ByCRE
Clothing at CRE
Vestments have been an important part of worship for millennia and with more and more women now entering ordained ministry, designers are giving them a 21st century make-over, retaining the ceremony and solemnity of any church occasion while introducing fresh designs in dynamic colours.
CRE boasts a number of award-winning artists who specialise in garments for every occasion, bringing colour and beauty to creative worship in parish churches and great cathedrals, in chapels and mission halls throughout the land.
Most designers also supply a range of everyday wear for clergy of both genders. When women were first ordained into the Anglican church, they demanded more style in the kind of clothes they could wear around the parish. Male clergy have followed suit and clerical shirts now come in a much wider selection of fabrics.
At CRE, you have the opportunity to see what is on offer – and try it on for size and style!
No room at the inn – and Event City
Sold out signs went up just before Christmas with more than 130 organisations taking all the original space earmarked for CRE North (Event City, Manchester, 13/14 Mar 2019).
The first exhibition in the north for five years will be opened by Irish singer and former MEP Dana. A choir from St Leonard’s C of E school in Padiham, Lancashire will serenade the former Eurovision Song Contest winner with ‘All Kinds of Everything – for your church and you.’
The Bishop of Bolton, Rev Mark Ashcroft, will speak on church growth in areas of deprivation. In a world dominated by Brexit, Andy Flannagan from Christians in Politics will lead a discussion on how churches can help bridge the divide and bring people together again.
There will also be more than 20 free seminars on a range of practical subjects from job searching to safeguarding.
Special features include CRE’s first-ever Study Zone where representatives from eight colleges will guide visitors through the academic maze, offering one-to-one consultations on all aspects of theological study. There’s the Compassion Experience, a walk-through African slum and the biggest exhibit in our 33-year history (bar the odd inflatable church!) Not forgetting a special focus on social engagement and sports projects, a youth and children’s work trail – and entertainment in our first-ever Inflatable Theatre, hosted by the redoubtable Rev Cindy Kent MBE.
‘Entry to the show is just £4 if you book in advance here,’ explains CRE event director Brett Pitchfork. ‘That’s a saving of 50 per cent on the day-of-entry cost of £8. Groups of three or more can pre-register for just £3 each.’
And there’s good news for organisations who still want to take space.
‘Through subtle manipulation of the floor plan, we’ve been able to squeeze another eight stands into an already packed hall,’ said Brett. ‘So do call Carol (0161) 250 2467 or James (0161) 250 2306 soon, if you have not yet booked a stand for your organisation at CRE North.
‘We look forward to welcoming everyone to Event City, whether they travel by car, train – or donkey.’
How your church can leave CRE app happy
A new version of Church Edit’s church mobile app is released at CRE 2018 – and to celebrate the company is running a special competition at the exhibition.
iKnow church is a cloud-based church management software that helps churches simplify administration, as well as assist with pastoral care.
‘The app is intuitive and ensures churches are supported in all of their organisation, administration and communication,’ explains Church Edit’s Kyle Cottington. ‘To add more benefit, using the latest mobile technology, we’ve built our new mobile app from the ground up. It is a great way to engage your congregation and keep them in the information loop.
‘We’re giving one church the opportunity to improve their systems free of charge and secure a fantastic mobile app. But no one misses out, because there is also a special CRE offer – one year free on iKnow Church and the mobile app (22 months for the price of 10) as well as 50 per cent off the design cost of the mobile app.’
How to enter
Visit the Church Edit and iKnow church stand S94 at CRE, and enter the competition by simply leaving your details. The winner will be drawn on 26th Oct.
Click here for a list of more than 200 exhibitors at CRE 2018
Click the button below to pre-register for CRE 2018 for as little as £3
ChurchDesk: mission-based tech at your fingertips
ChurchDesk is a church management system that helps parishes communicate more effectively and build relationships with more people.
‘We’ve made it very easy for you to collect consent, send beautiful digital newsletters and create lists for targeted e-mails,’ explains ChurchDesk founder and CEO Christian Steffensen.
ChurchDesk is a simple to use, all-in-one platform to make administration and communication easier, whilst supporting GDPR compliance. It includes out of the box templates to manage and store consent.
