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ByDave Hall

‘Miserly’ Chris is the wizard of warm

Soaring energy prices are set to hit churches everywhere – but Chris Dunphy (pictured), founder and MD of ChurchEcoMiser, believes he can help.

‘Electricity is at the forefront of renewable energy and, as a company, we have moved away from dependence on fossil fuels to specialise only in all-electric heating systems,’ said Chris who has spent 45 years heating churches the length and breadth of Britain. ‘Our system looks and operates in a similar way to a traditional radiator system but without the need for a boiler or obtrusive pipework. With a range of sizes and colours available, radiators can be discreetly sited almost anywhere.’

Chris visits churches personally to provide a bespoke option, exclusively prepared to their requirements. The system was devised for what Chris thought would be the ideal system for remote country churches where gas was either unavailable or expensive to install – ‘but it proved a popular option for all churches.’

Over the years he has designed and installed more than 1,000 heating systems in churches and church buildings and, because many are Victorian or medieval buildings, protecting the fabric has always been as important as heating the congregation. He will be at CRE National 2022 to chat about your church heating system and make a date to visit the premises.

He does not have any connection or affiliation to any other heating company – so if it is a genuine ChurchEcoMiser system you are interested in, or it is Chris that you wish to meet, make contact with Chris personally.

• ChurchEcoMiser are on stand J1 at CRE National 2022

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ByDave Hall

The day Helen asked for a house – and was offered two

Helen Syrop read a news article about homelessness and wanted to do something in Bradford.

She rang CRE National 2022 exhibitor Green Pastures and asked if they could buy a house to help her. She was asked: ‘What if we buy you two?’ 

‘Housing the homeless is an extremely rewarding job,’ said Helen. ‘It’s very beautiful to work and walk with people through the ups and downs of their lives.

Vaslef (above), for example, had no home and was sleeping in a Bradford park. He had one set of clothes and no jacket and decided to end his life. However, through the partnership of Green Pastures and Hope Housing, he was given a home and support. He calls Helen ‘an angel.’ 

‘It’s me every day, a very big thank you – thank you God!’ said Vaslef.

Solicitor Richard Norridge believes truly ethical investments are very hard to come by – but the one set up by Green Pastures is the best he has come across.

The fund was set up 11 years ago and now works with more than 75 churches and Christian charities to provide homes and support for 1,100 people who had been homeless.

The Green Pastures Community Benefit Society Limited (CBS) is an Exempt Charity registered with the Financial Conduct Authority. Through this vehicle, the CBS issues loan stock to investors.

Subscriptions for loan stock inject cash into the CBS which uses the money to purchase and build property, often in conjunction with other sources of finance. Investors select an interest rate in the range of 0 to 4 per cent p.a. for investments of 1 to 4 years, or in the range of 0 to 5 per cent p.a. for terms of five years and over.

For every £15,000 invested, one person is housed and supported. By selecting less than the maximum return, more homeless people are helped. 

Green Pastures began when Pastor Pete Cunningham found people sleeping under the Southport pier. He felt challenged by the Lord to put his hand in his own pocket and cashed in his small pension. Church member Vicki Woodley re-mortgaged and together they put a deposit on two flats to house two people. Green Pastures was born. 

The vision grew greater than they ever imagined.  Twenty years later, the same passion to release churches to eradicate local homelessness burns brightly.

Green Pastures are on stand Y1 at CRE National 2022

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ByDave Hall

Climate change: let’s lead not lag

A charity set up in 2004 to provide a Christian response to the climate crisis will give a Christian perspective for change at CRE National 2022.

Dr Darrell D. Hannah, chair of the board and rector of All Saints, Ascot Heath, will speak on the urgent need for action (2.30pm, Tue 11 Oct). An American, Dr Hannah moved to the UK in 1992 to take a doctorate at Cambridge in Christian Origins and has remained in the country ever since. In his view, responding to the climate crisis is a missional activity.

Ruth Jarman, who co-founded Operation Noah because she saw the need for a Christian voice speaking truth into the climate crisis, said: ‘There are clear biblical reasons to make creation care a Christian imperative. Young people especially are calling for the church to act. We should be leading on this. We are the ones who believe in a loving creator and we are currently heading towards an unhabitable planet!’

Operation Noah representatives will identify some of the things Christians can do and explain how they can help get the message across to friends and church members. Earlier this year the charity was shortlisted for the David & Goliath Award as part of the National Campaigner Awards presented by the Sheila McKechnie Foundation – a recognition of Operation Noah’s small size but big impact in taking on a giant issue! 

