My Church Needs One of Those Pages

Marriage made in Devon

FEWER THAN ONE in four couples get married in a church – but with so many beautiful, holy places in which you can make your vows before God, it is the ideal place to get married. So says Rt Revd Jackie Searle (pictured), Bishop of Crediton, who speaks on the subject at CRE South West (11am, Feb 24) – one of 30 scheduled during the exhibition’s two days (see page 20-24). There were 977 weddings in Devon churches in 2018. This fell to about 800 in 2019, and with another sharp dip as the Covid-19 lockdowns began. But Bishop Jackie believes churches will give couples a warm welcome and provide support for them throughout the process. A special website – www.devonchurchweddings. org – gives guidance and advice on the legal stages of getting married and how the church can enhance the Big Day experience. She will introduce these resources during her seminar. The Revd Sue DaviesFletcher, a priest at Westward Ho! said: ‘As a parish priest I want to help couples make their wedding the day they have always dreamed of. It is about encouraging couples not to be afraid to ask the church what they can do and show that a church is so much more than simply a venue.’

Living and telling, naturally

FINDING IT DIFFICULT to talk about your faith with family and friends? Living and Telling will help you find natural ways to do so. The 10-part course, from Agapé UK, developed to help teenagers going to university, has now expanded to assist Christians of all ages. ‘There is plenty of research which indicates that most Christians don’t get into conversations about their faith,’ said Tim Moyler, who will lead as seminar on the course at CRE South West (12pm, Thu 24 Feb). ‘Any group or church can run the course, either church building-based or online.’ One member, who took the course on Zoom, said: ‘We were able to break off in pairs which worked well for me. From the security of my own home, I felt I could be more honest and vulnerable with the person I was paired with. The course helps you consider how to share your faith without being weird.’ Rev James Grier, mission enabler in the Diocese of Exeter, said: ‘I think Living & Telling is fantastic. It gives you skills, confidence and boldness. It also gives you a chance to try it out and practice.’ ▪ Agapé UK are on stand P51 at CRE South West

Mission on the map

NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN world mission will open up beyond the pandemic and Mission on the Map – a focused area profiling mission-related opportunities, resources and advice at CRE South West – will help people make the most of them. Many of the organisations exhibiting are connected with South West Agencies Network (SWAN) and include OMF International, Church Mission Society, Christian TEFL, WEC, France Mission, Mission Africa and Mission Aviation Fellowship. ‘As we emerge from the crisis, we see the potential for amazing new openings that can make a significant difference to God’s kingdom, in the UK and around the world,’ said Mike Frith, chair of SWAN and director of OSCAR. ‘It’s easy to presume that CRE is just about maintenance of churches,’ explains Steve Goddard, CRE owner and MD. ‘However, from our earliest days, mission has been at the heart of our agenda, too, and we are delighted to give it an even greater focus at Westpoint, Exeter – our first exhibition in the south west for seven years.’

Called to mission? Take your first steps

FACING redundancy because of lockdowns, some have taken the opportunity to join a mission organisation and Mike Frith, who set up the One Stop Centre for Advice and Resources (OSCAR) 20 years ago, is the person to whom many have turned for advice and direction. ‘My six-point approach identifies useful processes to go through when making such a lifechanging decision,’ said Mike. ‘Whether you want to move into mission work permanently, or you are just looking for a gap year or summer role, there is a lot to be considered. One woman decided she would retire early during the lockdowns – and now works part time for three mission agencies!’ Mike, 56, who spent 10 years as a pilot in Africa with Mission Aviation Fellowship, will lead a seminar at CRE South West Called to mission? Take your first steps (1pm, Thu 24 Feb) – one of 30 scheduled during the exhibition’s two days (see pages 20-24). ▪ OSCAR are on stand P20 at CRE

Roast, pour, connect, transform

CLO COFFEE have produced a free #101 Church Coffee Guide, full of top tips on running a coffee station. Founded more than 13 years ago by Nick and Linda Castle in Leeds, CLO began out of a desire to see local churches use coffee to connect more meaningfully with local communities. Linda Castle (pictured), co-founder and head roaster, said: ‘A good quality coffee can create a life-changing moment. At church we need coffee stations that match the high street, to create a warm welcome. We’ve seen God use a coffee moment to transform lives.’ We now live in a world where quality high street coffee houses are on every corner. ‘A few tweaks to your coffee (and tea!) can create an experience,’ said Nick. CLO have also operated six high street cafes partnering with local churches to create missional spaces on the high street. They are available to offer consultancy and advice to churches looking to open their own café. To download the free guide visit churchcoffee.co.uk or talk to the CLO team at CRE South West. ▪ CLO Coffee are on stand A5 at CRE South West

