Save £3 on a case of six ‘eggs with added Easter’
Now a case of six ‘eggs with added Easter’ comes plastic free – with £3 off if you buy a case at CRE North.
As usual, the 2019 Real Easter Egg includes a copy of the Easter story, is Fairtrade and supports charitable projects – but this year it’s also plastic-free for the first time.
‘Had we not made this decision we would have ordered five tonnes of plastic and 175 tonnes of card over the next five years,’ said Meaningful Chocolate founder David Marshall. ‘Going plastic free is seen as important by 96 per cent of our supporters. We have therefore replaced plastic bags, tamper-seals and Best Before stickers with paper versions and made the egg with thicker chocolate. There is still the same amount of chocolate in the egg and the box sizes are the same but the redesign means our Dark and Original Eggs are now kinder to the environment.’
There is a 50 pence discount on each Original and Dark Real Easter Egg if bought at CRE North but stocks are limited. You can pre-order larger quantities for collection at Event City by emailing Philip@meaningfulchocolate.co.uk.
• Meaningful Chocolate are on stand A7 at CRE North
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Flip-flops, blankets and prayer: all in a night’s work for Street Pastors
The atmosphere in our cities has changed since 2003 when 18 Christians took to the streets of Brixton in response to gun and knife crime.
Now Street Pastors patrol more than 300 towns and cities with some 20,000 volunteers listen to people’s problems, show concern and make an impact for good.
Street Pastors in Greater Manchester was launched in 2004 after Paul Keeble was invited by founder Rev Les Isaac to the London launch and brought the vision back home.
‘It was an instant success in Manchester – probably the first city to take up the challenge after London,’ he said. ‘It has helped raise the spiritual temperature.’
Paul, 61, is a trustee of the organisation and attends Brunswick Parish Church. He still enjoys a late pastoral night out in the city when his turn comes.
‘We start with a briefing at the police station and then go out in teams, offering help,’ he explained. ‘People appreciate our presence and often recognise team members. Recently, we were in a cafe when a man who admitted he was an atheist approached us and insisted on paying our bill “for what you are doing.”
‘We are taking the challenge to CRE North at Event City and hope that many who visit the exhibition will be inspired to join us – particularly those in a younger age bracket.’
While anyone over 18 can become a Street Pastor, many of the 12,000 volunteers in the ten projects in the Greater Manchester’s area are older – some, like Paul, in their 60s. Anyone wanting to become a Street Pastor receives special training and is asked to patrol a minimum of once a month. They listen and sometimes pray with people, ensuring that those who are drunk can get home. Flip-flops are often handed out to women whose high-heeled shoes prove uncomfortable, and space blankets to those suffering from the cold.
‘It is a great work and can lead to opportunities for witness,’ said Paul, recalling one of the team praying with a man, at his request, in a pub. ‘I watched the man lean in close to be part of the prayer as John Motson’s commentary on Match of the Day was relayed above their heads. People say they don’t know why we do it but they’re really glad we’re here. We are not superheroes, but ordinary Christians. And we need more volunteers. Come and talk to us at CRE North.’
• Street Pastors are on Stand P17 at CRE North
• Paul Keeble will be speaking with Sid Williams (Embassy Bus) on Your church and social engagement (11am, Wed 13 Oct)
Photo: Hannah Beatrice
> Who’s exhibiting at CRE North 2019?
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Post-Brexit Britain: Archbishop of York welcomes CRE seminar
A seminar where churches will come together to try and find a way forward through the Brexit crisis, has been welcomed by the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu.
Hosted by Andy Flannagan of Christians in Politics, the seminar (CRE North, Event City, Manchester, 12pm, Wed 13 Mar) will ask whether or not the church is in part responsible for the current situation.
‘Have we critiqued from the sidelines instead of getting on the political pitch?’ said Flannagan. ‘Whatever the situation on March 29th we need to move forward positively. We will discuss what role churches can play in bridging the cultural divide and bring communities together again.’
Archbishop John, who is asking people to say a special prayer three times a day in light of the current political crisis, has welcomed the initiative.
‘CRE is an event that brings together churches from many different traditions and persuasions,’ he said. ‘It is an ideal place for positive discussion and agenda setting. My prayer is that we all find wisdom, courage, integrity and compassion for our political leaders and MPs, for reconciliation and a fresh and uniting vision for everyone.’
God of eternal love and power,
Save our Parliamentary Democracy;
Protect the High Court of Parliament and all its members
From partiality and prejudice;
That they may walk humbly the path of kindness, justice and mercy.
Give them wisdom, insight and a concern for the common good.
The weight of their calling is too much to bear in their own strength,
Therefore we pray earnestly, Father,
send them help from your Holy Place, and be their tower of strength.
Lord, graciously hear us. Amen.
