CRE News

Bryn Haworth: we are experiencing a taste of prison life

We are getting a taste of what prisoners’ lives are like – without the terrible living conditions they face.

So says musician Bryn Haworth, reflecting on life in lockdown with Cindy Kent on CRE TV – part of CRE At Home 2020.

‘Two in a cell, toilets in the room, locked up for between 22 and 23 hours a day,’ he explains. ‘In prison you lose your freedom and a lot of us outside are experiencing this. But it is terrible for them and I am wondering when we finally go in, what kind of mental state they will be in because it must be awful.’

A renowned expert on the slide guitar, Bryn, with 22 albums to his name, regularly performs for prison inmates but all his engagements have been cancelled because of the pandemic.

‘We have continued doing talks and DVDs to send into prisons,’ he says. ‘Some have internal radio and tv stations, so I am sending things in for Sunday worship. I have also put together a new compilation called Peace and Understanding to be given away in prisons.’ 

However, as the lockdown has continued, he confesses to finding it difficult to stay motivated.

‘I have had to set new goals which keep changing and make myself keep working,’ he explains. ‘And I keep doing the basics, like reading the Bible and worshipping. I get a walk in every day and keep thanking God that he has got me and the whole world in his hands.’

‘Years ago, I wrote a song called Slipping and Falling and there is a verse in Jude 1:24 which says: “He is able to keep you from falling”. I have found that sometimes I am drifting but he is the faithful one – even when we are faithless. Jesus has got me and is never going to let me go, and I have been playing that song over and over again. It is funny how songs you have written come back to you in these times.’

• Click here to listen to the whole interview with Bryn on CRE TV. 
• For a list of special guests on Cindy’s Sofa click here.
• For a list of CRE At Home 2020 seminars click here
• To view the CRE At Home 2020 handbook click here

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Evangelism: don’t leave it to the ‘professionals’

With 30 years in evangelism behind him, Rev Andy Godfrey is convinced that far too many Christians are happy to leave it to the professionals.

‘We hand it over to those involved in full-time Christian work – whether it is the pastor, youth worker or church-based evangelist,’ he believes. ‘It is one of the biggest problems the church faces today.’

In a seminar for CRE At Home 2020 – Evangelism made easy for every Christian, honestly – he points out how every Christian can be, and ought to be, an affective evangelist.

‘Irrespective of age, gender or gifts,’ says Andy, ‘everyone who knows Jesus can share their faith with neighbours, friends, people in shops, or even the postman.’

A joint survey by the Evangelical Alliance and Church of England revealed that 48 per cent of Christians were afraid to talk about their faith, 47 per cent said the devil seemed to prevent them from sharing the gospel. Andy, who trained in evangelism at Moorlands Bible College, refuses to believe the 43 per cent who said they never came into contact with non-Christians.

‘If the Covid-19 crisis has taught us anything it is that people are prepared to look for God,’ he says, pointing out that one in four people are reported to have watched church services on the internet when the pandemic first struck. ‘People are looking for answers. People do want to hear what we have to say.’

He also explains how the Good News Newspaper, which he edits, is easily given away – to neighbours, door to door, or just to friends.

• Click here to watch Andy’s seminar
• For a list of CRE At Home 2020 seminars click here
• To view the CRE At Home 2020 handbook click here

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Apostle in lockdown! Lessons from a saint in isolation

Reckon we’ve got it bad? The Apostle Paul faced a five-year ‘lockdown’ during which he was imprisoned in Jerusalem, held by armed guards on Malta (after a shipwreck), then imprisoned in Rome for two years!

In a seminar for CRE At Home 2020, Michael Penny, of CRE exhibitor Open Bible Trust, uses Paul’s experiences to show how it is possible to rejoice, in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. While millions are bored or frightened, wondering if and when the lockdown will ease, Michael encourages us to find the kind of contentment experienced by Paul.

‘Beaten, flogged, and always in fear of his life, Paul still managed to write several major letters,’ explains Michael. ‘In the one to the Philippians he points out how, every time he prayed for them, he prayed with joy.’

