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Windrush: looking back, looking forward at CRE National

With Black Lives Matter in the headlines and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s call for diversity in church and society, CRE National 2021 will run a unique, three-part series on the Windrush Legacy.

Sponsored by the Pentecostal Credit Union and Good to Give, both first-time exhibitors at CRE, the initiative will be presented by Roy Francis, a former BBC TV Songs of Praise producer, music consultant and author of Windrush and the Black Pentecostal Church in Britain (Filament Publishing).

It is more than 70 years since the Empire Windrush brought hundreds of Caribbean immigrants to Tilbury docks to work in the UK. The initiative encouraged an estimated half-a-million people to follow within 30 years.

‘There are a lot of misunderstandings about Windrush,’ said Francis. ‘CRE National is the ideal place to celebrate what Windrush Christians brought to Britain and the impact their inheritors – African Christians – are now having on the country.’  

Part 1 – Windrush: Words and Song (11.30am, Tue 12 Mar)

The first presentation will look back at the music Caribbean Christians brought to Britain in the 1950s and 1960s. Produced by Roy Francis and featuring the Ken Burton Singers, the presentation will show how choruses and songs made popular by the Billy Graham Crusades, ‘Gentleman’ Jim Reeves, American spirituals and Edwin Hawkins (in particular ‘Oh Happy Day’) influenced Caribbean worship and remain a fitting legacy of black Pentecostal faith today. Ken Burton is an international choral and orchestral conductor, singer and instrumentalist, who arranges extensively for BBC TV’s Songs of Praise and The X Factor, in which he did choral arrangements for One Direction, Robbie Williams, Christina Aquiera, will.i.am and Rihanna. 

Part 2 – From West Indian to Caribbean Christianity (12pm, Wed 13 Mar)

A mixed bunch arrived in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s – ordinary workers, pastors, nurses, teachers, students and members of churches. They came to help rebuild Britain and brought their liturgy, music and songs. Rev Les Isaac OBE of the Ascension Trust and co-founder of Street Pastors, will show how West Indians established their churches in Britain – and assess their legacy.    

Part 3 – African Churches and their Worship (2pm, Thu 14 Mar)

Why are there are so many African-led churches in Britain today? What do they believe, what is their purpose and why are they growing so fast? What is ‘Reverse Mission’ and why is it central to their theology? Rev David Shosayna, former Regional Director of The London Baptist Association and a speaker, theologian and African minister, knows this church community intimately and will offer many of the answers.

• Pentecostal Credit Union (PCU) are on stand U7 at CRE National 2021

• Good to Give are on stand U6 at CRE National 2021

• Filament Publishing are on stand O5 at CRE National 2021

Book your tickets to CRE National! – and save up to £5

Seminar Guide – See the complete guide to seminars and special features at CRE National 2021

Welcome Back – See an online version of the CRE National 2021 ‘Welcome Back’ brochure

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Taste & See gets to the root of eating guilt

The lives of a lot of people in our churches are secretly ruled by food.

So says Professor Deborah Lycett (pictured below) of Taste & See, a unique blend of fact and faith helping to bring freedom to lives ruled by food, dieting and emotional eating. 

‘Many of us feel guilty and ashamed whenever we eat or step on the scales,’ said Deborah, who teaches in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Coventry University. ‘This unhappiness makes them want to eat more and they find themselves in an endless cycle of dieting, overeating and feeling miserable. But God wants to set them free! He wants them to taste and see that he is good and that food is good, too!’

Designed with and for churches and developed out of research at the university, Taste & See is a 10-session audio-video, small-group programme that anyone can run! 

‘The programme is not about dieting but learning to eat in response to our body’s natural signals of hunger and fullness, rather than in response to our emotions and what we see or smell!’ said Deborah. ‘The Christian principles of love, acceptance and freedom with responsibility fit well with this and are included in the programme.’