‘We have helped hundreds of churches improve their administration and support their outreach,’ says Christian. ‘We are a mission-based technology to help you meet people where they are.’
The company has produced The Practical Guide to GDPR in Your Church and Parish, which covers:
• Practical steps on GDPR
• When do you need consent and what types of consent are relevant for your church
• How to collect important data on people in your church to communicate better
• ChurchDesk are on stand S79 at CRE 2018
Click here for a list of more than 200 exhibitors at CRE 2018
Click the button below to pre-register for CRE 2018 for as little as £3
Acts of God and man: is your church sufficiently insured?
In today’s litigious world, churches face risks far beyond property damage.
‘They should regularly consider the situation and be comfortable that they have sufficient insurance and risk management arrangements in place,’ says Russell Hickman, church specialist at Access Insurance.
Access serve over 2,500 churches in the UK, providing advice on getting the right cover in place, as well as helping in the event that a claim needs to be made. From the last 1,000 claims Access have helped church clients to make, several stand out as warnings to other churches.
‘In one case a woman fell down a flight of stairs after the lights were turned out, in an apparent attempt to encourage people to leave the premises. The compensation she received for her injuries was over £70,000,’ recalls Russell. ‘Thankfully the church had adequate insurance.’
In another, cameras were damaged as volunteers packed them away. The £5,500 claimed was paid out quickly and the projection, recording and broadcasting was able to continue. Often claims happen due to outside sources totally beyond the control of the church. In one instance, Access assisted a client after a hit-and-run driver caused severe damage to their building. Repairs costing over £13,000 (22 per cent of the church’s income) were paid for.
‘It’s best to consult and take advice from an expert when arranging church insurance,’ says Russell. ‘The feedback we get is that we understand the context in which churches operate and pay attention to detail. Probably the fact that I’m a church secretary helps me immensely!’
The faith of Access’ leaders informs the way that business is conducted as they aim to have a positive impact for the Kingdom. By 2025 Access aim to be giving £500,000 to charity each year. They are also in the process of setting up a fund churches can apply to for small grants for community, outreach and evangelism projects.
• Access Insurance are on stand S154 at CRE 2018
Click here for a list of more than 200 exhibitors at CRE 2018
Click the button below to pre-register for CRE 2018 for as little as £3
Church Times Live: Seeking the truth on youth
Youth workers, researchers and teenagers have been sharing their views on the declining number of young people in Anglican churches in Church Times – and the debate continues on Youth Day (Thu 18 Oct) at next week’s CRE.
The demographic statistics in the C of E are stark. In London, a city with more than 300,000 11-18s, just 2000 are in C of E churches. Across the country, the average Anglican church has just three children attending, and the smallest 25 per cent have none at all.
‘There is talk of a church in crisis,’ said Madeleine Davies, features editor at Church Times, the UK’s leading Christian weekly. ‘We began 2018 with a month-long series exploring the trends under-pinning these numbers.’
The debate continues when Madeleine chairs a discussion with youth workers at CRE. She will ask what can be done and if there are any reasons to be hopeful.
‘We’ll consider the clues in history, sociology and other fields to explain current trends,’ she said. ‘Our experts will share their insights into how we can reach an increasingly unchurched population – and why panic isn’t the right response!’
The debate will be opened up to the floor, giving CRE visitors an opportunity to share their stories and ask the panel for advice.
CRE 2018 will once again host a Youth Zone featuring a number of specialist agencies (see below). The seminar programme covers youth and children’s issues on all three days, culminating in a range of subjects on Youth Day. For a full list of seminars click here.
• Where are all the young people? 2.15pm, Thu 18 Oct. Church Times panel of youth workers share their insights into how to reach an increasingly unchurched generation. With Ali Campbell, Savannah John-Leighton and Polly Baker. Chaired by Madeleine Davies, features editor at Church Times.