Michael uses the theme of learning contentment against the backdrop of Covid-19 to highlight how we can also find contentment.

‘I was a bit of a malcontent, to be honest,’ he explains. ‘I was restless, looking for something to do all the time, but I am of the opinion that Paul was an energised buddy. He was always on the go and these five years stopped him. Maybe initially he was frustrated, but in the end he learned to be content. And maybe this pandemic has forced a lot of us to stop and be still and know the Lord.

‘Maybe we have learned a quiet contentment which is so very precious.’

Click here to watch the seminar.

• Open Bible Trust are exhibiting at CRE South West 2021 (17-18 March, Westpoint, Exeter) and CRE National 2021 (Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey, 12-14 Oct)

Image: Sweet Publishing

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140,000 reasons why charity has earned national accreditation

An independent Christian safeguarding charity has been awarded the national quality standard for ‘outstanding’ helpline provision.

Currently celebrating 30 years of continuous service, Thirtyone:eight’s Safeguarding Helpline is open to anyone and provides a free source of advice and support for churches, charities and faith-based organisations on all safeguarding concerns.

‘During the pandemic, two issues have been raised more than any other,’ said Thirtyone:eight’s Peter Wright. ‘Firstly, how to communicate safely online with children and young people and, secondly, how to deliver essentials safely to adults that are self-isolating or shielding – and whether these adults are classed as having care and support needs.

‘Additionally, we’ve seen a particular rise in calls around mental health issues, domestic abuse and how churches can help people with anxiety caused by financial loss.’ 

Answering the calls are a team of committed Christian safeguarding professionals with backgrounds in social work, education and the police. As one caller recently said: ‘Knowing you can pick up the phone and get access to a dedicated team of professional safeguarding advisors, who understand the specialist context in which you are working, is hugely significant for us.’

National accreditation has been awarded by the Helplines Partnership (the national body for helpline providers) and has been specifically developed for the helpline sector to recognise excellence and best practice in service delivery.

‘It is a huge privilege to be awarded this national accreditation which reflects the high level of service to which we aspire,’ said Barbara Ball, the charity’s head of advisory services. ‘Since 1990 the helpline has been there for people to answer any questions or provide advice on issues ranging from drafting a safeguarding policy to how to respond to a case of abuse. In that time our experienced team have answered well over 140,000 calls. We are especially delighted to receive this award as we celebrate an important milestone in our organisation’s history.’

In granting the award, the Helplines Partnership said: ‘It was clear that Thirtyone:eight’s helpline is strongly focused on meeting the needs of its callers. From observations and discussions undertaken during the assessment, the commitment to delivering an effective high-quality service was strongly evident. Helplines Partnership would like to congratulate those involved.’

Click here for more information

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‘Quite a ride’: Paul reflects on 50 years in ministry

Every church is different because God is not in the business of cloning.

That’s one of the lessons in a CRE At Home 2020 seminar given by Rev Paul Beasley Murray in which he recounts five key lessons from his 50 years in Christian ministry.

He also speaks of the value of remembering people’s names, how to regularly affirm people, the passion needed for leadership and finally, the problem of retirement. 

‘The five decades have proved quite a ride,’ he reflects. 

Within three days of his ordination Paul was in Congo for two years – teaching Greek and New Testament in what became the Protestant Theological Faculty of the National University. He then spent 13 years as pastor of the Baptist Church in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, where his ministry boosted a membership of under 90 to more than 300. He then moved to London to become principal of Spurgeon’s College before spending 21 years as pastor of the Baptist Church in Chelmsford, Essex where again the congregation rose from 400 to a church family of 1,500 – until his retirement in 2014.

With six books already to his name, he has added a seventh, 50 Lessons in Ministry (Darton, Longman and Todd). It is from this book of reflections that he picks on what he considers five of the major lessons he has learned. 