Scientific evidence suggests that for many people, diets are unsustainable in the long-term and yo-yo dieting is associated with a sense of failure which impacts on quality of life. Evidence also suggests that programmes which help us to become spiritually healthy, as well as physically and emotionally healthy, may play an important role in helping with eating or weight problems.

‘Lots of the evidence so far comes from America,’ said Deborah. ‘We want to find out whether this type of programme could potentially be helpful to people in the UK.

• Taste & See are on stand E8 at CRE National 2021

Book your tickets to CRE National! – and save up to £5

Seminar Guide – See the complete guide to seminars and special features at CRE National 2021

Welcome Back – See an online version of the CRE National 2021 ‘Welcome Back’ brochure

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The West Country firm that’s cooking on gas

A brainwave years ago might well have earned Fuller’s Finer Furniture yet another coveted award. 

The company from Weston Super Mare is Bespoke Furniture Specialist of the Year 2020-2021, awarded by the South-West England Prestige Awards. The judges commended the ‘dedicated designers and manufacturers for providing a personal comprehensive and high-quality service.’ But Paul Fuller, who founded the firm in 1985, had no idea which company nominated him for the award. 

‘They didn’t even tell us at the award ceremony!’ he said. ‘A clue might be that they specifically praised our gas height adjustable Canterbury and York lectern.’

The design for that came when the company saw inherent problems in adjustable lecterns.

‘Taking out a peg and raising a lectern before putting the peg back into a different hole – it’s a nuisance during a live presentation,’ explained Paul. ‘We realised the office seats we were sitting on were gas powered by a lever and the pressure of your body in the seat. So we made a lectern in which the height is easily adjusted by pulling a small lever and pressing an elbow on the lectern until the appropriate height is reached.’

It has since joined other award-winning products including communion tables and fonts in cathedrals and churches of all denominations and all sizes.

The firm has also been nominated for a SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) award for best bespoke church specialist furniture.

• Fuller’s will be on stand B7 at CRE National 2021

Photo: Paul Fuller, founder of Fuller’s Finer Furniture

Book your tickets to CRE National! – and save up to £5

Seminar Guide – See the complete guide to seminars and special features at CRE National 2021

Welcome Back – See an online version of the CRE National 2021 ‘Welcome Back’ brochure

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Your church building: make light of changing demands

One day its mother and toddler groups, next day a full-blown music concert – gone are the days when churches were open for simple services twice a week.

For more than 40 years one CRE exhibitor has juggled with radical changes in lighting and power as they give churches old and new a complete overhaul.

Anthony J Smith (Gloucester) Ltd have a long-established reputation for designing and installing bespoke lighting solutions for church buildings throughout the country and have a highly-committed installation team with vast experience in some challenging environments.

‘The changes in church use over the years have meant electrical work often needs to meet completely new demands,’ said company director Che Colley. ‘Gone are the days when most churches met only twice a week. Now the lighting has to cater for a week packed with activity – mother and toddler groups, social gatherings, even concerts and theatrical productions.’

The transformation of the lighting system within the nave and chapels at Pershore Abbey in Worcestershire (pictured) has been a major exercise in giving one of the country’s oldest abbeys a brighter future. Initial discussions for phase one of the project started in 2017 between the fabric committee and the design team at Anthony Smith. Following several lighting demonstrations and meetings with the Abbey architect, an initial specification for the faculty application was produced and submitted to Worcester DAC. 

As the abbey is a Grade 1 listed building, the proposals were presented to delegates from Historic England, the Church Buildings Council and the DAC before final specification was approved. A new energy efficient LED lighting system was installed with many of the light fittings custom painted to blend into the fabric of the building. The new system is controlled via a scene setting system which allows the abbey to change lighting at the touch of a button for various services and performances. The system also enables the fine architectural and liturgical features to be highlighted, allowing visitors to view the interior of the building in all its glory, including the unique ploughshare vaulting.

‘We were delighted when the Priest in Charge, Reverend Claire Lording, said it had been a privilege to work with us,’ said Anthony Smith’s Che Colley. ‘We now look forward to adding the final touches to this magnificent building.’

