Tony Campolo to join Christian Resources Exhibition

Theologian Tony Campolo will be the key speaker at this year's Christian Resources Exhibition.

Campolo coined the phrase Red Letter Christians for those committed to living out the words of Jesus.

He will be speaking at the exhibition on 16 May.

"We want people to know we are Christians who make a point of being committed to what those red letters - the words of Jesus - tell us to be and do," he says.

"We're not into partisan politics, though we have a bias for political policies that foster justice for the poor and oppressed, regardless of which party espouses them."

The exhibition takes place at Sandown Park in Esher, Surrey, from 14 to 17 May, and will bring together all the latest resources for the church under one roof.

"From the political to the pastoral, this year's CRE provides inspiration at every level of the local church agenda," explains event organiser Bill Allen.

"Its sheer width is what makes the event uniquely beneficial. While bible weeks and conferences tend to focus on the devotional, CRE resources local church leaders at many, many levels - from the latest in preaching aids and new pews, to cost-effective heating and custom-made sound systems."

For the first time, visitors will discover how to win a £2,000 micro-grant to start a community transformation project, courtesy of the Cinnamon Network.

Grants from the network have been used by churches to set up food banks, job clubs, night shelters and money advice services.

"It was our sense that over 25 per cent of the UK Church or 10,000 local churches could be running a community franchise project mobilising 200,000 volunteers and serving over two million beneficiaries," said the Cinnamon Network's Matt Bird.