The organisers were CMC Australasia, a distribution and marketing company to the Christian arena and they did a thorough work of presentation. The exhibition based on the UK model was well organised and professional in its appearance. The layout and supporting facilities were very good, and the stalls well set up and functional (though I did notice a glaring error in the name of one Uniting Church - "of" instead of "in" Australia).

Each group of course had their stall organised according to their own needs, and some stood out a bit more than others, for example, the Salvation Army, with several of its areas grouped under the one large area. Most stalls were reasonably staffed and the personal dimension was an element that one would expect from a Christian exhibition. After all, while much can be gleaned from the web, this allowed a more personal interaction for those who wished to engage experts in a variety of fields.

Overall the idea is to provide an exhibition of resources under the one roof, with it appears as broad as possible Christian appeal. In some ways it is hard to describe its orientation, especially given the somewhat eclectic range of resources, but perhaps open and evangelical is the best description.

Many people associated with the exhibition in the planned seminars and addresses were well-known evangelical leaders, but given the number of conferences, seminars and bible colleges around, this is probably an area that needs to be reconsidered. There was a lack of denominational input from wider church circles including Catholic (though Mary MacKillop Place was represented) and Orthodox.

The Exhibition book had an extensive index covering most areas one could think of in Christian ministry, but some areas of prominence were:
Christian Education, Bible and Theological education, Youth work and resources, Conference Centres and Camping, Books and publishing, Missionary services, Devotional resources, Leadership training, Evangelism, Scripture resources, Schools, and interestingly, Christian groups with a focus on Israel, including providing support for government policies which support Israel, supporting the arrival of immigrants in Israel, promoting Jewish-Christian products and tourism. The Israel Government Tourist Office had a stall with their different brochures for the different denominational groups and tailored pilgrimage tours.

One group: Straight Talk Australia had a focus on their media connections. This organisation promotes 'Abstinence is a positive choice for Teenagers today". - (readers may have seen coverage on the "True Love Waits" campaign. I found this very interesting as they have received coverage in an extensive range of newspapers in Australia, as well as women's magazines, Women's Day and Cosmopolitan, with the latest being in Cleo in September in the section: 'Read it Believe it'. Certainly a prominent alternative to the usual sexual orientation in these publications, and I noted it was followed up the next month in some stimulating and reactive letters to the editor in response. Looking at the many Christian media groups around, it was interesting to find one organisation that was connecting with the secular world in a way that is often difficult to do.

Attendance was estimated to be around 2500 over the 3 days, with the Saturday attracting the most number of people for any one day. Advertising was reasonably well covered among church publications, and I did reflect that it was strange to think more people did not attend, but perhaps this was due to the location, time, or perhaps the need to pay to attend, even though it was a small charge ($10.00 adult). Perhaps it was related to the somewhat disquieting period in September and October for Christians, and Australians in general, related to the terrorist attacks in the U.S.A. and attacks on Christian churches and mosques in Australia.

Overall, while many groups I spoke to were a little disappointed in the attendance, most were prepared to give it another go, saying the potential was there, and it needed time to grow.
Well, the organisers are already looking ahead and have a commitment for the future, so put it in your diary: Christian Resources Exhibition
Sydney Showgrounds: Homebush Bay.

10 -1 2 October 2002.
Peter Bentley