‘We need each other’s wisdom to expand the scope and vision of Christian ministry,’ said Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York. ‘These 50 lessons are a very good place to start.’

Paul is part of the Chelmsford Cathedral Community, regularly leading the cathedral’s Sunday morning seminar-style ‘Breakfast with the Bible’. He is also chair of theCollege of Baptist Ministers launched in February 2014.

Click here to watch the seminar.

• Darton, Longman and Todd are exhibiting at CRE National 2021 (Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey, 12-14 Oct)

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No need to leave song-writing to the professionals

You don’t need leave it to the ‘professionals’ – writing new songs for your church can have a profound impact on local believers.

So says Krissy Nordhoff, of weareworship.com, in her CRE At Home 2020 seminar ‘Why the church needs new songs and 10 characteristics of the worship song’.

‘I want to encourage those who feel they have a song burning away inside them,’ said Krissy, a professional songwriter and author. ‘The Bible encourages us to “sing unto the Lord a new song” so it is in God’s heart to want new songs. They bring fresh praise to God and fresh revelation to his people. Sometimes the Lord gives us a new insight into how to express our songs in a new way.

‘When you write songs that are specifically for your church, you can use words that matter to the people there. They can also bring a prophetic viewpoint to help the congregation in a time of celebration, sadness – and can bring healing and joy.’

The seminar challenges not only the worship leaders in a local church but members of the congregation who love singing and are looking for a way to use a different gift to bless the church.

Krissy developed her love of writing from the age of five when she wrote her first song. She has developed into a writer of many well-loved songs, including Your Great Name, Mercy Tree, Famous For (I Believe), and hundreds more. She’s also a song-writing mentor to hundreds in her Writing Worship and Brave Worship communities.

Click here to watch Krissy’s seminar.

• Integrity Music/ weareworship.com will be exhibiting at CRE National 2021 (Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey, 12-14 Oct)

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When experience and expertise are striking qualities

Eight church insurance consultants now cover the length and breadth of the country – ready to support churches, parishes and dioceses. 

It follows customer feedback telling Ecclesiastical how vital and valued their support service is.

‘We would normally be attending and speaking at church events, as well as providing a local point of contact for our church customers,’ said Claire Woolway, customer relationship manager for Ecclesiastical. ‘In these challenging times, we are missing personal visits desperately but have had to adapt our ways of working, observe official guidance to keep everyone safe and instead remain available to offer support by phone, email and online.’ 

Church Insurance Consultant, Kay Short, who moved from the north to the south west just before lockdown, to cover the dioceses of Truro, Exeter, Bath & Wells, Bristol and Salisbury said: ‘We can’t wait to return to face-to-face meetings but there is still lots we can do in a different way.

‘Each week is full of variety for the team, even if a little different at the moment. It might include a call with an archdeacon about the financial issues facing many parishes; a Skype meeting with a diocese to offer training about metal theft; discussions with a church about cyber awareness; planning a webinar with police on reporting heritage crime, or a conversation with a Diocesan Advisory Committee.’

‘Together, our Church Insurance Consultants provide an incredible depth and breadth of experience and expertise in insurance and church life across the country,’ said Claire Woolway. ‘They work collectively as a team to provide incredible national and local support to all our church customers during these difficult times and continue to find creative ways of keeping in touch with our churches.’

She points out that the team can help churches understand their insurance and support them with health and safety or risk management. Their job is to provide reassurance to churches while the church concentrates on its missional role. 

Ecclesiastical’s Church Insurance Consultants are keen to offer and share their support in whatever way they can.

• To find out more about the team of Church Insurance Consultants please click here [WC1] [JA2] [SG3] or email meetus@ecclesiastical.com with your contact details and the name of your church, parish and diocese. Ecclesiastical’s local church insurance consultant will then be back in touch with you. 

• Ecclesiastical will be exhibiting at CRE National 2021 (Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey, 12-14 Oct)

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Church rotas: software to make them simple

Love them or (more likely) loathe them, rotas are a vital part of church life – and now there’s a solution to help make them hassle free.