> Who’s exhibiting at CRE North 2019?
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Days of shuffling sheet music are over
The days of shuffling sheet music during the Lord’s Prayer are over – thanks to Power Music Software Ltd.
Songs or hymns can be set up silently, effortlessly, on ipad or tablet, often at the touch of a foot-controlled switch. The change has had a large impact among musicians and is also environmentally friendly with the amount of sheet music copied in churches reduced significantly.
Gordon Cameron, director of Cambron Software, makers of Power Music, said: ‘When we first demonstrated our equipment we were told it would not catch on but more and more musicians are using it.’
Its popularity proved frustrating for a number of older musicians whose eyes can’t catch the notes quick enough on an ipad.
‘However, they are delighted with the larger screens – from 22 to 27 inches – which we now provide,’ continued Gordon, who began the company 10 years ago.
And a recent collaboration with WorshipReady.com – an American website – has resulted in access to high-quality chord sheets.
‘This new initiative gives users access to more than 1,000 of the highest-quality chord sheets with new sheets added daily,’ said Gordon. ‘This save musicians time creating and editing chord sheets or importing them from other sources. We’ll show you how at CRE North!’
• Cambron Software offering Power Music Software are on stand A40 at CRE North
> Who’s exhibiting at CRE North 2019?
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Have a hand in helping world’s poorest people
It’s simple, communal and creates a high nutrition resource to feed some of the poorest children in the world.
Hand to Hand food packing, which comes to CRE for the first time in March, has proved to be a great way to engage local communities in a practical social justice project.
Hosted by churches, schools and community groups, the activity entails teams filling bags with dried rice, soya and lentils along with a sachet of micronutrients. These bags are then weighed, sealed, labelled and boxed. Each pack contains six meals (one each for six children) and every box of food helps feed a family of six for a month.
‘Food packing is very simple and creates an end-resource sent by Feed The Hungry UK to some of the poorest children in the world,’ explained Gwyn Williams, the charity’s operations director.
There will be several opportunities to try Hand to Hand food packing at CRE North. For more details on joining a team at the exhibition, click here.
Stuart Bell, leader of the Ground Level Network and Senior Pastor of Alive Church, Lincoln, said: ‘I am delighted to commend Hand to Hand food packing to churches as it enables people to come together to pack food in a fun and enjoyable way, but also think about how it can be used as an opportunity to connect with their local community.’
Feed The Hungry UK’s mission is to reduce world hunger through feeding programmes and provide humanitarian aid to support education and implement sustainable farming initiatives. The organisation works worldwide to feed more than 250,000 children in 150 schools in 20 developing countries. As part of the provision the organisation supports pastors and church leaders in presenting the gospel to families and children around the world.
‘Since 2010, from Leicestershire, we have supplied over nine million meals and more than 100 containers of aid to some of the world’s most vulnerable children and their families,’ said Gwyn Williams. ‘We invite you to find out more about our mission at CRE.’
• Feed The Hungry – Hand to Hand are on stand P63 at CRE North
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Clergy wife turns financial juggling into an art
Twenty-five years of juggling finances for clergy – and being married to one – has given Anne Wray a unique perspective on life.
‘Clergy need to ensure there is a reasonable pension pot and will probably have to buy their own home late in life,’ said Anne, who launched Anne Wray IFA specifically to help sort out financial problems faced by clergy of most denominations.
For a quarter of a century she has helped them ride smoothly over recessions, inflation and stock market crashes – and anticipates surmounting whatever problems Brexit brings.
‘The UK will sign a declaration on March 29 but so far we have no indication what might be involved,’ she admitted. ‘However, our experience over the years has helped us understand how change might be managed and put clients’ minds at rest (as far as possible!) in changing and sometimes challenging, times.’
Anne worked for various insurance companies after leaving school. Following a spell with Methodist Insurance, she moved on to establish her own business, Anne Wray IFA, in 1994. It has rapidly become a pioneer and leader in advising clergy and the Christian community on investments, pensions, mortgages, taxation and other personal financial matters.
Anne Wray IFA has developed into a family business. Daughter Melanie is also an adviser and Thomas, Anne’s son, looks after the administration and office. Two miniature schnauzers, Bill and Ben, alert staff when people approach the door!
‘We are looking forward to continuing our support of existing clients at CRE North and inviting and welcoming new ones as they come face-to-face with sometimes confusing financial issues,’ she said.
• Anne Wray is on stand D30 at CRE North
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Safeguarding tool launched that ‘challenges status quo’
A new audit tool has been launched to help UK-based charities strengthen safeguarding arrangements overseas.
The tool, developed by CRE North exhibitor thirtyone:eight, is the first of its kind and comes as a response to requests from organisations wanting support in developing safeguarding arrangements and those of overseas partners.
