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Mental health: time our churches faced up to the challenge

Cheryl was about to get married and to everyone else her life looked good – but the 24-year-old medical student was hiding a deep depression.

The wedding came and went and things only got worse. Overwhelmed by dark thoughts, some days she even struggled to get out of bed.

‘My church had been incredibly supportive in helping to organise the wedding with many friends stepping in to help with flowers, food and decorations,’ recalls Dr Cheryl Hawkins (pictured above). ‘But no one realised how I was struggling.’

Eventually she got better and graduated as a doctor, quickly specialising in mental health. As a psychiatrist she saw Christians and non-Christians alike who struggled with the condition.

‘I also saw people in my church with similar issues and noticed they weren’t always well supported,’ she explains. ‘The church was great when someone had broken their leg, had a baby or were diagnosed with cancer, but when it came to mental health issues people didn’t seem to know the best way to help. They feared saying something wrong, or just failed to see that the person was struggling.

‘Like myself all those years ago, many people with mental health issues hide what they are going through, worrying about what people might think of them if they find out, so the issues are not even seen.’

Four years ago, Cheryl started delivering Mental Health First Aid training to businesses and schools. She has now produced a unique range of biblically-based courses to address the increasing number of mental health needs in churches. In 2022 she launched Encourage Mental Health CIC and this will be the focus of her stand at CRE Midlands 23.

She will also talk on ‘Bridging the gap: how to support mental health in your church’ (Thu 9 Nov, 3.30pm).

• Encourage Mental Health are on stand DS32 at CRE Midlands 23

Photograph: Dr Cheryl Hawkins

Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3

Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)

Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands

Denial and delay on racism in churches ‘must not go unchallenged’

The Archbishops’ Commission for Racial Justice has published the first of six reports on how to implement cultural and structural change within the Church of England – and its chair, Lord Paul Boateng, will be at CRE National 2022 to discuss the project to date.

In a foreword, Lord Boateng said it was a painful process as the examination of racism was often met with denial and delay, which ‘must not go unchallenged’. The commission is asking for a minimum of £20 million to be set aside to deliver the 47 recommendations of the earlier taskforce report From Lament to Action, adding that it was disappointing ‘how little thought has seemingly gone into utilising existing funding streams’.

It is also advocating fundamental change to the process for removing statues and memorials associated with the slave trade. It says the guidance is inadequate and incomplete and does not give sufficient consideration to the communities impacted, or the authorities in charge of the buildings. The consistory court process is too expensive and the chancellors/judges should be drawn from a more ethnically-diverse pool and receive diversity training.  The commission expects each diocese to develop a racial justice strategy by the end of the financial year.

Welcoming the report, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rt Rev Justin Welby said: ‘It identifies the difficult and long path to eradicating the pain and injustice felt by so many but provides us with hope that, through the commission’s work, these issues will be addressed.’

Roy Francis, who will join Lord Boateng at CRE National to consider the commission and the Windrush legacy, said: ‘This initial report is timely and lays before us some of the issues the church and society must seriously confront. It offers some immediate, practical and workable solutions and I look forward to hearing Lord Boateng when he speaks on the commission’s findings at CRE in October.’

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

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Your church project: small but perfectly financed

Ninety-six per cent of the UK’s 163,000 charities are small, working with an annual income of less than £1m. Nearly half have an income of less than £10,000.

‘Small charities often struggle to find support that is right for them and meets the need of the organisation, yet doesn’t smash the budget,’ said Sean Tully, associate consultant with Action Planning, a company with more than 30 years’ experience in helping thousands of not-for-profit organisations, including churches, achieve their aims.

‘When it comes to providing consultancy support for charities, we believe one size doesn’t fit all,’ he said. During Small Charity week in June this year Action Planning, based in Tadworth, Surrey, launched a new small charity support service designed specifically to meet the needs of smaller organisations.

‘Our experts will be at CRE Midlands to talk to small charities about it,’ said Sean. ‘We have a network of 150 experienced consultants. Many have worked with and for small charities and church ministries. They understand the strengths, adaptability and impact that small charities offer their local communities.