Print a puppet

THREE PRINTERS were busily working away in a Grimsby workshop before Christmas, producing parts for the world’s first 3D-printed Christingle puppets. Each puppet takes over 50 hours of printing to create the separate items which are then carefully put together with additional work on the foam and fabric. ‘When we were asked to make a puppet specifically for Christingle we couldn’t believe the interest it created!’ said David Jones, son of One Way Puppet’s managing director, Ian Jones. Within a short time they had more than 80 orders – with more coming in. The Christingle puppet, alongside a wide range of other resources, will be on the One Way stand at CRE South West. ‘I am passionate to inspire others to share the Gospel,’ Ian Jones, with the company not only utilising puppets but gospel illusions, drama, storytelling and other creative arts.

▪ One Way UK Puppets are on stand D4 at CRE South West 2022

The end of DIY fund-raising

THERE WAS NO way we could have done it ourselves. That is how Janet Jenkins, of St Mary’s, Painswick (pictured), reflected on the church’s current fund-raising initiative. A centre of Christian worship since the 11th century, St Mary’s facilities do not meet the expectations of modern event venues. The estimated cost of improvements is around £800,000, of which the church already has £300,000. Pursuing the remaining amount, however, was looking like a mammoth task, so the development committee turned to CRE exhibitor Action Planning for help. ‘The church members realised they needed specialist help, to save them a lot of time and effort,’ said Action Planning’s David Saint. The company’s report provided St Mary’s with a solid incentive to pursue the remaining funding required, and a structured plan for going about it.

‘Once some semblance of normality has returned after the COVID-19 lockdowns, we have every confidence that the church’s ambitions will be realised,’ said David, ‘further enhancing the experience of visitors and congregation alike as they come into this beautiful church.’ David will speak on ‘Fundraising for capital projects for churches’ at CRE South West, Exeter (11am on 23 Feb and 3pm on 24 Feb). Gideons become Good News for Everyone

GIDEONS UK became Good News for Everyone in November – reflecting the organisation’s continued mission to spread the Christian message. What began in 1908 as an association of businessmen placing bibles in hotel rooms has evolved into an expanding mission to provide scriptures to all people in nearly every facet of life. So well-known is Gideon’s Bible that it even features in a Beatles’ song, Rocky Racoon. As well as distributing scriptures to hotels, schools, hospitals, residential homes, prisons, the armed forces and emergency blue light services, Good News for Everyone are utilising fresh ways of getting the Christian message across to the public – and will be at CRE South West (February 23-24) to explain how visitors can join them in the task. Covering 10 regions across the UK, members based in the southwest will represent the ministry at Westpoint, telling of the many opportunities they have to go where others are not always able to go.

▪ Good News for Everyone are exhibiting on stand B5 at CRE South West, Exeter.

Renewing with respect

HISTORIC CHURCHES present problems when it comes to installing audio-visual systems – but there are few which cannot be overcome. So believes Andy Pidsley, managing director of APi South & Visual from Exeter. Andy has been involved in operating church sound equipment for more than four dcades and started APi some 20 years ago, following over a decade in the AV industry. ‘Things have been particularly busy in recent months as more churches decided to stream their services,’ he explained. APi are able to upgrade existing systems relatively simply, depending upon the age of the equipment, to enable services to be streamed. Simple pushbutton switching between cameras and dedicated streaming devices, with just start/stop functions, means users can be confident of recording without difficulty. Installation is not the end of the job. APi also provide training and can deliver broadband solutions. ‘We are accustomed to working in historic and listed churches, so will always provide as unobtrusive an installation as possible,’ said Andy. ‘Even the small details, such as the colour of cable will be considered. We will always be respectful of your church building.’