CRE Youth Zone exhibitors
Youthscape
Pulse Ministries
Every Day God Encounters
Breaking the Power of Secularism
Hope UK
Demco Europe Ltd (Articles of faith)
Hope Now
Bible Educational Services
Kisumu Children Trust
Word for Word Bible Comic
acet UK
Youth For Christ
Click here for a list of more than 200 exhibitors at CRE 2018
Click the button below to pre-register for CRE 2018 for as little as £3
How millennial-ready is your church?
A diagnostics website will be launched at CRE next week (16 Oct) that helps local churches create support networks for emerging young leaders.
For while some churches have been hugely significant in their millennials’ development, others have little idea of the high calibre of personnel in their pews each Sunday – according to a new study.*
‘Some churches have given practical leadership opportunities, often stretching millennials** beyond what they felt ready for,’ said Simon Barrington, founder and director of Forge Leadership Consultancy. ‘Creating safe spaces where it is OK to risk and fail – opportunities like these are extremely impactful for learning and development, whether the people ended up leading in churches or in charities, the public or private sector. There is a huge opportunity for churches to be even more intentional in increasing those opportunities and being more specific in recognising the value they are bringing.’
However, the survey also discovered a profound disconnect in some churches where the established leaders had no idea how far members of their congregation had risen in the workplace, and found it difficult to know how to support them.
‘We are launching a diagnostics website on Oct 16th,’ explained Simon. ‘This will help churches to identify how millennial friendly their culture is and tools to enable them to create appropriate support networks that are safe and allow the tackling of real issues.’
The full report, Millennial Leaders: Now is Our Time and this is Our Voice, will be presented for the first time to more than 1200 visitors on Tue 16 Oct, the opening day of CRE 2018, when the Millennial Leaders website will also be launched.
* Millennial Leaders: Now is Our Time and this is Our Voice explores the opinions of Christian millennials in leadership positions across all sectors of society in the UK. Forge Leadership Consultancy, in association with Bible Society and Redcliffe College, conducted the research between September 2017 and April 2018, utilising 50 in-depth qualitative interviews and more than 440 responses to a quantitative survey.
** Millennial is a term given to a specific generation of people who reached young adulthood in the first two decades of the millennium. There is variation over the specific dates used, however for the purposes of this research millennials are identified as people born between 1984 and 2000. This fits in with the majority of millennial classifications.
Click here for a list of more than 200 exhibitors at CRE 2018
Click the button below to pre-register for CRE 2018 for as little as £3
‘Autocracy is dead, long live consensus!’ say millennial leaders
Collaboration, teamwork and good relationships are priorities in the workplace – according to a new study of millennial leaders unveiled at CRE 2018.
More than half (55 per cent) of almost 500 millennials* surveyed selected ‘integrity’ as one of the top three qualities in the most effective leader, with 44 per cent selecting ‘humility’. Ninety-four per cent stated that the quality of relationships in the workplace is ‘important’ or ‘extremely important’.
‘Today’s millennial leaders want to see an alignment between the words and actions of those in authority,’ explained Simon Barrington, founder and director of Forge Leadership Consultancy, which conducted the research alongside CRE 2018 exhibitors Bible Society and Redcliffe College. ‘Integrity was continually highlighted throughout the research with participants viewing the best leaders as those who have this characteristic and can be trusted.’
For a millennial the worst leaders are those lacking these key qualities.
‘There is real frustration with older leaders who publicly come across as having it all together, yet in private their work and actions do not match up,’ said Rachel Luetchford, researcher on the project and a millennial leader herself. ‘Relationships are everything to the millennial and the concept of autocracy is at uncomfortable odds with this. They want to see relationships flourish in the workplace. Collaboration and teamwork are priorities.’
The report presents seven key recommendations for churches, including the challenge to those in church leadership to create collaborative, team-based ministries and to welcome the challenge from millennials to lead with integrity and humility.
The full report, Millennial Leaders: Now is Our Time and this is Our Voice, will be presented on both Tue 16 Oct and Wed 17 Oct at CRE 2018, when the Millennial Leaders website will also be launched. The research took place between September 2017 and April 2018, utilising 50 in-depth qualitative interviews and more than 440 responses to a quantitative survey.
