The case for space
Peter Andrews, Boys Brigade
Wednesday 8 November, 11.00-11.25
How churches can create spaces that allow young people to build authentic relationships and wrestle with life and faith.
In this seminar you will:
• Be informed of youth culture trends from new research carried out by Youthscape
• Understand how this research will inform your church’s approach to children’s and youth work
• Be shown how to develop a group helping young people explore faith
• Understand how young people can help reach their generation with the Gospel
• Receive advice on the next steps for creating and developing safe spaces
Talks programme at CRE Midlands 2023
The Talks Programme is free to CRE visitors
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 james@creonline.co.uk
Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 carol@creonline.co.uk
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Racial justice: let’s work together
Bishop Mike Royal, Churches Together in England
Thursday 9 November, 2.00-2.30
Racial justice is a cause we can all unite around and Bishop Mike will cite examples of best practice when we come together to stand against racial injustice.
In this seminar you will:
• Be informed of lessons from the Windrush pioneers at Windrush 75
• Discover how we can stand together as one church in moments of community tension
• Learn what it looks like to be committed to a changed attitude, become an ally and undertake an ethnic diversity audit in your church or Christian organisation
• Discover how to become more embracing of people from global majority backgrounds
• Receive answers to your burning questions at an interactive Q and A session
Talks programme at CRE Midlands 2023
The Talks Programme is free to CRE visitors
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 james@creonline.co.uk
Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 carol@creonline.co.uk
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Introducing the Church Organiser from the Church of England
Chris Gibson & Tom Pearson, Church Organiser
Wednesday 8 November, 4.00-4.30
An introduction to software that helps churches with administration around life events, room booking and ticketing.
In this seminar you will:
• Discover how you can get more room bookings for your church hall and buildings
• Find out how to generate marriage documents with just a few clicks
• Receive tips on staying in touch with people who attend a life event (baptism/ marriage)
• Be shown an easy way to take payments for room bookings, ticketing and wedding fees
• Discover why the Church of England is funding this software for your parish
Talks programme at CRE Midlands 2023
The Talks Programme is free to CRE visitors
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 james@creonline.co.uk
Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 carol@creonline.co.uk
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Dozens of talks on both days of CRE Midlands 23 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.
Find the complete talks programme here:
CRE Midlands 2023 talks programme (download and print version)
CRE Midlands 2023 exhibition handbook
Or follow the links below to explore each day’s talks:
From 10.00am
• CRE opening ceremony
Rick Wakeman and the BIG Sing Choir, Talks Area 3
11.00am
• How to help those struggling with porn addiction and adultery
Mike Genung, Blazing Grace, Talks Area 1
• The Case for Space
Peter Andrews, Boys Brigade, Talks Area 2
• Walk Through the Bible
Tom Greene, from 11.00 throughout the day, Stand A29
11.30am
• The importance of diversity in Christian resources for children
Lara Talabi, Curious Berries, Talks Area 1
• Planning and running a holiday club
Lorraine Webb, United Reformed Church, Talks Area 2
12.00 noon
• Raising funds for capital projects in your church
David Saint, Action Planning, Talks Area 1
• Why is the UK still sending missionaries?
Mike Frith, Mission on the Map and OSCAR, Talks Area 3
12.30pm
• Prophetic and creative worship
Roger Jones, Christian Music Ministries, Talks Area 3
1.00pm
• Telling God’s story through theatre
Rachael Orrell, Saltmine Theatre, Talks Area 3
2.00pm
• Learning to love your enemies
Michael Penny, The Open Bible Trust, Talks Area 1
• Key steps for successful fundraising
Heather Ford, Ecclesiastical Insurance, Talks Area 2
• What helps Christian disciples grow?
Ian Jones, St Peter’s Saltley Trust, Talks Area 3
2.30pm
• How building a strong family reduces the impact of poverty on children
Catherine Clayton, Kids Matter, Talks Area 1
• The process behind rebuild or repair
Andy Henner, Ecclesiastical Insurance, Talks Area 2
• Resourcing mission in a new era
Mike Frith, Mission on the Map and OSCAR, Talks Area 3
3.00pm
• Five ways to increase giving in your church
Kyle Cottington, iKnow Church, Talks Area 1
• AV technology that serves your Sunday worship
Tim Horton, B+H Sound, Talks Area 2
• The bereavement journey
Revd Cassius Francis, AtaLoss, Talks Area 3
3.30pm
• How a mid-life mental health MOT can help prevent dementia
Louise Morse, Pilgrims’ Friend Society, Talks Area 1
• You, your church and social media
Remi Dayo-Omole, A Fresh Time with God, Talks Area 2
• A clearer light on our path
Robin Lane, CFI, Talks Area 3
4.00pm
• Introducing the Church Organiser from the Church of England
Chris Gibson & Tom Pearson, iKnow Church, Talks Area 1
• Ending homelessness
Pastor Pete Cunningham, Green Pastures CBS Ltd, Talks Area 2
• Sharing God’s great love with suffering Christians
David Dean, Barnabas Fund, Talks Area 3
11.00am
• Nitrous oxide and vaping: what you and your church need to know
Sarah Brighton, Hope UK, Talks Area 1
• Revealing Jesus to the emerging generation
Domenico Conidi, Scripture Union, Talks Area 2
• Walk Through the Bible
Tom Greene, from 11.00 throughout the day, Stand A29
11.30am
• How do we get our church members talking about their faith?
