Maintain your building, improve your mission
Tackle those essential maintenance tasks sooner rather than later and you reduce your longer term costs significantly.
That’s the message from CRE 2018 exhibitor the National Churches Trust, who believe a well-maintained place of worship is an important tool for mission and outreach.
‘No matter how important it is to them, congregations frequently find it difficult to look after their building cost-effectively and in particular how to fund any major works,’ says the trust’s Cicely Barnett. ‘At its most extreme this can lead to closure or demolition and the possible end of the local church itself.’
As of this month (Sep 2018), the trust’s new free, web-based maintenance service, MaintenanceBooker, is available across England and Wales following a pilot project in Yorkshire in 2017.
Cicely has been working with project manager Janet Edmond, alongside several denominations across the UK. They are available on Stand S100 at CRE 2018.
‘There has been a lot of support for MaintenanceBooker as a way to help faith volunteers and staff find qualified contractors more easily,’ she explains. ‘MaintenanceBooker can help groups of churches, too and this can significantly lower maintenance costs.’
‘Maintaining your church building is the bedrock of keeping it open,’ believes Becky Clark, director of churches and cathedrals at the Church of England. ‘Simple tasks like keeping gutters and drains clear, identifying problems with trees and properly maintaining them and ensuring stonework is well looked after, will help prevent unexpected large repair bills.’
Churches and chapels of all denominations can use the MaintenanceBooker service to request online quotes for essential maintenance services from qualified contractors before going on to book the job.
Grants have been made available by The Pilgrim Trust and the National Churches Trust to help congregations to get started. They are easy to apply for through the MaintenanceBooker website and applicants will also receive a quick decision on their application. You can find out more about MaintenanceBooker at CRE 2018 and by watching an introductory video here.
* The National Churches Trust are on stand S100 at CRE 2018
Click here for a list of more than 200 exhibitors at CRE 2018
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Discover the CRE stand that’s just the job
Whether you are looking for a new challenge or have a vacancy to post, CRE 2018 is where jobs meet candidates.
In partnership with OSCAR, dozens of unfilled positions will be displayed on the CRE Jobs Board.
If you have a vacancy in your church, charity or business you can post it for all visitors to see for just £30.
Or if you are looking for a job with a church or parachurch organisation, be sure to check out the Jobs Board at CRE 2018.
‘We know many highly-motivated and well qualified visitors come to the exhibition considering new opportunities in their careers,’ explains CRE event director Brett Pitchfork. ‘It is an important shop window for work opportunities in both commercial and vocational situations.’
To book an advert on the CRE Jobs Board click here.
Click here for a list of more than 200 exhibitors at CRE 2018
Click the button below to pre-register for CRE 2018 for as little as £3
Fifty years on: the Christingle candle burns ever brighter
Hundreds of churches, schools and more than 30 cathedrals are stocking up on oranges – to celebrate 50 years of Christingle.
The Children’s Society’s John Pensom, known as ‘Mr Christingle’, is credited with adapting the Moravian tradition and introducing it to the Church of England as a way of raising money for the society’s work with vulnerable children and young people.
‘We’d love people to come to our stand at CRE (FC32) to hear more about our plans for the 50th anniversary,’ says the Children’s Society’s Tracey Messenger. ‘We will have free resources available to make your Christingle celebrations this year the best ever! And if you’re quick, you may also receive one of our special bags of dolly mixtures!’
The first Christingle service took place at Lincoln Cathedral in December 1968. Only 300 people were expected but as many as 1500 turned up. Since then, Christingle has become a well-loved Christmas tradition, with more than 6,000 held in the UK last year. Many find it to be one of the most popular services of the year, attracting children and families who don’t normally attend church.
‘Christingle season begins at Advent and continues through until Candlemas,’ explains Tracey. ‘We’ve teamed up with tutors and ordinands at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, who have produced a suite of all-age seasonal resources, with prayers and all-age talks for Christingle services suitable for use on Advent Sunday, Christmas Eve, Epiphany and Candlemas.’
For children’s groups, there is a Messy Church Christingle session from Lucy Moore, and a Diddy Disciples resource for under 7s developed by Revd Dr Sharon Moughtin-Mumby. A new song, ‘Light a Candle’, has been composed exclusively for the anniversary by Louise Drewett, a young composer currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music. The words have been written by British poet Clare Shaw.
‘Whether you are a school choir, amateur singing group, professional, cathedral or church choir, or just love singing, ‘Light a Candle’ is the perfect way to raise your voice in celebration,’ says Tracey.
Download ‘Light a Candle’ here.
• The Children’s Society are on stand FC32 at CRE 2018
Click here for a list of more than 200 exhibitors at CRE 2018
Click the button below to pre-register for CRE 2018 for as little as £3
Add years to your life – go to church!
Going to church regularly can help ease stress and add years to your life, a new study shows.