• Anthony J Smith are on stand C6 at CRE National 2021

Book your tickets to CRE National! – and save up to £5

Seminar Guide – See the complete guide to seminars and special features at CRE National 2021

Welcome Back – See an online version of the CRE National 2021 ‘Welcome Back’ brochure

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Sermon of the Year 2021: Hughes woos the pews

Catharine Hughes may enjoy winning at board games but she’s scooped top prize in a pursuit that is far from trivial.

Catharine, 50, is winner of Sermon of the Year 2021 – an online competition organised by Preach, the quarterly membership magazine published by the Leaders of Worship and Preachers Trust (LWPT).

‘I was very surprised to receive the trophy!’ said Catharine, a member Poynton Methodist Church in Cheshire. ‘Preaching has been something I’ve done for a number of years and it is always such a privilege to share God’s word. I’m very grateful to the judges. It’s unbelievable – and I just want to thank everybody who has helped me on my journey so far.’

Cross the Divide was the theme chosen for this year’s competition. Three finalists were selected from a host of entries from all Christian denominations. Preachers and would-be preachers were asked to submit a sermon of 1,500 words via the online form on the Preach website. The judges looked for how the Bible text was dealt with, how the biblical themes were handled, and how the structure, application and theme of the message were covered.

Ian Buchanan, chief executive of CRE exhibitor LWPT, commented: ‘We were especially impressed with the overall standard of entries received this year and very pleased that entries came from many different churches and people of all age groups.’

Catharine grew up in Yorkshire and became a Christian during a mission conducted by the late Rob Frost. She has a degree in maths and psychology and qualified as a chartered accountant. Her husband’s research took them and their two children to Lusaka, Zambia, which delayed her accreditation as a Methodist local preacher by four years but gave her plenty of practice – and stories for two books. She is now completing her second of three years’ part-time training for presbyterial ministry.

‘After being told I had won the award I was delighted, but also a bit anxious about preaching my next sermon to people who knew,’ she admitted. ‘But I fell from a horse and fractured my back and am now strapped up – so my next preach will be some time off!’

The other finalists were Philip Sudworth from Wigan and Katrina Clifford, from West Ewell, Surrey.         

Now in its sixth year the competition aims to promote the art of sermon writing and preaching and is open to all Christian denominations.

Ecumenical in outlook, Preach covers a topical theme in each edition to help preachers understand and explore current issues in a Christian context.

Photo: Sermon of the Year 2021 winner Catharine Hughes

LWPT are on stand A20 at CRE National 2021

Book your tickets to CRE National!

Seminar Guide – See the complete guide to seminars and special features at CRE National 2021

Welcome Back – See an online version of the CRE National 2021 ‘Welcome Back’ brochure

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‘The church doesn’t talk about porn, so I assumed I was a freak…’

With statistics showing that one in two male Christians views porn in secret, Mike Genung, founder of a ministry to people struggling with sex addiction, will be at CRE National 2021 to show how churches can engage with those hurting from porn and adultery.

Mike had given up church after being molested as a 14-year-old by a trusted female adult from his church. He became consumed by sex, drugs and alcohol. The sexual side included porn-fuelled masturbation, promiscuity, sex with prostitutes, an affair with a married mother and visits to strip clubs.

‘In spite of spending years in church, God showed me I’d never gone after him,’ he recalls. ‘I’d sought women, ministry success, money, Bible knowledge, and other things, but not the Lord himself.’

That vision changed his outlook, saved his marriage and led to a new motivation to help others. He started a support group for men in 2000 and in 2004 set up the Blazing Grace website.

Today Blazing Grace has grown into an international ministry offering counselling for individuals and couples. He has written seven books, speaks in churches and other organisations in the US and Europe and leads retreats and conferences. The Rogue Christian, his seventh book, will be available at CRE National.

‘Because the church doesn’t talk about sex or porn, I assumed I was a freak,’ he maintains. ‘Then I stumbled on surveys showing that 50 per cent of Christian men were viewing porn and wondered how so many Christians could be struggling with a sin so devastating that it destroys marriages – yet no one talks about it?’

