Blazing a trail for creative storytelling
A scavenger hunt based on the nativity story introduces the birth of Jesus in a new, engaging way.
It’s all part of Tale Trails, an initiative to help churches develop work with families and young people.
‘I wanted to use my expertise to provide a series of events for use in church and school situations,’ said Kirsty Allen, a former primary school teacher with drama training. ‘My first activity – the scavenger hunt – went down extremely well in a trial with 40 to 50 children in my home district.’ Kirsty, 55, intends to produce a number of Tale Trails to encourage children and adults to delve deeper into biblical stories.
‘I will cover subjects such as Easter along with some more suitable for schools and community use,’ she said, ‘to introduce children to parts of the Bible and traditional tales such as Goldilocks.’
The Nativity Trail features eight original illustrations which participants in teams hunt for. They then scan the attached QR code using a mobile phone or iPad and watch a short and entertaining video about one of the characters from the story. They must work as a team to rise to the creative challenges set within the trail, such as making their own videos based on the story.
‘A smart device (iPhone or tablet) able to scan QR codes is necessary,’ explained Kirsty. ‘A second device that can take photos and videos will be useful. Each team will need one QR code-friendly device and one photo-friendly device.
‘Through this engaging activity, participants experience stories by hearing from the characters involved and learn along the way by answering questions to unlock the next clues. The project is suitable for ages four to 94, so great for all-age events.’
• Tale Trails will be on stand P13 at CRE 24
CRE 2025
Book your ticket to CRE 25!
To book a stand at CRE 25, contact:
James Batterbee
T: 0161 240 4500
E: james@creonline.co.uk
Moving forward, future proofed
Integrating technology into some of the UK’s most historic listed buildings – that’s the mission of first-time exhibitor FWD-IP at CRE 24.
Future-proofing buildings by enhancing network infrastructure, telecommunications and security, the firm designs and installs state-of-the-art CCTV camera systems, contributing significantly to health and safety protocols, security measures, visitor management and crowd control. Their door and gate access control, barrier systems and automatic number plate recognition technology help manage car parking and secure premises effectively.
In operation since 1992, FWD-IP has partnered with time-honoured institutions such as Ely Cathedral, The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and the English Martyrs, Cambridge (OLEM), the Fitzwilliam Museum and Cambridge University.
‘We are thrilled to participate in our first CRE, where we will showcase our premier security solutions designed to safeguard places of worship and our national treasures,’ said FWD-IP director Will Everitt. ‘With many venues hosting an increasing number of large-scale events, our technology ensures seamless and secure operations, allowing them to focus on their mission and community.’
• FWD-IP are on stand C1 at CRE 24
CRE 2025
Book your ticket to CRE 25!
To book a stand at CRE 25, contact:
James Batterbee
T: 0161 240 4500
E: james@creonline.co.uk
Speaksee set to ‘amaze’ at CRE 24
A ground-breaking technology that delivers live speech transcription directly to a mobile phone or AV system will be launched at CRE 24.
Iain Harvey-Smith, of DM Music, believes Speaksee will have church leaders amazed at how it can help deaf people and those who hard of hearing. ‘This is a brand-new product in the UK,’ he said. ‘Seeing Speaksee in action will provide a better understanding of its capabilities than any description I can offer!’
An added benefit of Speaksee is that it can also be an effective language-translation tool for those for whom English is not their native language
DM Music – established over 30 years ago as a dedicated church supplier and installer of sound equipment – is now one of the leading AV system installers with installations in over 3,000 churches.
Adam Lee, the UK regional director for the Dutch-based Speaksee company, will join Iain at CRE 24.
• DM Music are on stand A17 at CRE 24
CRE 2025
Book your ticket to CRE 25!
To book a stand at CRE 25, contact:
James Batterbee
T: 0161 240 4500
E: james@creonline.co.uk
BySimon
Engaging and empowering older people
Louise Morse, Pilgrims Friend Society
Thur 10 Oct, 2.30-3.00
Talks 1 (sponsored by Action Planning)
With older people prevalent in our communities, how do we involve them effectively in our churches’ life and mission?
In this seminar you will:
- Consider Psalm 78 and the way God has a distinct purpose for older people
- Learn how that purpose includes being a vital part of the church and evangelising
- Discover why it is easier to tell others about Jesus when you are older
- Be shown some tips for engaging with older people – listening, empathising and paralleling
- Find out how churches benefit from older people if they don’t just treat them as beneficiaries
The Talks Programme is free to CRE visitors – download the programme guide here.
Tickets for CRE 25 are available now!
