These were announced at the Christian Resources Exhibition on Tuesday 11th May 2010 at the Christian Resources Awards Evening.

• Book of the Year
  WINNER
  • The Vicar of Baghdad - Andrew White
    (Monarch Publishing, 9781854248763)
  Also nominated were:
  • Inside Story: The Life of John Stott - Roger Steer
    (IVP, 9781844744046)
  • The Reason for God - Timothy Keller
    (Hodder & Stoughton, 9780340979334)
• Reference Book of the Year
  WINNER
  • The World of the Bible - John Drane
    (Lion Hudson, 9780745952505)
  Also nominated were:
  • The Longest Week - Nick Page
    (Hodder & Stoughton, 9780340979808)
  • The One-Stop Guide to Christianity - David Winter
    (Lion Hudson, 9780745953236)
• Children's Book of the Year (Under 12)
  WINNER
  • 50 Weirdest Bible Stories - Andy Robb
    (CWR, 9781853454899)
  Also nominated were:
  • The Barnabas Classic Children's Bible - Rhona Davies
    (BRF/Barnabas, 9781841017875)
  • God and Me - 365 Daily Devotions - Penny Boshoff
    (Authentic, 9781905051786)
• Children's Book of the Year (Over 12)
  WINNER
  • The Lion Encyclopedia of the Bible - Peter Atkinson
    (Lion Hudson, 9780745960104)
  Also nominated were:
  • The Book of Life - Kathy Lee
    (Scripture Union, 9781844273690)
  • Cherished - Rachel Gardner
    (IVP, 9781844743896)
• Praise and Worship Album of the Year
  WINNER
  • The New Best Praise and Worship Songs Ever - Various
    (Kingsway, KMCD6063)
  Also nominated were:
  • We shall Not be Shaken - Matt Redman
    (Survivor Records, SURCD5136)
  • Year of Grace - Robin Mark
    (Integrity-Provident, 46412)
• Contemporary Album of the Year
  WINNER
  • History Makers: Greatest Hits - Delirious?
    (Survivor Records, SURCD5171)
  Also nominated were:
  • Heart Strings - Moya Brennan
    (Fierce! Music/Kingsway, FIERCD43)
  • Until the Whole World Hears - Casting Crowns
    (Beach Street Record, 6025341013529)
• Gospel Album of the Year
  WINNER
  • WOW Gospel 2009 - Various
    (Integrity-Provident, 886974167525)
  Also nominated were:
  • One Voice - Various
    (Kingsway, OVCD001)
  • The Power of One - Israel Houghton
    (Integrity-Provident, 45512)
• Media Award (Adult) - for items such as DVDs and software
  WINNER
  • Glo Bible DVD-ROM
    (Hodder & Stoughton, 9780981990217)
  Also nominated were:
  • Faith Like Potatoes - Angus Buchan
    (Global Creation Studio / Integrity-Provident, 6001651035094)
  • Fireproof - Alex Kendrick
    (Sherwood Pictures / Integrity-Provident, 602341003391)
• Media Award (Children) - for items such as DVDs and software
  WINNER
  • Kid's Colossal Jumbo Digi-Songbook CD-ROM - Spring Harvest
    (ICC/Elevation, ICC1211B)
  Also nominated were:
  • Tomato Sawyer and the Big River Rescue - Veggietales
    (Authentic, 311177)
  • Saint Nicholas: A Story of joyful giving - Veggietales
    (Authentic, 311459)

There were also awards for...

• Christianity Magazine Book of the Year: Breakout - Mark Stibbe & Andrew Williams
  (Authentic)
• The Ultimate Christian Library Book: One Step Beyond - Gram Seed
  (CWR Publishing)
• Best Church or Community Newsletter: Frontline News, Wavertree, Liverpool - Editor: Grace Snow
• Creativity with the Bible: Best Mates - Bob Hartman
  (Illustrated by Mark Beech)
• Resource of the Year 2010: Why on earth did Jesus Come? - John Blanchard
  (Evangelical Press)
• Accessible Product of the Year 2010: KJV Giant Print New Testament
  (Cambridge University Press)

Catch up at www.backtochurch.co.uk.

The Nationwide Christian Trust has a vision for rejuvenating existing Christian bookshops in the High Street, currently earmarked for closure.

They want shops to become centres of activity, with a life and vitality which goes way beyond the products on the shelves, possibly introducing a high quality
coffee shop facility, a lounge area as well as a children’s play zone and new ways the premises can be used outside normal opening times for other imaginative projects or events.

For more details and information about how you could support this vision read the full Nationwide Christian Trust Press release.

Have you ever been into a public library and wondered where the Christian books were? So often they are tucked away, hidden among other titles or not there at all.