Recent surveys show that two-thirds of Christian men view pornography – and those are just the honest ones. Christian women struggle with it, too. In fact, women are the fastest-growing segment when it comes to viewing pornography.

As well as speaking at CRE, Mike will lead a one-day seminar at Sure Hope Church in Old Colwyn, Conwy, North Wales on October 9. Anyone can attend. The contact came as 

as a result of a meeting between Mike and a visitor to CRE Midlands in March 2020. He would also welcome the opportunity to lead seminars in other churches – including London – when he is in the UK for CRE National 2021 (12-14 Oct). Interested church leaders can contact him at the Blazing Grace website.

Blazing Grace are on stand K5 at CRE National 2021

Mike Genung will speak on ‘How churches can engage with those hurting from porn and adultery’ (11am, Tue 12 Oct)

Book your tickets to CRE National!

Seminar Guide – See the complete guide to seminars and special features at CRE National 2021

Welcome Back – See an online version of the CRE National 2021 ‘Welcome Back’ brochure

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Dad’s Army’s tetchy vicar set for CRE debut

The oldest surviving member of BBC TV comedy Dad’s Army is celebrating his 90th Birthday at CRE National 2021. 

Frank Williams, cast as Walmington-on-Sea’s tetchy vicar, will guest on Cindy’s Sofa along with fellow sit-com star Sue Hodge (‘Allo ‘Allo) on Wed 13 Oct.

In real life Frank may not have turned round his collar but he has a strong Christian faith and a lifelong commitment to the church.

‘Although I have spent many years in various film and television roles, being part of Croft and Perry’s classic comedy is hard to beat,’ he said. ‘It’s always a great privilege to take our Dad’s Army event into churches, and the occasional Easter cruise organised by Christians in Entertainment director Chris Gidney. We’ve been doing this for around 20 years now and it pulls in people who wouldn’t normally go to church. The outside world discovers that Christians can laugh and have fun, as well!’

In fact, Frank has worked with many of the greats, including Tommy Cooper, Harry Worth, Dick Emery, The Two Ronnies and Morecambe and Wise. At CRE Frank will sign copies of his best-selling autobiography, Vicar to Dad’s Army – and thinks that Mr Mainwaring would be proud to see that even at 90, he is far from retiring! You can see his recent showreel here.

Frank’s appearance at CRE National is part of the Arts Centre Group’s 50th anniversary celebrations in association with Christians in Entertainment. For decades, the arts had been considered a poor choice for serious-minded Christians – until a small group of musicians, actors and broadcasters, including Nigel Goodwin, Sir Cliff Richard and Rev Cindy Kent MBE, formed the Arts Centre Group in 1971 with a simple aim: supporting artists to be ‘fully professional and fully Christian’.

Still going strong, Rev Cindy, CRE’s ‘queen of conversation’, will use the event to discuss the role of the arts in both Christian and mainstream circles with a special focus on encouraging the next generation of aspiring performers, broadcasters, authors and journalists.

Book your tickets to CRE National!

Seminar Guide – See the complete guide to seminars and special features at CRE National 2021

Welcome Back – See an online version of the CRE National 2021 ‘Welcome Back’ brochure

Our next exhibitions

Lion-sized guide is roaring success

A free magazine called Aslan is a lion-sized guide to getting the best from Christian books, CDs and DVDs.

So says David Wavre, owner of Aslan Christian Books, a family-owned company with more than 30 years’ experience in the book trade.

‘We’ve designed the magazine as a one-stop shop for all that’s new – and a reminder of those classic authors whose writings are still relevant,’ he explains. In its May-June edition, Aslan presents a host of new books, key titles, ones to watch and some Christian classics.

‘We pride ourselves on offering a fantastic range of Christian titles across denominations and interests,’ he maintains, ‘all at the best prices around.’