▪ APi South & Visual are on stand D10 at CRE South West

Helping young cope beyond Covid

WITH YOUNG people struggling with poor mental health through the pandemic, the Ugly Duckling Company has launched an innovative resource to help them. 10:10 shows the difference living well can have on their mental, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing. Designed for use in churches, schools, youth clubs and community groups, the initiative has been supported by a £60,000 grant over two years from Allchurches Trust. Providing at least 30 hours of adaptable material, the recource can be used in small groups, lessons, assemblies and lunch time clubs. Ten themes, built on spirituality and positive psychology, help 11 to 17-yearolds explore different ideas around happiness and the art of living life well. It covers themes such as thankfulness, kindness, forgiveness, healthy relationships, coping strategies and how to look after mind, body and soul. The resource features a series of films, group discussions, creative exercises, experiments and additional downloadable resources.

Nothing beats sitting on it

CRE South West 2022 Westpoint, Exeter 23-24 February 2022

CRE National 2022 Sandown Park, Surrey 11-13 October 2022

St Mary’SParish MagazineNew study series - starts Sunday

Living in God’s Kingdom now Join us at 11am as Rev. Thomas starts this exciting new series, or download the talks from our website

www.stmarys-anytown.org.uk

Monday 2nd -10am Little Fishes, Parent and ToddlersMonday 2nd -8pm PCC meeting Tuesday 3rd - 2pm Ladies fellowshipThursday 5th - 7pm Prayer meetingFriday 6th - 7.30pm Youth Club (11-14s)Saturday 6th - 3pm Messy Church - in the main hallSunday 7th - 9am Morning Eucharist 11am Family Service with Sunday Sch 6.30pm EvensongSaturday 13th Parish fete Around the Parish Mrs Jones of Wigmore street would appreciate help with her gardening, please see the curate. The Youth group are raising funds for their weekend away by washing cars on Saturday next. Join them in the car park at 10am.

Church of England appoints National Environment Officer Jo Chamberlain has been appointed as the National Environment Officer for the Church of England, taking forward the strategy developed by the Environment Working Group. This is a new post reflecting the Archbishops’ Council’s focus on the environment as a theological and mission priority. National News Thought for the week Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can’t build on it; it’s only good for wallowing in. – Katherine Mansfield.

Publish and be… blessed

A FAMILY FIRM has become a one-stop shop for churches wanting to produce a parish magazine on a budget. As a local councillor in Holsworthy in Devon, Phil Tucker produced a leaflet to highlight some local problems. Such was the quality of the leaflet that he got requests to produce material for other people. In a two-week period he will now print about a million sides of A4 for a series of parish magazines and other publications. ‘We only handle community and church magazines, and understand that editors may need help with certain issues,’ said Phil. ‘Our production team has an in-depth knowledge of the problems experienced in producing a community magazine and are willing to help in any way they can. We build extremely longterm relationships with our clients.’ The printers used are efficient at smaller print runs, especially those under 1,000,’ said Phil. ‘We take a PDF, usually by email, and print the publication as soon as possible. We are very aware that the editor probably has their own job. We are therefore as flexible as possible in the turn-around time often printing on the day of receipt and getting the newsletters back next day.’ ▪ Parish Magazine Printing are on stand C34 at CRE South West

Pump up your parish mag volume

CHURCH MAGAZINES continue to play a critical role in keeping community life going during the pandemic. So says Anne Coomes (pictured), co-founder of Parish Pump, provider of editorial and graphics for church magazines of all denominations. ‘Your church magazine may be the only link people in your locality have with Christianity,’ believes Anne. ‘That is a big responsibility – and a big opportunity! If you deliver a magazine through someone’s door, or hand one out in church, people will look definitely through it.’ Turning out a regular publication, against deadlines, can be a daunting task, however. ‘I once ran a headline that should have read: “Make flowers that look like satin.” Instead, it said: “Make flowers that look like satan.” Not one of my more glorious moments!’

▪ Parish Pump are on stand D33 at CRE South West 2021

Resources to renew wellbeing in our own lives and communities

Do you want to join God in turning a tsunami of mental ill health into a wave of wellbeing?

After suffering her own mental health crisis, Ruth Rice set up the Renew Wellbeing charity, which helps churches open safe spaces to help all attend to their mental and emotional health.

Packed full of personal stories, reflective resources and practical guidance, this book will enable you to maintain your own wellbeing and encourages churches to provide Renew spaces that help local communities journey alongside each other to renew wellbeing.