‘At CRE you can find out more about how the Action Planning small charity support package could help you. The service is designed and delivered around the needs of small organisations at two levels – our small charity analysis tool, a written report based on the analysis, and half a day of consultancy support.’

Lesley Gladwell, chief executive officer for Rebuild East Midlands, said: ‘The small charity analysis was very easy to use and the questions caused me to think about some aspects of our organisational health in new ways. The sessions were so useful and left us with a real buzz of excitement.’

Action Planning will lead a training session on both days of CRE Midlands, entitled ‘Raising funds for capital projects in your church’ (12pm, Wed 8 and Thur 9 Nov).

• Action Planning are on stand B15 at CRE Midlands

Photo: The Action Planning team in action.

Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3

Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)

Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands

Metal theft: churches urged to review security

Churches across the UK are being urged to take steps to prevent metal theft following a spate of incidents.

The warning comes from specialist insurer Ecclesiastical following theft of lead from the roof of churches in Bath, including All Saints Church in Weston, which was targeted multiple times in one month.

High demand for copper and lead, driven by an increase in metal prices, saw several churches affected by theft in the first quarter of 2023. Ecclesiastical, exhibitors at CRE Midlands 23, are urging churches across the country to carry out reviews of their security arrangements as a result of the recent increase.

Roof alarms have been proven to especially deter criminals. Other measures such as installing additional lighting to increase surveillance levels, use of anti-climb paint and CCTV can help deter thefts. Making life difficult for metal thieves by removing easy means of access onto roofs, such as waters butts, benches, bins and ladders.

Some churches and heritage properties that have been victims of metal theft incidents have replaced stolen materials with alternatives, such as stainless steel, which are less appealing to criminals.

The insurer requires customers to have security marking systems such as SmartWater, which has been proven to help with successful prosecution of metal thieves, in place as part of its policy and for policy conditions to be followed.

Jo Whyman, risk management director at Ecclesiastical Insurance, said: ‘Theft of metal can have a devastating impact on churches. It is critically important the right cover is in place. We’re urging churches across the country take steps to protect themselves and follow our guidance which is available through our website. We will be at CRE Midlands 23 to advise churches on a personal level.’

• Ecclesiastical are on stand P29 at CRE Midlands 2023

Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3

Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)

Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands

Benefact outrank Asda and churches pocket the difference

Essential support to churches and their communities is now available through new grant-giving programmes from Ecclesiastical, Benefact Group and their charitable owner Benefact Trust.

The Building Improvement Grants programme helps protect and enhance churches and Christian buildings ­– ensuring their continued use for generations to come. The programme will support capital costs such as essential repairs and improvements, conservation and restoration and energy-efficiency measures. Also, the new Community Impact Grants Programme, which helps projects making a positive and transformative impact on lives and communities, is also now open for applications.

These initiatives come at a time when the Benefact Group has been named the UK’s third-largest corporate donor to charity, according to the Directory of Social Change – The Guide to UK Company Giving 2023/24. This has been achieved by donating all dispersible profits back to churches, charities and communities.

In fact, the Benefact Group finished higher in the rankings than corporate giants such as Vodafone Group plc, Goldman Sachs International and ASDA Stores Ltd. The group has given almost £200m to good causes since 2014 and is aiming to reach its ambitious cumulative target of giving £250m by 2025.

Mark Hews, group chief executive at Benefact Group, said: ‘Owned by a charity, here at Benefact Group all available profits go to good causes, helping to transform thousands of lives for the better. The more the group grows, the more we can give and make an even bigger difference in society.’

Their flagship Movement for Good Awards is now in its 5^th year and enables individuals to nominate their favourite charity (or charities), putting them into a draw for a chance to receive an award. This year they will be giving away over £1m in three main ways:

£1,000 draws – nominate a favourite charity at any time for the £1,000 draw. There will be three £1,000 draws this year, giving away between £120,000 and £150,000 in each.

£5,000 special draws – four themed special draws over the year, giving 10 awards of £5,000 in each. The first draw will be launching soon, so keep an eye out on their website for these limited time themed draws.