The company is moving to a new nearby warehouse in Wiltshire at the end of June, to add about 10,000 square feet to the current operation. The current 32-page edition of Aslan – sent to about 10,000 individuals and churches – also highlights material covering prayer, biographies, devotionals, bibles, diaries and lectionaries, daily bible reading notes, fiction, children’s material, music and film. It also contains four pages of bargain buys.

Aslan is bi-monthly from January to June and then monthly.

• Click here for further information.

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CRE: Organisations book in as confidence returns

It’s taken time for the confidence to return after lockdown but in the past two weeks several organisations have booked stands at CRE National (12-14 Oct 2021) – taking the total space sold to almost 80 per cent.

So reports Brett Pitchfork, CRE’s event director, who has plotted a new floorplan for the event, in case social distancing is still required in the autumn. Changes include wider aisles and the use of the Esher Hall at Sandown Park.

‘There has been a growing sense of anticipation and determination to do business in the “old way” – face to face,’ said Brett. ‘Zoom conversations only take us so far. Finding new customers and supporters is best done in a live environment and CRE National is shaping up to be an emotional homecoming for many exhibitors and visitors.’

Among the organisations taking stands at CRE National in the past two weeks are:

• Mellor and Mottram (heating suppliers)
• CCSM (Chinese Church Support Ministry)
• GIVT (unique cashless giving app for churches and individuals)
• SICO (specialist furniture suppliers)
• Single Friendly Church (equipping churches make single people feel fully welcome)
• USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel)
• ising Worship (Engaging God’s people in praise)
• isingPop (helping children and families engage in collective worship in school, church and home)

‘If you are considering taking a stand, please get in touch soon,’ said Brett. ‘Your choice of position becomes smaller as the weeks go by.’

To book your stand, please contact:

Carol Malpass
carol@creonline.co.uk
0161 250 2467

James Batterbee
james@creonline.co.uk
0161 250 2306

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Dynamic trio will ‘preach off’ for coveted title

A dynamic trio will take part in a ‘preach off’ before a panel of judges in June – to decide who will be named Preacher of the Year.

Organised by Preach Magazine, published by the Leaders of Worship and Preachers’ Trust (LWPT), the three chosen for the online final on June 24 are Katrina Clifford, from West Ewell, Surrey, Philip Sudworth, from Wigan and Catharine Hughes from Poynton, Cheshire.

They had been asked to produce a sermon in 1,500 words on the theme of ‘Cross the Divide’.

‘We were especially impressed with the standard of entries this year,’ said Ian Buchanan, chief executive of LWPT. ‘Entries came from many different churches and people of all age groups.’

• Katrina Clifford is a member of Trinity URC in Wimbledon and also attends All Saints West Ewell (Church of England). She is currently training to be a Synod-recognised lay preacher in the URC and is attached to New Malden URC as part of her training. 

• Philip Sudworth is a member of Standish Methodist Church and became a Methodist local preacher in the Wigan circuit in December 2017. Retired from the education service, he was voted Local Volunteer of the Year for the borough of Wigan in 2019.

• Catherine Hughes grew up in Yorkshire and became a Christian during a mission led by the late evangelist Rob Frost. A member of Poynton Methodist Church, she attends Mobberley Methodist Church and is training for Presbyterian ministry.

Set up to promote the art of sermon writing and preaching, Sermon of the Year is in its sixth year. It gives preachers from across the UK an opportunity to hone and demonstrate their skills and is open to all Christian denominations.

Judges at the online preach-off will be Antony Billington, senior pastor at the Beacon Church, Wigan, and theology adviser at the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, Dr Helen Morris, acting director of studies and lecturer in applied theology at Moorlands College and Tobi Olujinmi, an international public speaker, media producer and founder of W Talk. Click here for more information.

LWPT are exhibiting at CRE National 2021 (12-14 Oct, Sandown Park, Surrey)

Seminar Guide – See the complete guide to seminars and special features at CRE National 2021

Welcome Back – See an online version of the CRE National 2021 ‘Welcome Back’ brochure

Our next exhibitions