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.

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Entries are still open for the 2008 Christian Web and Blog Awards - an annual event that recognises and rewards the best in Christian websites and blogs in the UK.

The finalists will be invited to an intimate gathering of one hundred guests at an exclusive awards ceremony on the 19th of September, with winners receiving prizes including £1000, a Nintendo Wii and an Apple iPod touch.
Entries stay open until the 26th of August, 2008.
More details at www.christianblogawards.com.

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This is the theme of the Annual Public Lecture of the Librarians' Christian Fellowship which is to be held on Saturday 18 October 2008 at the United Church, Jewry Street, Winchester, from 2.30.p.m. The guest speaker is to be Paul Valler, an Associate Speaker from the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity. The lecture will be of interest to a wide audience inside and outside the library profession, and all are welcome. Admission is free and there is no need to book in advance.

Long working hours, travel and ever evolving gadgets connecting us to an always-on world leave many people sapped of energy and far too tired. Families and friends often get the dregs of lives worn out by work. Paul Valler's lecture will dig deep to uncover the root cause of our work/life balance problems.

Full details at www.librarianscf.org.uk/events/lecture.html

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Here is an idea that St Andrew's Bookshop in St Albans is promoting this summer.

We call it 'Take it and Leave it'. The idea is to encourage Christians to take a good 'christian' book away on holiday with them and leave it behind for other holidaymakers to read.

Many hotels and holiday apartments have a 'library' corner or bookshelf where guests can borrow a book to read during their stay, or leave books they have finished reading and no longer want to keep. So, why not leave a book with a Christian message?

We suggest choosing something with a general appeal such as a biography or novel with a good message. Taming the Tiger by Tony Anthony is an excellent example of a book that has a wide appeal. This book has the added advantage of having contact details in the back, for people who want to know more.

TAKE IT & LEAVE IT is similar to the 'bookcrossing' craze where people leave secular books in public places for others to read; but in this case the purpose is evangelistic, and people on holiday are more likely to have the time to read. Another advantage is that books can be left in countries where evangelistic activity is not encouraged.

Check out reviews of good books on this website, or ask a Christian bookseller for advice.

The TAKE IT & LEAVE IT scheme is a Christian bookshop initiative that has been successfully run for many years in other parts of the country.

Guy Marshall
St Andrew's Bookshop, St Albans

www.standrewsbookshop.co.uk

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The winners were announced at the National Christian Resources Exhibition at Sandown Park on 14th May 2008:-

Christian Living: Prayer, Does it Make Any Difference - Philip Yancey
Hodder & Stoughton - £9.99 - ISBN: 9780340909089
A personal search for answers on the how, what and why of prayer.

Biography: To Catch a Thief - Richard Taylor
New Wine - £6.99 - ISBN: 9781903725573
How God set Richard free from a life of crime & drug addiction to be a Church minister.

Children's/Youth: yp's Guide to Knowing God - Jonathan Brant
CWR - £4.99 - ISBN: 9781853454073
Facts a teenager needs to know about God, faith and Christian living.

For further information on the UK Christian Book Awards, visit the website: www.christianbookawards.org or contact Paula Renouf, CEO of Speaking Volumes on 07941 370844 or email info@speakingvolumes.org.uk

Fresh Expressions have launched a new six-week course taking us on a journey looking at the ever-changing nature of our social communities and why the church needs to rethink its approach to those communities in meaningful and relevant ways.

It is an ideal Lent course for congregations and groups, though it can be used anytime, and is useful both for groups and individuals. You can download the material free of charge. More details at www.freshexpressions.org.uk.

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Scripture Union have a new resource called WordLive. A FREE to use multi-media Bible reading & experience website.

The site is a recen tly-launched intiative aiming to to reach out to as many people as possible. Details are on the Scripture Union website www.scriptureunion.org.uk.

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Here are TWO main ways we can support you by providing information free of charge and in confidence to anyone interested in Christian faith, be they:

• casual enquirers
• those actively looking for answers
• or those simply interested in finding out why your church is active in the community, whether under the Hope'08 umbrella or otherwise.

FREEPOST CONTACT ADDRESS

There is a wide range of materials available from our partners, for the most part with a tear-off FREEPOST response to the Christian Enquiry Agency or details of how to contact us. A selection of CEA Partners are stocking and other evangelistic contact materials: Lifewords, Scripture Union, New Life Newspaper. Among new materials for Hope'08 is a new special outreach booklet from Verite, written by Jeff Lucas, on the theme of Hope - 'Infinite Hope' is available from CPO (CPO stock a wide range of Hope'08 resources, many of which give details for CEA - which means that if you use those materials, all those that come across them will have a clear route to more information about Jesus).

ON THE WEB

Hope 2008 is an initiative which is helping to demonstrate Christian faith in action and to explain the meaning of that faith in villages, towns and cities throughout the UK.

hopeinfo.co.uk is The Public Face of Hope 2008, established by the Christian Enquiry Agency in partnership with Church Army and Deo Gloria.

The hopeinfo.co.uk website has been launched as a focus for a year long conversation with the public about what it means to live hopefully. Members of the public will be able to text, email and submit their own messages and images of hope and inspiration as well as having the chance to sign up for weekly email reflections.

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May I call you friend?
	May I call you friend? is a group resource suitable for Lent and other times, produced by the Evangelism and Church Planting Department  of the Methodist Church and only available from www.mph.org.uk Ref.PA179, £3.50. The following review is by TGBS reviewer Jim Currin.
In these days when so much is in the media about religion and identity, community and cohesion, the Methodist Church have boldly stepped in with a remarkable study guide. It will not satisfy all faith positions but it certainly helps small groups raise the questions about how we live alongside and share our faith with people of other faiths with dignity and discretion. The sections look at various difficult and sometimes contentious aspects in a positive way, with clear guidance, but leaving the group members to come to their own conclusions. This is not just a book for Christians with Muslim neighbours in the Inner City: this is for all Christians everywhere to think, discuss and pray through.

Resourcing the church across the UK.

• Northern Christian Resources Exhibition 2008
  24th-26th September 2008;
  
• South-West Christian Resources Exhibition 2009
  Exeter, Thursday 29th - Saturday 31st Jan 2009;
  
• National Christian Resources Exhibition 2009
  Sandown, Tuesday 12th - Friday 15th May 2009.