Cambron Software’s plan2gether is a brand-new product from the creators of Power Music. 

‘We have one underlying philosophy – keep it simple!’ explained Cambron’s Colin Cameron. ‘There are some very powerful (and complicated) church management systems out there but we wanted to create something that did one thing well – make life easier for the people who organise church rotas. It had to be accessible from anywhere and easy to make changes and send reminders to people.’

With plan2gether all the rotas are in one place – worship band, security, welcoming, coffee morning, creche, AV, flowers and cleaning.

‘You name it, plan2gether will manage your rota and most importantly, automatically notify people by email or SMS text when they are on duty,’ said Gordon. ‘Users can make themselves unavailable and edit their rota duties to swap with others.

‘Currently, many churches are not running services as usual but as we move to a more normal situation, this is the time to start organising your church volunteers using our new solution.’

The first rota is available free.

Click here for more information

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The Bible: getting above the hubbub

It’s been dubbed the era of ‘fake news’ butEvangelical Christians have always believed the Bible stands above the media noise.

‘It is the revelation from God and the handbook of Christianity,’ said Brian Edwards, author of Nothing but the Truth (Day One). ‘If we want to know what we believe and how we should live, it is to the Bible we must turn.’

Today, we are confronted with a plethora of challenges that Christians must respond to – moral, social and theological. But is the Bible sufficient? Are there principles within it to guide us? How can we effectively understand it today? And, above all, can it be trusted as the reliable revelation of God in every part? Among much else, Nothing but the Truth reasserts the reliability and relevance of the Bible for Christians in the 21st Century.

A valued aid for all who take the Bible seriously in their personal life or teaching, answering many questions that people ask about the Bible such as:

•  What is its main theme?
•  Does it claim to be God’s word?
•  Who wrote the books and when? 
•  Are there contradictions?
•  Is the Bible all we need?
•  How to understand and enjoy the Bible

With more than 700 pages, including a full index and references to sources, plus charts and a Bible reading plan, Nothing but the Truth, published by CRE exhibitor Day One, is written in accessible language and style, assuming no pre-knowledge. It provides a significant starting point for Bible teachers, students, pastors and church members

‘Nothing but the Truth probes deeply into the nature of the Bible, considering and answering a full range of criticisms. Brian writes in a manner that will benefit the newest Christian. I hope his work receives the widest possible readership,’ said Dr Robert Letham, Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology, Union School of Theology, Wales.

Click here for more information.

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

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Open the door to your financial future

No one should reach the age of retirement without adequate provision for the future. 

So say Ecclesiastical Financial Advisory Services (EFAS), providers of expert, unbiased, independent financial advice for clergy, church people and PCCs.

‘Clergy, church staff and officials need reliable guidance and advice they can trust,’ said Richard Wood, director and head of EFAS. ‘We have provided independent advice about investments, pensions, savings and planning for retirement to clergy, church organisations and staff since 2009. You can have full confidence that the advice we give is impartial and concentrates on finding a suitable solution to meet your needs.’

Ecclesiastical’s fully independent advice services include:

• pension and retirement planning advice about the clergy pension, other church pension schemes and all other plans and schemes you or your partner have from previous employers or insurance companies across the market
• saving and investing for your future (including ethical investments and PCC funds)
• life assurance and protection for you and your family
• mortgage advice and specialist advice for those living in tied accommodation who want to buy a home or re-mortgage

‘I am also proud to say that EFAS were named as South West Local Mortgage Hero by NatWest for 2019 and have been nominated for the NatWest Mortgage Awards again in 2020,’ said Richard.

• Email getadvice@ecclesiastical.com to get more information or click here.
• Ecclesiastical will be exhibiting at CRE National 2021 (Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey, 12-14 Oct)

Please note: The value of investments (including pensions and property) can go down as well as up and you may not get back the amount invested. Your capital is at risk. Your home may be at risk if you do not keep up repayments on any mortgage secured on it.

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