Now you have an opportunity to make a change. There is a search on for the best new book that all public libraries should have. The search is being organised by Speaking Volumes which is a charity that promotes reading, through placing Christian books into libraries.

Often a book is the first thing someone will look at to find information about the Christian faith, so they need to be in libraries in the community where they are accessible to many people. Speaking Volumes allows this to happen by inviting individuals or groups to buy a selection of books, at a reduced cost, to put in libraries, schools and other places where borrowing a Christian book could be a life changing experience.

If you think you could use the Speaking Volumes scheme to make a difference to people in your community, please check out the website www.christianbookpromotions.org.uk

Also look at the website www.christianbookawards.org where members of the public can vote for what they think is the best new Christian book that should be in every public library. Visit the website to see the shortlist from which to choose and vote. Every entrant will get a free ticket to the Christian Resource Exhibition in May where the winners will be announced.

To encourage a deeper and broader relationship between Government and faith communities, Communities Secretary John Denham announced the appointment of 13 new faith advisers who will act as a 'sounding board' to advise on effective engagement with faith communities, and the impact of Communities and Local Government policy on faith communities.

Mr Denham has responsibility for the Government's public policy on faith. While recognising the significant contributions that faith communities have made to work on key issues such as homelessness and tackling poverty at home abroad, he is keen to stress the importance of respecting faith in its own right and not as a prop to Government when it has a problem to solve.

The 13 advisers, all experts in their chosen field, will enhance ministerial understanding of, and engagement, with faith communities nationally.

Government already engages with faith communities through the Faith Communities Consultative Council (FCCC) and their important role will continue. However over recent months John Denham has said that he wants to see as many channels of communication open as possible and this includes hearing from a wide range of expert voices.

The 13 new advisers come from a range of backgrounds and faith perspectives and include serving Bishops, academics and local activists. They were selected for their commitment to faith and the diverse experience in their chosen careers.

The members of the panel are:

Canon Dr Alan Billings - Formerly Director of the Centre for Ethics and Religion at the University of Lancaster.
Dr Harriet Crabtree - Director of the Inter Faith Network for the UK.
Marcia Dixon - Editor of Keep the Faith, a publication distributed to black majority churches.
Dr Doreen Finneron - Founder and director of the Faith Based Regeneration Network.
Jenny Kartupelis - Director of the East of England Faiths Council and Fellow of the Faiths and Civil Society Unit at Goldsmith's College.
Wakkas Khan - Director of the Exploring Islam Foundation and a founding member of the Radical Middle Way.
Alveena Malik - A Principal Associate at the Institute of Community Cohesion and a Trustee of the Muslim Institute.
Mehri Niknam - Founder and director of the Joseph Interfaith Foundation.
Rosalind Preston - President of the Jewish Volunteer Network and Chair of Nightingale House.
Dr Jasdev Singh Rai - General Secretary of the British Sikh Consultative Forum and Director of the Sikh Human Rights Group.
Bishop Tim Stevens - Anglican Bishop of Leicester and Founder and Chair of the Faith Leaders Forum of Leicester.
Arjan Vekaria - President of Shree Kutch Leva Patel Community (UK) and the Hindu Forum of Britain.
Prof Paul Weller - Head of Research and Commercial Development, Faculty of Education, Health and Sciences and Professor of Inter-Religious Relations, University of Derby.

Go to top

Resourcing the church across the UK.

• International CRE 2010
  Sandown Park, Esher
  Tues 11 - Fri 14 May 2010
  
  
• Heart of England CRE 2010
  TIC Telford
  Thurs 21 - Sat 23 October 2010.
  

Part of the Internt Evangelism Day website, and a useful and engaging way to assess your own church's web presence. Fill in the online questionnaire, see what you score, and get a report back. It makes some relevant points in an attention-grabbing way, which is unusual for US-based advice on this subject.

More at www.InternetEvangelismDay.com/church-site-design.php.

Go to top

For information about the Librarians' Christian Fellowship, please contact The Secretary, Graham Hedges: email: secretary@librarianscf.org.uk  Website: www.librarianscf.org.uk

Go to top

Cops and Robbers is the website of a project which shares the stories of how Jesus has changed the lives of individual police and criminals. Stories are produced and distributed in comic book format, and can also be seen on the website, along with related and useful information.

See it for yourself at www.copsandrobbers.org.uk.

Go to top

GoodChurchWebsites.org.uk is a new website providing comprehensive but digestible advice on creating... good church websites.

It's for all UK churches, but particularly aims to encourage smaller local churches with limited resources. It includes examples of existing church websites (and promises to award special mugs to the web managers of any churches featured).

More at www.goodchurchwebsites.org.uk.

Go to top