BySimon
Greening your mission
Helen Gray (Benefact Trust) & Chris Pitt (Benefact Group), Ecclesiastical Insurance
Thur 10 Oct, 10.30-11.00
Talks 2 + Worship Café (sponsored by Ecclesiastical)
Ecclesiastical is part of the Benefact Group, a family of companies which exist to serve the greater good and through our charitable owner Benefact Trust, donate all group dispersible profits back to churches, charities and communities. Helen Gray, from Benefact Trust, and Chris Pitt, from Benefact Group, will show how we can support you to green your church mission. From grants and donations, fundraising support, to helping you take steps to reduce your carbon footprint, while thinking about the risk of climate change.
In this seminar you will:
- Find out about grants and donations that will help you reduce your carbon footprint and reduce the risk of climate change
- Understand Ecclesiastical’s (part of the Benefact Group) climate commitment and ambitions
- See how the organisation is helping customers and communities to reduce climate impact
- Discover the support and guidance available, to help you achieve your net-zero goals
- Learn about support on how to access donations and grants
The Talks Programme is free to CRE visitors – download the programme guide here.
Tickets for CRE 25 are available now!
BySimon
Unlocking the power of support
Helen Richards, Ecclesiastical Insurance
Weds 9 Oct, 2.00-2.30
Talks 2 + Worship Café (sponsored by Ecclesiastical)
Discover Ecclesiastical’s Movement for Good programme and Trust 130 home insurance donations
In this seminar you will:
- Find out about Ecclesiastical’s annual giving programmes – Movement for Good
- See a number of helpful case studies and the way churches have benefitted
- Understand how their home insurance gives back via their Trust 130 scheme
- See how these small donations can make a really big impact
- Be shown how to tap into the support and resources available from Ecclesiastical, to help your church thrive
The Talks Programme is free to CRE visitors – download the programme guide here.
Tickets for CRE 25 are available now!
BySimon
Safe as houses? Church youth work in your home
Dr Sam Richards, United Refomed Church
Weds 9 Oct, 12.30-1.00
Talks 3, 1st floor balcony
Using homes for youth fellowship groups and youth activities has been the backbone of Christian youth work for generations. Why do some people think this should stop? How can we bring best practice to youth work in homes to do all we can to make it safe?
In this seminar you will:
- Hear some positive reasons to use your home in youth work
- Understand the real and practical concerns
- Be shown examples of best practice
- Be offered links to guidance from Churches Together in England
- Receive opportunities to contribute to the debate and research about youth work in homes
The Talks Programme is free to CRE visitors – download the programme guide here.
Tickets for CRE 25 are available now!
BySimon
Talks programme at CRE 24
Dozens of talks on both days of CRE 24 will feature national experts offering practical advice on a range of subjects – from fundraising to faith-sharing, holiday clubs to homelessness. The talks programme is free to CRE visitors.
For the complete talks programme, follow the links below, or download the talks programme guide. The programme is also detailed in the Exhibition Handbook, which you can find here:
Wednesday 9 October
11.30am
Fundraising for capital projects in your church
David Saint & Sean Tully, Action Planning, Talks 1
How to become the leader God created you to be
Robert Davies, Freedom in Christ UK, Talks 3
12.00 noon
CMJ: The best kept secret you’ve never heard!
Oliver Sims, CMJ UK, Talks 3
12.30pm
Your church youth work and drugs
Sarah Brighton, Hope UK, Talks 1
Safe as houses? Church youth work in your home
Dr Sam Richards, United Refomed Church, Talks 3
1.00pm
Become part of the Who Cares? campaign
Home for Good & Safe Families Team, Talks 3
2.00pm
Would Jesus be on Tiktok?
Hannah Fleming-Hill, HF Digital, Talks 1
Unlocking the power of support
Helen Richards, Ecclesiastical Insurance, Talks 2 + Worship Café
Current mission challenges and solutions: a series of short talks
Mike Frith, OSCAR, & Mission on the Map exhibitors, Talks 3, 1st floor balcony
2.30pm
Crossing this broken world: how to make a Christian response to suffering
David Dean, Barnabas Aid, Talks 1
3.00pm
Your church building: vision and reality
Jeremy Bell & Katie Duggan, JBKS Architects, Talks 1
Eco-church in action
Ann Hatton, Ripple Effect, Talks 3
3.30pm
No organist? All the music you need, anywhere!
Dan Herbert, Distributed Sound and Video Ltd, Talks 1
Open churches: balancing safety and security
Heather Ford, Ecclesiastical Insurance, Talks 2 + Worship Café
Your church building renewed by collaborative design
Mark Newall, BCHN Architects, Talks 3
Thursday 10 October
11.00am
Sharing your faith, one biscuit at a time!