• Millennial is a term given to a specific generation of people who reached young adulthood in the first two decades of the millennium. There is variation over the specific dates used, however for the purposes of this research millennials are identified as people born between 1984 and 2000. This fits in with the majority of millennial classifications.
Click here for a list of more than 200 exhibitors at CRE 2018
Click the button below to pre-register for CRE 2018 for as little as £3
Be seen and heard – to be understood
At a time when a lot of local church leaders are dependent on smart phones and state-of-the-art computers, why do so many still preach from a microphone-free, raised pulpit? It’s a situation that troubles David Sharpe, of CRE exhibitor SES Technical.
‘New technology enables first-time visitors to a church, at a wedding perhaps, to enjoy the experience more if they hear the message through a clear sound system, sing hymns from a screen and see the finer points of the sermon reinforced on a Powerpoint display,’ he maintains. ‘Even churches with a limited budget can take steps to ensure that everything that happens is seen, heard and understood.’
SES understand the pitfalls of working in historic churches, listed buildings, new build or even churches making renovations – especially when that means making the screen and speakers ‘disappear’ into the fabric of the building, to protect the beauty and aesthetic charm of a church.
‘We want to retain the visibility of the stained-glass windows, or elegant carvings,’ says Dave, ‘but also enhance the experience of worship and communication of the gospel message. We are happy to evaluate the needs and requirements of any church, design a system which provides the maximum quality of sound and vision – with a minimum of disturbance to the building or the congregation.’
The company also trains volunteer helpers so ‘you are never left in the lurch with no-one on the sound-desk or controlling the screen!’
SES are part of Novum AV, a company which has worked effectively with major businesses such as Nivea, Elastoplast and Australian Christian company Hillsong conferences in the UK. They have also provided expertise and equipment at major events at the NEC, Birmingham and Echo Arena, Liverpool.
‘The pyrotechnics used in some of our productions would be out of place in a church!’ admits Dave. ‘However, we are just as happy to install a simple sound system or provide a screen with a facility to show hymns, missionary photographs or video sequences which can increase people’s interest.’
Anyone leaving their visiting card at the SES stand (S55) at CRE 2018 will be put into a draw at the close of the event with two winners each being given a high-quality, reconditioned microphone with a full 12-month warranty.
• SES are on stand S55 at CRE 2018
Click here for a list of more than 200 exhibitors at CRE 2018
Click the button below to pre-register for CRE 2018 for as little as £3
Bringing the Bible to life… including waterlogged apostles
Cheering when a ship gets wrecked is not generally encouraged in school – but Year 3 pupils could be forgiven on this occasion. Open the Book’s Nefyn team, in Gwynedd, Wales, acted out the story of Paul’s shipwreck at their school in June.
‘It seemed quite complicated to stage at first, but proved to be a huge success, with a clear message as children echoed Paul’s response to danger – trust God,’ said Barbara Custance, leader of the team.
The production was helped by the group’s chief prop support person whose vessel made its maiden voyage in the school hall.
‘Mike is skilled at creating visually effective props that can be dismantled and packed into portable units,’ explains Barbara. ‘It also helped having the story and materials in Welsh which was appreciated by the children and staff at the school.’
Open the Book’s Nefyn team is one of hundreds across England and Wales which regularly help 700,000 hear Bible stories in a dramatic way. Using props and costumes to recreate Bible stories during assemblies, some 14,800 volunteers from thousands of local churches are currently reaching 2,600 primary schools. Many children are hearing Bible stories for the first time.
Part of Bible Society, Open the Book’s long-term aim is to bring the Bible to life to all 4.5 million pupils in 18,280 schools across England and Wales.
‘CRE provides a great platform to spread Bible storytelling into new parts of the country,’ says Julie Jefferies, the organisation’s development and training manager. ‘We meet storytellers, find out local news, and receive helpful feedback.’
‘It is also the ideal place for people to discover how they can set up a local group,’ says Val Ralston, Open the Book’s promotion and training officer.
• Open the Book are on stand S43 at CRE 2018
Click here for a list of more than 200 exhibitors at CRE 2018
Click the button below to pre-register for CRE 2018 for as little as £3