‘We work with churches of all denominations to address the climate crisis, particularly through our Bright Now campaign, which encourages churches to divest from fossil fuels and invest in climate solutions like renewable energy,’ added Ruth.

The Bright Now campaign is also starting to work with churches on large-scale, nature-based solutions, from increasing tree cover to other environmentally sensitive ways of managing church land.

• Operation Noah are on stand S6 at CRE National 2022

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ByDave Hall

Queen Elizabeth: as we mourn, let’s minister

When the death of Queen Elizabeth II was announced the Rev Cassius Francis immediately thought of his grandmother.

‘She would have been glued to the news and I would have dared anyone to speak or interrupt the coverage while she was watching!’ said Cassius, a church trainer and resource provider with Loss and HOPE, exhibitors at CRE National 2022. ‘It is difficult to dispute the global recognition of and respect for our Queen. The country will feel her death more deeply because, for most of our lives, when everything else has changed, the Queen has been a constant.

‘The lasting image I have of her is sitting alone in the church for her husband’s funeral. I can’t imagine, after being married to someone for over 70 years, how that must have felt. That image symbolised the pain and loss of so very many people during the pandemic. Our prayers are with King Charles III, the royal family and anyone affected by her passing, that they may know God’s peace, presence and comfort at this difficult time.’

With about 600,000 people dying in the UK each year, impacting partners, children, parents, other relations, friends or colleagues, Loss and HOPE, a project of charity AtaLoss, is a valuable coalition of organisations who feel passionately about churches of all denominations being equipped to support the bereaved.

‘We are asking churches to direct bereaved people in prayer stations and services to the signposting website – AtaLoss.org – to find help,’ said Cassius, who is also a minister with the Wesleyan Holiness Church. ‘Churches can also plan to offer The Bereavement Journey® to their communities over coming weeks. As we mourn, let’s use this opportunity to learn how to support each other for the health of our nation.’

Cassius is speaking on ‘Bereavement support – mental ill-health prevention and effective emerging mission’ at CRE National 2022 (2pm, Wed 12 Oct).

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

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ByDave Hall

Take the Trew path to effective fundraising

A new year’s resolution in 1999 changed the course of Linda Trew’s life – and helped St Mary’s in Bloxham, Oxfordshire, begin a £1.5m project to develop church facilities.

Linda’s millennium resolution, with a subsequent fund-raising trek across the Andes to Machu Picchu, ultimately encouraged her to do more to help churches raise funds for necessary improvements. She is now an experienced fundraiser for CRE exhibitors Action Planning, a specialist consultancy for charities and other not-for-profit organisations. When it came to the challenge of advising St Mary’s, a Grade I listed church, she put together a plan for fundraising involving four phases – private, grant, congregational and public.

Despite the intervention of Covid-19 and rising costs, about £230,000 has already been raised with the possibility this total could rise to £300,000. A new heating system is already fully functional and money is in place to upgrade the AV equipment.

‘We’ve had a really good relationship with Linda and are pleased with what she’s done and the way she has done it,’ said Ian Myson, project co-lead at the church. ‘She’s been a valuable member of our team: helpful, proactive and happy to go the extra mile and do discretionary stuff that she wasn’t obliged to do. We weren’t in a position to raise anything from trusts without her. Her experience and expertise in which grant bodies to go for, which to prioritise and the sort of approach needed to succeed, was invaluable.’

Action Planning offer expert help to all churches with a comprehensive range of services, including governance, planning, fundraising, marketing, recruitment and training. Representatives of the company will talk on ‘Fundraising for capital projects for churches’ at 11am each day at CRE National 2022.

• Action Planning are on stand V8 at CRE National 2022

Main picture: Action Planning’s Linda Trew at CRE

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ByDave Hall

Discover the new world of stress-free streaming

Audio-visual systems are always complicated to operate.

It’s a myth Andy Pidsley will debunk at CRE National 2022.

‘Any system we fit is designed to the customer, including the level of sophistication they require and the experience of those operating it,’ said Andy, managing director of APi Sound and Vision. ‘We have developed a customisable controller – pre-set cameras and stop/start functions. Projectors and other devices can all be controlled from this single device so someone who has never used the system before can run a service on Sunday – with anyone watching online getting a high-quality stream.’

Covid-19 lockdowns have meant that viewing figures can far outweigh the number attending the church broadcasting the service. And streaming is ideal for christenings, weddings and funerals when not everyone is able to attend.

