Lord Putnam to open Christian Resources Exhibition

Lord David Putnam

Lord David Putnam, who turned the story of athlete Eric Liddell into the Oscar-winning movie Chariots of Fire, will be opening this year's Christian Resources Exhibition International on 8 May at Sandown Park, Esher).

He will also be launching a special set of church and community resources created by the Damaris Trust to accompany a re-release of the digitally re-mastered film in cinemas across the country.

From stage plays to party packs, mini-mags to sports bibles - a host of new resources for churches to use during the London Games will feature at the Exhibition.

According to More Than Gold, set up to enable UK churches engage with the 2012 Games, as many as 5,000 churches are already making plans to engage with their communities and welcome international visitors.

Among a host of resources they will be able to find at the show will be a pocket-sized, 36-page booklet, entitled More Than Gold Mini-Mag. Suitable for all ages and produced by Verité, the booklet contains a history of the Olympics - venues, facts, stats and trivia - along with testimonies from Olympians and a down-to-earth message. It is being translated into many different languages.

Visitors will also discover the More Than Gold Stage Spectacular, a stunning musical stage production using an innovative mix of acting, puppetry, mime, movement and sound. It features a soundtrack with unique character voices and a backing track if performed live. Designs and blueprints are provided to help create the props needed for the production.

The Churches For All zone at CRE will feature a special Paralympics theme. Visitors to the Torch Trust stand will be encouraged try out a hand-cycle, similar to those used in the London Games. Torch is a Christian organisation with a worldwide vision for people with sight loss. More Than Conquerors is an easy-to-read companion to the games and features testimonies from Paralympic athletes who face mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness and cerebral palsy.

Also available will be a special sports edition of the Bible, suitable for all ages. With 40 full-colour pages exclusively dedicated to sport, the Bible, produced by Bible Society, connects sport with faith through stories, reflections, Bible studies, topical references and points the reader to relevant passages.

Bible Society is also encouraging people to take seven steps to soul fitness with Sports Lyfe. The small group resource is designed to help sports enthusiasts make connections between the Bible and everyday life by meeting after training at the bar or in the clubhouse. This is also covered on Bible Society's stand and in a seminar with Rob Hare.

Send A Cow will promote their ‘Recycling Olympics’ materials for schools and church youth groups.

"We are inviting churches to hold an alternative sports day and try out traditional African games – or African twists on some Olympic sports – using recycled materials," explains Send A Cow's Eleanor Simmons. "We show you how to make plastic bag footballs African-style. These are already extremely popular with children in the UK. This year, we’ve added ideas for a wide range of fun events – all highlighting the need to learn from Africa and make better use of our resources.'

More than 10,000 people, are expected at CRE International, the largest annual exhibition of Christian resources in Europe.

For more information on CRE see: www.creonline.co.uk/page.asp?pageid=101