‘Full of hard-earned wisdom and incredibly practical.’ Cathy Madavan

Do you want a toolkit of words and habits to help maintain your wellbeing?

A-Z of Wellbeing is an accessible introduction to help you attend to your own wellbeing and live out your own alphabet of peace. It presents twenty-six words of wellness to help you discover new practices, connect with God, and share wellbeing with others.

Ruth Rice encourages us to discover the language of wellbeing, so that we can speak it, live it, and share it with others.

‘A tonic for the mind and balm for the soul.’ James Newcome, Bishop of Carlisle

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Leading with laughter

NOT FOR THE faint-hearted or those who have had humour by-pass surgery! That’s the health warning on the seminar to be given by Revd Ian Coffey at CRE South West. ‘What I wish they’d told me before I became a leader’ (1pm, Wed 23 Feb) will be helpful for those, like Ian, who struggle to lead or some who are exploring what’s involved. Ian is acting principal at Moorlands College, which gives people passionate about Jesus Christ the knowledge and skills they need to impact the church and wider world. ‘We’re all about applied theology,’ he said, ‘with a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes that will deepen your relationship with God and seek to cultivate an

Rev Ian Coffey

environment that’s not just about information but transformation.’ The college has a campus in Christchurch, Dorset, as well as regional centres in the south west and Northern Ireland. Campus-based, placement-based, full-time or part-time options are available. ▪ Moorlands College are on stand D32 at CRE South West

Marian revs up for Exeter return

WHEN THE FOUNDER of Motorcycle Funerals sadly died, his wife rode pillion as he made his final journey in a sidecar-hearse – then she took over the company. ‘It was a massive undertaking but I could not let go what Paul had created,’ said Marian Sinclair (pictured). ‘As an ordained minister he had served at funerals for 30 years.’ Now Marian manages a fleet of 14 motorcycles. A special sidecar carries the coffin. ‘A few years ago we carried a war-time despatch rider, his coffin draped with the Union flag,’ said Marian. ‘His daughter said he always hated cars! To many it gives comfort to know their lifestyle choice was continued at the funeral.’ She will lead a seminar on creative funerals at CRE South West. ▪ Motorcycle Funerals are on stand A12 at CRE South West

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Building harmony within diversity

THE PROBLEMS AND opportunities of a multicultural church are discussed in depth in a seminar now available on CRE TV. Held at CRE National 2022, the seminar was presented by a panel exploring diversity in the church. Asked if the church was modelling the unity described by scripture, Rev Carl Palmer (pictured left), a pastor for 28 years, said: ‘I loved the Coke advert with African, Asian and Europeans all singing: “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony”. Jesus did it with his disciples, who were all so different. We are modelling it in many ways but in others we are not because of our prejudices.’ Marcia Dixon MBE (pictured centre), a journalist with 30 years’ experience in public relations, commented: ‘There has been progress but there needs to be more. Even within black-majority churches you will have discussions that certain people are not being recognised by the leadership.’ Rev David Shosayna (pictured right), former regional director of the London Baptist Association, added: ‘We don’t model things well because we are often fundamentally shaped by ideology, theological and biblical positions.’ The debate is led by Elaine Bowes, CEO of the Pentecostal Credit Union and can be seen online in full at www.CRETV.uk

Hope in a hand out

HOW ABOUT A newspaper that has nothing but good news? It was an opening gambit used by that evangelists Andy Godfrey, Robin McEwen (pictured left) and Colin Johnson as they handed out copies of the Good News newspaper in the markets of Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard. ‘Every time we give away dozens of copies and it’s incredibly well-received,’ said Andy. ‘Market traders regularly ask for a copy and one shop worker says they have Good News in their staff room.’ Specifically designed for non-Christians, the paper is packed with stories of how Jesus is changing lives today, plus quotes about faith from celebrities and sports stars. It also has space on the back for church contact details and costs just 15p per copy plus p&p. Andy Godfrey will speak at CRE South West on ‘Making evangelism easy - honestly!’ (11am, Wed 23 Feb). Copies of the paper will be available on the Good News stand at CRE South West. ▪ Good News Evangelistic Newspapers will be on stand D34 at CRE South West