Larger Grants – These £10,000+ grants are available from July to support larger transformative projects get off the ground.

• Ecclesiastical are on stand P29 at CRE Midlands 2023

Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3

Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)

Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands

Pew, what a scorcher! Heated cushions for chilly churches

As churches face soaring heating bills this winter, a pew cushion that automatically warms up when worshippers sit on it will be introduced for the first time at next week’s CRE National.

The cushion has proved popular in VIP seats at football stadiums, on boats and particularly in the catering industry where some customers prefer to sit outside in all weathers. Anthony Gerard of Sit & Heat has worked for more than 30 years working with designers, architects and catering organisations all over the world.

‘Our cushions have proved their worth in many outdoor settings and I believe churches will find them very useful in these days of rising energy prices,’ he said. ‘The cushion only gets warm when someone sits on it. The heated back and seat receive power via a battery, which has an effective sitting time of three hours. As soon as the seat is free again, the heating turns off after two minutes. Re-charging is easy, too.

‘Despite the fact that the heating is turned on long before the service, the central heating of a church building causes extremely high energy costs. In addition, the central heating of a church building can cause damage to the historic interior. With the Sit & Heat heating system, churchgoers are heated directly with no more unnecessary energy consumption!’

Catherine Ross, the Church of England’s Open and Sustainable Church Officer – a role which includes energy efficiency – said: ‘Using approaches such as heated seat cushions, which heat the people not the whole church space, can, in the right circumstances, be a great way to cut both the energy use and carbon footprint of a church.’

• Sit & Heat are on stand J4 at CRE National 2022

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After bereavement: how churches can offer light and hope

Churches can have a huge role to play in helping grieving people recover.

So says Rev Cassius Francis (pictured below), project co-leader and church trainer with CRE National exhibitors Loss and Hope, a Christian coalition offering resources to help churches support bereaved families.

With many years’ experience ministering to those who have suffered bereavement, Cassius will speak at CRE National (2pm, Wed 12 Oct) on the need for Christians to provide support – and how Loss and Hope can help.

‘Our vision is that no bereaved person in the UK should be unable to find support when they need it,’ he said. ‘The pandemic and subsequent lockdown periods have exacerbated the problems of those facing loss because they have often been unable to be with the dying. Many counselling services and avenues of support are still unable to meet the need.’

The Rev Canon Yvonne Richmond Tulloch, chief executive of Loss and Hope, was a co-founder of the charity. After being suddenly widowed in 2008 she found life went into freefall.

‘I’m convinced that light and hope could come through churches,’ she said. ‘Being present in every community, they are ideally placed to help.’

For many years Loss and Hope have been using the Bereavement Journey, a six-session course with an optional session at the end explaining the Christian faith perspective.

• Loss and Hope are on stand E8 at CRE National 2022

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

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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.

‘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)

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Tributes flow in as ‘Mrs CRE’ is called home

Diana Home, who had the original vision for CRE in the early 1980s, died earlier this month after a six-month battle with cancer.

While her late husband, Gos, got on with the vital nuts and bolts of the exhibition, Di always saw beyond its business side. The event was a means to an end, bringing new and sometimes radical ways for churches to extend the kingdom of God in today’s world.

‘For decades she was “Mrs CRE” and we will miss her infectious personality, sense of humour, generous spirit and determination to see a vision realised,’ said current CRE owner Steve Goddard. ‘To her it wasn’t just about inventive projects and systems. A people person, she would often be seen “chatting” the gospel to bemused exhibition venue staff and praying with them when the opportunity presented itself.’

Long-standing exhibitor Juliet Hemingray said: ‘Diana was a very supportive friend who truly cared for us all, a wonderful mother hen who nurtured many an exhibitor. Thank you, Lord for loaning us Gos and Di, a wonderful couple.’

Peter Bell, of Starfish Malawi, was also sad to hear of Di’s demise. ‘She was an inspirational person and always had time to chat to exhibitors,’ he said. ‘Praise the Lord for her life of service.’

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

Our next exhibitions