s Gospel (£1.50) makes a helpful outreach tool. Bulk discounts are available from Authentic Media for churches and organisations.

‘Our range of books and Bibles for both adults and children are designed to bring people closer to God over a whole lifetime, helping them to mature in their faith. We want people to grow spiritually and be open to what God may be doing in their lives,’ said Rachael.

Book your tickets to CRE National 2022 for as little as £3 (£8 on the door)

Our next exhibitions

CRE National 2022
11-13 October 2022
Sandown Park, Surrey

CRE North 2023
3-4 May 2023
Exhibition Centre, Liverpool

ByDave Hall

Christian Vision: helping churches bridge online and offline

Providing a bridge between the online and offline world and engaging people in meaningful conversations about Jesus.

That’s one of the current aims of Christian Vision (CV), whose overall goal is to introduce people to Jesus and encourage them to become his true followers.

Josh Smith
Josh Smith

‘Our vision is to reach one billion people with the Gospel,’ said CV UK’s Josh Smith. ‘Over the years we have used numerous strategies and activities – from producing radio programmes to on-the-ground humanitarian and pioneering missions.’ Today, the organisation’s primary focus in the UK is the creation and distribution of digital media across multiple online platforms – introducing people to Jesus as well as equipping and mobilising churches and individual Christians to outwork the Great Commission. 

‘We’re passionate about the local church, and believe it is best placed to build community with non-believers,’ said Josh. ‘CV Outreach connects people who encounter evangelistic content online to a local partner church in their area and around the country.’

Through CV Outreach, the organisation also serves churches by equipping and training them in dealing effectively with responses from non-Christians seeking answers to big questions or looking for prayer and support. All this provides a bridge between the online and offline world and a valuable opportunity to engage in conversations about Jesus.

Through CV Resources, churches can access a huge library of free-to-use digital content and training materials. CV’s Online Evangelism Academy, not yet launched, will show churches how to create simple yet effective digital content to distribute locally on social media. The academy will also give advice on how to deal with ensuing responses.

‘There is a huge opportunity for local churches to build community with their local area in the digital space,’ said Josh, ‘and we are here to support churches in their endeavours.’

CV also equip young adults to share Jesus with anyone in their world through yesHEis, a multi-platform initiative providing evangelistic videos and content to inspire them along their faith-sharing journey.

‘Believing the local church is a huge part of God’s plan to reach the lost, we love to partner with a number of fantastic churches across the UK and around the world,’ said Josh. ‘We are so excited to announce that, as of May 2022, our gospel content has been engaged with over one billion times across the world, which is a big part of our initial vision. This is a huge celebration, and we give God the glory for the role CV has been able to play in this.

‘Although we have reached this milestone, our vision remains unwavering. We are more dedicated than ever to introduce people to Jesus and encourage them to become his true followers. If you are a church or ministry leader who shares our passion for evangelism and would like to partner with us, we look forward to meeting you at CRE National in October.’

Josh will speak on ‘Online Evangelism – Reach your local community in the digital space’ (2pm, Thu 13 Oct)

• Christian Vision UK are on stand L4 at CRE National 2022

Book your tickets to CRE National 2022 for as little as £3 (£8 on the door)

Our next exhibitions

CRE National 2022
11-13 October 2022
Sandown Park, Surrey

CRE North 2023
3-4 May 2023
Exhibition Centre, Liverpool