‘Attending church is actually good for your health, particularly people between 40 and 65,’ explains Prof Marino Bruce, a social and behavioural scientist who led the study. ‘Middle-aged adults reduce their risk of dying by 55 per cent. Those who do not attend church at all are twice as likely to die prematurely than those who attended church at some point in the past year.’
The survey findings show that churches – which includes temples, mosques and other faith establishments in the attendance category – are ‘encouraging individuals to participate in something,’ said Prof Bruce, a Baptist minister and research associate professor of medicine, health and society at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
His findings provide a backdrop for three seminars at CRE 2018 where experts will speak about encouraging elderly people and involving them in the work of the local church.
• Louise Morse, from Pilgrims’ Friend Society, will look at ways to help church leaders empower and enable older people to discover the role God has planned for them (11am, Tue 16 Oct). More here
• Peter Meadows and Dave Fenton, from AfterWorkNet, will point out the opportunities retired people have to serve the church and others without overburdening themselves (3pm, Tue 16 Oct). More here
• Alex Burn from BRF will outline the latest move from Messy Church –Messy Vintage: The Gift of Years. She will explain how churches can not only help those living with dementia and their carers but show why ministry among older people really matters and makes a difference (2pm, Wed 17 Oct). More here
Click here for a list of more than 200 exhibitors at CRE 2018
Click the button below to pre-register for CRE 2018 for as little as £3
From hell to Yeldall: How Jesus became ‘Class A’ for Tony
Released from prison three months ago, Tony headed straight to Yeldall Manor.
As a long-term down-and-out, prison had been a routine consequence of his drug addiction. Losing his father at an early age had warped his perception of love – he used Class A drugs an attempt to fill the huge void. Stabbed on five separate occasions, he was estranged from his family, and most hurtfully, young son.
‘In 2015, with fear overwhelming him, he saw no way out of his hell,’ explains Chris Wood, marketing and admissions manager at Yeldall. ‘Slowly but surely he reached out for help, acknowledging that God had been there all his life, saving him from himself.’
A residential rehabilitation centre, Yeldall is set in 38 acres of Berkshire countryside near Reading. For more than 40 years, the centre has been helping men overcome serious drug or alcohol addictions and Tony saw God in the nature, wildlife and creation around Yeldall. He asked for prayer at church and felt on fire!
‘He couldn’t find the words to express the multitude of emotions and feelings running through him,’ recalls Chris. ‘He was sweating, in tears and finally accepted the love of Christ and the Holy Spirit. He is in awe that Christ chose him to forgive and he has peace and hope.’
Staff and peers from Yeldall joined Tony on the beach for his baptism earlier this month.
‘This is the God that loves us all in visible action,’ reflects Chris. ‘Tony is one of hundreds of men saved at Yeldall through that same love.’
• Yeldall Manor are on stand 135 at CRE 2018
Click here for a list of more than 200 exhibitors at CRE 2018
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Tailor-make your visit to world-famous Oberammergau
A picturesque Bavarian village will welcome more than half a million visitors in two years’ time and one exhibitor at CRE 2018 wants you to join them.
The world-famous Oberammergau Passion Play was first performed 386 years ago. With neighbouring villages ravaged by the bubonic plague, the villagers vowed to present the drama of Christ’s journey into Jerusalem, his death and resurrection – if the village was spared.
More than 2,000 villagers, an orchestra and a vast stage have enthralled audiences every ten years since.
The last time the play was performed in 2010, Tailored Travel took one in every 10 people who travelled from the UK and Ireland. So, as an independent tour operator with more than 20 years’ experience in putting together escorted holidays, they understand exactly what’s needed to make every aspect of your trip to Oberammergau a success.
• Tailored Travel are on stand S104 at CRE 2018
Click here for a list of more than 200 exhibitors at CRE 2018
Click the button below to pre-register for CRE 2018 for as little as £3
New Christmas resource gives ringside seat to marginalised people
Outsiders get a ringside seat for the Christmas story in Lifewords’ brand new Advent resource.
OUTSIDE/IN, available at CRE 2018, is a beautifully illustrated FREE booklet telling the Christmas story from the perspective of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and sages. Produced in partnership with Biblica, Livability and Torch Trust, OUTSIDE/IN welcomes everyone into the story.
‘We are challenging churches proactively to consider people marginalised in their own communities,’ explains Matt Currey, Lifewords’ UK development manager. ‘It also provides specific ways to extend access to the Bible for people who are non-hearing or visually impaired, or who have a lower reading age.’
Fellow CRE exhibitor CPO (stand S81) are providing customisable posters, invites and other supporting resources. Biblica’s NIrV translation is used as the text – a version of the Bible accessible to people with reading ages from 7+. Torch Trust (stand B5) have created braille, super-large print and audio CD versions of the story. A new downloadable animation for churches to stream or share is available on social media. The animation tells the OUTSIDE/IN story, with BSL signing included, so the story is accessible to the deaf community.