Tim Moyler, Agapé UK, Talks Area 1
• How to help those struggling with porn addiction and adultery
Mike Genung, Blazing Grace, Talks Area 2
• How stories inspire life
Bori Riedmueller, Community Bible Studies UK, Talks Area 3
12.00 noon
• Raising funds for capital projects in your church
David Saint, Action Planning, Talks Area 1
• Giving back: Building a movement for good
Helen Richards, Ecclesiastical Insurance, Talks Area 2
• Discovering the potential of puppetry and creative arts
Ian Jones, One Way, Talks Area 3
12.30pm
• Your church, climate change and net carbon zero
Stuart Blackie, Ecclesiastical Insurance, Talks Area 2
• Humility and understanding in the book of Romans
Jacob Vince, CFI, Talks Area 3
1.00pm
• Saltmine Theatre Company performance
Talks Area 3
2.00pm
• Racial justice: let’s work together
Bishop Mike Royal, Churches Together in England, Talks Area 1
• How churches can engage with Further Education colleges
Nigel Roberts, St Peter’s Saltley Trust & West, Talks Area 2
• Integrating ancient and modern worship
Roger Jones, Christian Music Ministries, Talks Area 3
2.30pm
• How Good News helps ordinary Christians share their faith
Trevor Dickerson, Good News outreach newspaper, Talks Area 1
• AV technology that serves your Sunday worship
Tim Horton, B+H Sound, Talks Area 2
• Pandemic, war and global mission
Panel discussion, Mission on the Map and OSCAR, Talks Area 3
3.00pm
• Take the pain out of church room hire
Chris Gibson, iKnow Church, Talks Area 1
• An introduction to County Lines
Sarah Brighton, Hope UK, Talks Area 2
• Collaborative design for your new church building
Mark Newall, BCHN Architects (was BHN), Talks Area 3
3.30pm
• Why your church should become single friendly
Beth Collingridge & Mike Simpson, Single Friendly Church, Talks Area 1
• Where are your young people?
Dr Sam Richards, United Reformed Church, Talks Area 2
• Bridging the gap: how to support mental health in your church
Dr Cheryl Hawkins, Encourage Mental Health, Talks Area 3
CRE Midlands 23 will feature more than 150 exhibitors and some 50 talks and presentations. Here’s a small sample of what you can expect.
Mission on the Map: At every exhibition visitors tell us mission is a key area they want to promote in their churches so we’re putting it centre stage! Mission on the Map will feature a dozen or so exhibitors profiling mission-related opportunities, resources and advice.
Saints Alive! with Roger Jones: He has 24 musicals under his belt and musical maestro Roger Jones will bring a Birmingham-based choir to CRE Midlands for a 50-minute performance of his sixth musical – Saints Alive – with Pentecost as its theme.
Effective fundraising: When church members realise they need specialist help to raise funds for a special project, it saves time and effort. Action Planning’s David Saint will show you how a structured fund-raising plan can make all the difference.
Worship resources: ‘Our vision is to serve the local church with a great tasting and hygienically-packaged product, especially important after Covid-19,’ explains Bayo Oniye, a Birmingham-based pastor and founder of mmeyou’s prefilled communion cups.
Church management: The Life Events Diary is designed to help you manage weddings, baptisms, funerals or banns. With automated reminders, online enquiry forms and digital production of the marriage registration document, the diary covers all bases.
Bereavement counselling: With about 600,000 people dying in the UK each year, Loss and HOPE is a valuable coalition of organisations who feel passionately about churches being equipped to support the bereaved. Rev Cassius Francis, project co-leader with exhibitor Loss and Hope, will speak on the subject.
Evangelism: A new training course that helps you share your faith naturally with family and friends is now being used around the world. Living & Telling can be found on the Agapé UK stand.
Books, books, books: With so many Christian bookshops disappearing from the high street CRE Midlands 23 offers you a chance to stock up, especially with Christmas in mind.
Goodbye noticeboards: Share exclusive text, images, audio and video directly to the phones of visitors to your church. It uses less power than a low energy light bulb and doesn’t even require wi-fi or a mobile network. Goodbye noticeboards, hello Info Point!
The world’s a stage: Gopak Ltd, British manufacturer and long-standing CRE exhibitor will display its Ultralight Staging System alongside a range of lightweight folding tables – firm favourites with churches nationwide.
Coping with copyright: Discover a new system from CCLI which automatically reports which hymns and songs have been used during a church service
The BIG Sing choir: They scored a big hit with the judges on Britain’s Got Talent and will help open CRE Midlands 2023 (10am, Wed 8 Nov, Cranmore Park, Solihull).
New exhibitors are taking floor space every week. For a current list, click here.
A full list of talks and presentations will be available in August
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