IT was a case of old meets new when hundreds of schoolchildren had the opportunity to learn about the Christian faith through the touch of their fingertips using technology.

The educational multimedia exhibition was held at St John the Baptist Church in Pewsey for a week and was organised by retired Pewsey vicar Rev Robert DeBerry and Pewsey team vicar Rev Mark Windsor.

It was called What is Life? and was hired by the church from the Evangelist charity Counties based in Westbury.

The youngsters were invited to use interactive tablets, graphic panels and engage with films and songs to find out about Jesus – his birth, teachings, miracles, death and resurrection. Rev Windsor and Rev DeBerry were also on hand to answer questions.

Among the schools who visited were St Peter’s Junior School in Marlborough, Ogbourne St George Primary School, Bishops Cannings School near Devizes and Woodborough Primary School.

Rev DeBerry, 73, who moved to Cossor Road, Pewsey, with his wife Gill nearly eight years ago, said: “We want to show how relevant and alive Christian faith can be and that was the aim of the exhibition.

“We had 635 children from 17 schools and 24 groups over the week. They were all very interested and appreciative and so were the teachers who were amazed at the technology.

“It was a lovely atmosphere and the kids were so exuberant. It opened the childrens’ minds up through a beautifully interactive way through cartoons, film clips and information.

“The children were greeted with an introduction zone. They then went into other zones on the birth of Jesus, miracles and parables, and a watched a DVD on the cross and resurrection before having refreshments and asking questions.

“We really decided to do it because it fits in with the RE syllabus at school and it is a very interactive exhibition and helps them to learn about the Christian faith.

“At the end we told them, however, they could go and make up their own minds.”

Rev DeBerry plans to organise the exhibition every two years.