‘After a record-breaking year of Christmas distribution in 2017, we want to equip local churches to share the Christmas story this year as effectively and accessibly as possible,’ says Matt Currey.
• Lifewords are on stand S40 at CRE 2018
Click here for a list of more than 200 exhibitors at CRE 2018
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To share or not to share: Understanding the law and gospel freedoms
A new guide, which examines what the law says about our freedom to share the Christian faith, will be available at the Evangelical Alliance stand (S155).
It comes in the wake of the case of nurse Sarah Kuteh (pictured), dismissed from Darent Valley Hospital in Kent because of complaints that she had been imposing her religious beliefs by offering her personal Bible to a patient. Two years later the Nursing and Widwifery Council (NWC) agreed it was in the public interest for her to return to work.
Christian Concern, an organisation providing legal help for Christians in similar situations, took her case on. Ms Kuteh, who had meanwhile found work in a nursing home – under a series of conditions imposed by the NWC – admitted that it was a mistake to give her Bible to a patient, saying she should have used one from the hospital chaplaincy.
Her nursing home supervisor praised her work as ‘kind, caring and honest’ at the recent hearing after which the NWC agreed to lift the restrictions on her. The Kuteh case and other similar experiences on the part of Christians who have been warned or lost their jobs because of witnessing, has led the Evangelical Alliance and the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship to launch a new guide, Speak Up, which examines what the law says about our freedom to share the gospel of Jesus – with gentleness, kindness and also boldness.
The EA’s Richard Godden and Flavio Guaratto will also lead a seminar on the subject (2pm, Thu 18 Oct), highlighting the pitfalls of stepping out of line when witnessing – and the challenges to speak up with honesty and understanding.
As John Glass, chair of the EA council, and former general superintendent of Elim UK, said in the booklet: ‘Those who are serious about sharing their faith owe a huge debt of gratitude to the authors of this timely publication which serves two purposes. On one hand it allays the fears of those who are anxious about infringing legislation and, on the other, rightly reminds us to always witness with sensitivity and respect.’
• The law and our gospel freedoms – 2pm, Thu 18 Oct, EA Room
Click here for a list of more than 200 exhibitors at CRE 2018
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Worship resource that’s easy for Sunday morning
The ultimate legal source of words and sheet music for worship – that’s how CCLI describes its popular SongSelect website.
SongSelect features official song resources for more than 100,000 worship songs and hymns. Available to any church which holds a Church Copyright Licence (CCL) for the projection/reproduction of song words, SongSelect subscriptions start from just £34 a year. All subscriptions are church-based and allow unlimited access for as many people as required within the church’s music and projection/multimedia teams.
‘We’ve made many improvements in response to customer feedback,’ said CCLI’s Rich Burrough. ‘As well as lyrics and transposable lead and chord sheets, the site now includes thousands of transposable multi-part vocal sheets. We’ve also added many resources to help churches discover and learn new and popular songs.’
SongSelect is fully responsive for mobiles devices and integrates with a growing number of leading song planning and projection software packages, including OnSong, MediaShout and ProPresenter.
‘This makes song planning and delivery much easier, whether you’re preparing in advance or responding in the moment,’ added Rich. ‘You can find out more at CRE, and even try it before you buy it!’
• CCLI are on stand S8 at CRE 2018
Click here for a list of more than 200 exhibitors at CRE 2018
Click the button below to pre-register for CRE 2018 for as little as £3
A swing and a prayer: New project helps faith last into adulthood
Only half of the children growing up in Christian homes keep their faith as adults – but a new initiative aims to change all that.
‘It isn’t always easy for parents to nurture faith in their offspring, so the Kitchen Table Project chips in with considerable help and understanding,’ explains project manager Becky Benharder. ‘It brings together a growing movement of mums, dads and carers who want to inspire a faith that lasts in their children.’
The Care for the Family stand at CRE 2018 (S162) will have helpful literature and resources, including Raising Faith, a new book by Andy Frost, director of Share Jesus International and Katherine Hill, UK director for Care for the Family. It is packed with practical tips and stories to encourage sharing faith at home.
Church leaders can also find ways to set up groups of parents nurturing faith in their homes. These include sermon outlines to encourage congregations to work together to see their children grow up in the faith.
‘You will find a starting point with our Inspire Session – a 90-minute small group discussion that helps parents start talking about how important it is to introduce their children to God,’ says Becky. ‘The session comes with a leader’s guide, a pack of discussion cards and a short 10-minute video to help start the conversation.
‘One church has bought copies of the book to give to every parent in the congregation. That is how serious they felt about the subject.’
• Care for the Family are on stand S162 at CRE 2018
Click here for a list of more than 200 exhibitors at CRE 2018
Click the button below to pre-register for CRE 2018 for as little as £3