‘Operating the sound system can be done from an iPad anywhere in the church, far less daunting than at a conventional mixing console with about 400 buttons!’ said Andy.

With almost 35 years in the industry, APi, advisors to the Diocese of Exeter, have worked in many different locations, from cathedrals to small village churches – but always with a view to providing ‘as unobtrusive an installation as possible.’

Choosing who to install such streaming facilities means asking whether the company is familiar with church and heritage environments. ‘They need to respect the building during installation,’ said Andy who invites all CRE visitors to bring their AV questions to his presentation at CRE (3pm, Tue 11 Oct) where they will receive ‘no-nonsense, pragmatic answers to their questions and an APi goody bag!’

• Andy and his team will be on Stand J6 at CRE National 2022

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ByDave Hall

Want a card with a Christian message? Have a Hart

Mike and Sue Hart were disappointed they couldn’t find a suitable Christmas card to send to non-Christian family and friends – 40 years later their own creations will be at CRE National 2022.

‘We made our own card and printed more than we needed, to reduce costs,’ said Mike, who advertised in a Christian magazine and placed cards in two Christian bookshops.

Gospel Cards was born!

Based in Bridgend, Wales, they now have a wide range for other occasions, along with Christian calendars and other gifts. A percentage of sale proceeds is given to 25 Christian charities, with more than £360,000 passed on in this way.

This year sees the launch of a new, high-quality outreach calendar – Amazing Love. 

‘Because calendars often have to be folded to fit through letterboxes, which spoils their appearance, we have produced an A5-sized calendar with a high gloss card cover,’ said Mike. ‘As well as being easier for churches to distribute, it is also attractive with high-quality photography and space for engagements. The back cover has a Christmas card greeting and appearance that will encourage folk to display it with other cards.

‘Appropriate monthly Bible verses, and a brief Gospel presentation, make it a wonderful vehicle for the good news of God’s amazing love for us in Christ.’

His challenge to churches and Christians is to ‘reach out to the people in your neighbourhood by giving them the calendar this December, together with an invitation to a carol service.’

• A free sample of Gospel Cards’ calendar and details of their other products can be found on the United Beach Missions stand A6 at CRE National 2022

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ByDave Hall

Take the long view – and build for the future

Building the kingdom of God and meeting the needs of those around you requires patience – and it often helps to take the long view.

So believes Phil Winch of CPL Architects, exhibitors at CRE National 2022. Phil points to the famous Romero Prayer, originally drafted by Bishop Ken Untener, which captures the thought beautifully.

‘It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view…’ says the prayer. ‘We accomplish in our lifetime only a fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work… We cannot do everything and there is a sense of liberation in realising that. This enables us to do something and to do it well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest…’

‘By taking the long view,’ says Phil, ‘we see how our present day-to-day work fits into the larger picture and helps us to achieve our long-term vision. When churches think about planning a new building project, they are takingthe long view, where time and resources invested today will realise their vision for both present and future generations.’

In Matthew 13, Jesus spoke about the long view: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.’

Many churches CPL work with today take the long view and are building for the future.

‘If we can help you to achieve your long view, do talk to us at Sandown Park,’ said Phil. ‘We would be happy to offer an initial free, no obligation consultation.’

• CPL Architects are on stand N1 at CRE National 2022

Photo: St John, Egham, in CPL Architects’ portfolio.

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

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ByDave Hall

Administration: the gift we ignore at our peril

Overlooking the spiritual gift of administration may be why local churches fail to make any significant impact.

So says Andy Bagwell, executive director of UK Church Administrators’ Network (UCAN), exhibitors at CRE National 2022. Andy has worked as a senior church manager for more than 15 years in two large Anglican churches and regularly provides organisational health and operational effective consultancy for churches, as well as overseeing a comprehensive programme of training events, conferences, accredited learning courses and online resources.

Since its formation in 2009 UCAN has led the effort to support church administrators across the UK.

‘Our desire is to equip those responsible for administration in churches to be efficient and effective in their roles, connecting them to one another for mutual support and resource-sharing and to forge healthy and effective working relationships within church staff teams,’ said Andy.

He also heads up UCAN’s Churchworkers.net HR support service, which helps churches rise to the challenge of being an effective, responsible and caring employer.

Jo Roach, a church office manager in Cambridge, went on a UCAN management course.

‘The course provided me with space to think, confidence in my knowledge and abilities to lead, and tools for handling the challenges of management along the way,’ she said. ‘It was also a wonderful place to meet with others who understood the particular stresses of a management role within their local church.’

• UCAN will be on stand S5 at CRE National 2022

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

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