Caroline Shave & Tim Moyler, Agapé, Talks 1
Greening your mission
Helen Gray & Chris Pitt, Ecclesiastical Insurance, Talks 2 + Worship Café
Fruit of the spirit: building blocks for children’s lives
Lara Talabi Oseghale, Curious Berries, Talks 3
11.30am
Fundraising for capital projects in your church
David Saint & Sean Tully, Action Planning, Talks 1
Housing the homeless
Pastor Peter, Cunningham Green Pastures, Talks 3
12.00 noon
How podcasting reaches people on the outskirts of faith
Elliott Frisby, Monkeynut, Talks 3
12.30pm
The good, the better and the best from the book of Ecclesiastes
Michael Penny, Open Bible Trust, Talks 1
How to help those struggling from porn addiction and adultery
Mike Genung, Blazing Grace, Talks 3
1.00pm
Accepting contactless donations through your mobile phone
Kyle Cottington, IKnow Church, Talks 3
1.30pm
Making your church building sustainable
Nigel Walter, Church Build, Talks 1
Church insurance support made easy
Heather Ford, Ecclesiastical Insurance, Talks 2 + Worship Café
2.00pm
The Bereavement Journey: unlocking loss and transforming lives
Revd Nicky Grey, AtaLoss, Talks 1
Current mission challenges and solutions: a series of short talks
Mike Frith, Oscar, with Mission on the Map exhibitors, Talks 3, 1st floor balcony
2.30pm
Engaging and empowering older people
Louise Morse, Pilgrims Friend Society, Talks 1
3.00pm
Scripture for everyone
Chay Harty, Bible Society, Talks 3, 1st floor balcony
Why ease of use is the key to church AV
Churches don’t have an endless supply of volunteer AV technicians – and that’s where we come in.
So says DSAV’s Dan Herbert (above) in the latest in a brand new series of CRE Exhibitor Podcasts showcasing a range of organisations you can expect to meet at CRE 24.
‘A lot of the audio-visual systems we install are geared around ease of use,’ explains Dan. ‘Nine times out of ten you can simply turn it on at the beginning of the service and turn it off at the end.’
Dan points out how many AV companies will look at what happens in church on a Sunday in isolation from the rest of the week.
‘The Sunday service is the culmination of what happens over seven days in church but what takes place in midweek is just as important,’ he maintains. ‘The verger may need to turn on the system for a service or stream a funeral, for example. That’s where ease of use really has to come into it.’
A lot of the systems DSAV install come with personal training.
‘It always amazes me that there are still churches out there with no system whatsoever,’ says Dan. ‘We’ll make sure we are there for your first service and return three or four weeks later to answer any questions you may have.’
Click here for the full podcast and here for an introduction to all the interviews on offer.
• DSAV are on stand B15 at CRE 24
CRE 2025
Book your ticket to CRE 25!
To book a stand at CRE 25, contact:
James Batterbee
T: 0161 240 4500
E: james@creonline.co.uk
Last chance to nominate your volunteer of the year
You have until this Friday (26 July) to nominate your volunteer of the year, as part of the new Benefact Group Charity Heroes Awards.
Supported by CRE 24 exhibitor Ecclesiastical, the awards are designed to celebrate and support people working tirelessly to make positive change. They are open to charities and not-for-profits, including churches, based in the UK and Ireland. The winners will be awarded £5,000 and runners up £1,000.
With six categories, churches are invited to apply here via a quick and simple form. Here are the awards, and what the judges are looking for:
Volunteer of the year – Volunteers who have gone over and above, making positive impact for charities, dedicating their time and energy to a great cause
Climate action project – Charities which have inspired and motivated action to tackle the climate crisis
Local community initiative – A project which has reached the heart of a local community to tackle a local issue
Digital fundraising initiative – Inspiring digital fundraising which has created new sources of income and motivated supporters
Small charity, big impact – A small charity (with a turnover of less than £1m) that has made a big impact
Charity leader of the year – A charity CEO or other senior leader who is a role model for others by championing a cause and inspiring change
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on Thu 28 Nov. An additional colleagues’ choice award will also be announced during the ceremony.
Helen Richards, church operations director at Ecclesiastical, part of the Benefact Group, said: ‘We are delighted to support the volunteer of the year award as part of the launch of Benefact Group’s Charity Heroes Awards 2024. This new awards programme celebrates and supports charities and churches working tirelessly to make positive change.
‘Ecclesiastical is proud to be part of Benefact Group, a family of award-winning specialist financial services companies and the third largest corporate donor to charity in the UK. Owned by a charity ourselves, charitable giving is at the heart of what we do. All our available profits go to good causes and the more our group grows, the more we can give.’
• Ecclesiastical are on stand A1 at CRE 24
CRE 2025
Book your ticket to CRE 25!
To book a stand at CRE 25, contact:
James Batterbee
T: 0161 240 4500
E: james@creonline.co.uk