CRE 24: ‘You just don’t know what’s going to come from a face-to-face conversation’

CRE 24: ‘You just don’t know what’s going to come from a face-to-face conversation’

By 4pm on the first day of CRE 24 at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, exhibitors Chris and Kim Dunphy had already had so many helpful and detailed conversations with visitors that they were ‘completely talked out’.

Chris, founder of ChurchEcoMiser, will now make several site visits to churches over the next few months – introducing them to the company’s eco-friendly heating system. Over the past few exhibitions Chris and Kim have distributed more than 1,000 free tree saplings to CRE visitors. In spite of two long days interacting with hundreds of visitors, they, along with more than 60 other organisations, have already booked their stand at CRE 25 (15-16 Oct, Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey).

Margaret Wylie was equally busy at Holy Socks. ‘Working from home or an office is fine, but it’s good to get out and actually meet people face to face,’ she said. ‘You just don’t know what’s going to come from a face-to-face conversation.’

CRE 24 was the first-ever at the Marshall Arena. More than 150 organisations were represented on the exhibition floor and total attendance over two days was 1,786, comprising 1,446 visitors and 340 exhibitors – almost identical to CRE 23 in Solihull.

‘Once again we sent out the 60-page exhibition handbook free to thousands of former visitors and new contacts, several weeks before the event,’ said CRE owner Steve Goddard. ‘It meant they came fully informed and ready to do business.’

Modernising churches was a theme picked up by ITV News, who filmed the exhibition in full flow and broadcast a report in a prime spot on the first evening of the show. The BBC also published a piece on their regional website.

But CRE wasn’t just about ‘holy hardware’. Two days of worship and discussion about worship were led by popular worship leaders and songwriters Lou and Nathan Fellingham, Lucy Grimble, Roger Jones and Devon Brown.

‘We have presented hints and tips on the practical way of writing from the heart,’ said Lou. ‘It would be great if those who attended the sessions are released to use the gift that God has called them to exercise.’ Nathan, 47, who wrote the popular song Lift up His Name when he was just 17, added: ‘There will always be a need for more songs and hymns and we hope many will be inspired to craft them.’

For two visitors in every five, this was the first CRE they had ever attended. One of them was Ellen Andrews, a children and family worker at Biggleswade Baptist Church. ‘The song-writing workshop looked interesting,’ she said. ‘I have not thought of writing a song before, but it has inspired me to think more about doing so.’

A series of more than 40 talks and presentations covered fundraising, faith sharing, bereavement support, social media, church security – and much, much more.

The exhibition was opened by Daniel Cutting, 10 times Guinness football freestyle world champion. Also a youth leader in his local church, Daniel declared the exhibition open while bouncing a football on his head, knee, foot and arms.

‘I was surprised at the amazing range of subjects and equipment covered at this event,’ he said. ‘The friendliness of stand holders and visitors was wonderful.’

There were a number of new exhibitors, including Liverpool-based Nick Radcliffe, who gave up his practice as a GP to produce eye-catching Christian posters.

‘This is the first time I have had a stand at an exhibition, but it has fully justified my decision to give up being a doctor,’ he said. ‘I have had so many conversations and sold a good number of posters.’

The Rev Simon Faulks, a 56-year-old Anglican priest in Bletchley, was also enthusiastic about the number of people interested in his workshops on storytelling and circus illusions. ‘I have chatted to lots of people and was delighted to be here,’ he said.

The event returns to Sandown Park in Esher, Surrey (15-16 Oct) where it will celebrate 40 years as the UK’s biggest and longest-running exhibition of resources for churches.

CRE 2025

To book a stand at CRE 25, contact:
James Batterbee
T: 0161 240 4500
E: james@creonline.co.uk