|TOP|At the 'Heart of England Christian Resources Exhibition', which took place Feb. 8-10, a new group was introduced to the public: a group of priests chosen to work among rappers and hoodies to get young people interested in the church.
The new breed, called 'pioneering ministers', are a key part of the Fresh Expressions scheme, which aims at making church accessible to people who have no contact with organised religion. The scheme is backed by Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Fresh Expressions will see priests working in estates, cafes, shopping precincts, skateboard parks and outside nightclubs.
The Rev Andrew Roberts, a methodist minister for the Wolverhampton and Shrews-bury district and one of the team of ten, said he hoped the scheme would answer calls for a new "mixed economy" of churches.
|AD|"The idea behind Future Expressions is to develop new culturally relevant ways of being in church," he said.
"In Essex we have set up an extreme sports ministry based around a skateboard park.
"Young people may ride their skate boards as part of their praise to God, just as some people express it
through dance or song.
"In Manchester there is Sanctus, which opens at around midnight for people coming out of the clubs. It is for people who want somewhere quiet to go as a contrast to the noise of the nightclub."
In addition, the CRE showcased modern technology adapted for Church purposes. Worship 2020 showcased how traditional church bells can be sounded using a portable unit the size of a suitcase or rung via a GPS system rather than a team of ringers.
About 180 groups exhibited at the Heart of England Christian Resources Exhibition.
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