The event followed the Department for International Development (DfID) Safeguarding Summit held in October 2018 in response to revelations of safeguarding failures within the international aid sector.
Karen Eakins (pictured), head of consultancy at thirtyone:eight, said: ‘We are receiving increasing numbers of requests for help within the challenging area of international safeguarding.
‘“Lament” is a word in the Bible which refers to recognising suffering and calling out to God to create change. By lamenting we are challenging the status quo and speaking out for change even where it is seen as culturally unacceptable.’
The audit tool is built around seven core principles which include organisational culture; policy and procedural standards; recruiting safely; training and development; safer working; recognising, responding and reporting concerns; and working with overseas partners. It follows a three-stage process of reviewing the arrangements of the UK organisation, dialogue with the overseas partner organisations and the formulation of an action plan.
It is available at no cost and sits within thirtyone:eight’s range of resources.
• thirtyone:eight are on stand A27 at CRE North
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New woodland centre sustains legacy of Watchman Nee
A new Christian conference and training centre, inspired by the works of classic authors Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, is under construction in outer London.
The Amana Trust, owners of a centre near Romford and a bookshop in central London for many years, have purchased a 17-acre woodland site within the M25 and 10 minutes from the Central line tube station. Easily accessible but removed from the busyness of London, the centre will be available for groups of up to 300 people in stylish wooden cabins, most with ensuite bedrooms and several with meeting spaces.
The new centre, and Watchman’s Nee’s legacy, will the focus of a seminar at CRE North.
Watchman Nee’s classics include The Normal Christian Life and The Spiritual Man. In addition, the complete works of Watchman Nee comprises a mostly unknown 62 volumes. More than 15,000 pages of Watchman Nee’s ministry was continued by his closest co-worker, Witness Lee, whose ministry was even more extensive.
The Amana Trust endeavours to help believers grow in the Christian faith, both personally and in groups. Their events include weekend retreats, week-long training and a two-year, full-time residential course.
• The Amana Trust are on stand C22 at CRE North
• Edward Diggines and Stephen Tait of the Amana Trust will speak on The enduring legacy of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee at CRE North (11am, Thu 14 Mar)
> Who’s exhibiting at CRE North 2019?
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How Sophie saved with Silley – and backed the kids of Kibera
The electric snake had claimed dozens of ‘lives’ – but had no answer for the dextrous skills of one CRE visitor.
Sophie Wellbelove took on the Save With Silley Challenge at CRE 2018, reaching the end of the snake without getting ‘electrocuted’ – in just eight seconds.
‘It was an incredibly quick time and the best of the week,’ said Andrew Silley, who specialises in energy procurement, management and consumption reduction for churches and individuals. ‘We were delighted to send £100 to the Turning Point Trust on Sophie’s behalf!’ The trust works with children in Kibera, a vast slum in Nairobi, Kenya where 7,000 children are out of school due to poverty. The trust returns children to school, providing quality education and promoting literacy in the community.
As an energy professional who understands the complexities of the industry, Andrew reviews expenditure and suggests ways we can all make savings.
‘There’s really nothing to do other than decide if you want to save money,’ he said. ‘And there’s no charge for my services. The churches and charities I work with have saved between five and 56 per cent on their energy bills! In fact, I am so confident of finding you the best deal, I guarantee to beat the renewal offer of your current supplier (as detailed in your initial renewal offer letter) or I will make a donation of £75 to the charity of your choice.’
Among the charities Andrew currently supports is The Message, based in Manchester.
‘All the more reason to pay me a visit at Event City!’ said Andrew.
• Andrew Silley is on stand C18 at CRE North
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Let professional HR release your leaders to lead
Churches aren’t immune from problems with employees and should consider bringing in trained Human Resources professionals to help navigate difficult situations.
That’s the view of Nicci Birley, director of CRE North exhibitor Cornerstone Resources Ltd.
‘Church leaders are not only required to provide spiritual leadership but have to act as CEO of a small charity,’ she said. ‘Maybe someone isn’t performing, or money needs to be saved by making an employee redundant. It’s during these difficult times that the emotional as well as financial cost can be extremely high.’
Having someone you can rely on and trust who is not only trained in managing people issues but also a Christian can be invaluable, believes Nicci, founder of Cornerstone Resources Limited, an independent HR organisation.
‘In a Christian setting, we know how important relationships are and even when the right decision is to part company with someone, you’ll want to ensure where possible that the relationship doesn’t break down because of it,’ she said. ‘With many years of experience, not only in the professional HR world but also in churches and charities, we bring an understanding of church life and leadership and work closely with clients to understand their culture and vision – so we can find the right solution for all concerned.’
• Cornerstone Resources Ltd are on stand D9 (sharing with Phasic)
> Who’s exhibiting at CRE North 2019?
> Who’s exhibiting at CRE Sandown Park 2019?