A squad of priests has been picked to work among rappers and hoodies in a bid to get young people interested in the church.

Called 'pioneering ministers', the new breed are a key part of the Fresh Expressions scheme backed by Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury.

They were introduced to the public at the Christian Resource Exhibition at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, which opened yesterday.

Fresh Expressions - aimed at making church accessible to people who have no contact with organised religion - will see priests working in estates, cafes, shopping precincts, skateboard parks and outside nightclubs.

Plans were approved by the House of Bishops last month despite misgivings that the pioneers might duplicate the role of parish-based clergy.

But supporters of the joint Church of England and Methodist venture said the pioneering ministers would form 'a dynamic new force' who 'will be able to reach parts that other clergy might not be able to reach'.

There are 300 or so alternative church schemes running under the Fresh Expressions banner and they are co-ordinated by a team of ten Church of England and Methodist ministers.

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.

"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 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."

At Shirley Methodist Church in Solihull, the initiative has seen the opening of a 'cafe church' where food is served before and during the service, which takes place at cafe tables.

The CRE will also showcase modern technology adapted for Church purposes.

Worship 2020 will showcase 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.

Smith of Derby's portable bell sound unit fits neatly into a large 'suitcase'. Opening the lid reveals the control panel and speaker grille.

Worship 2020 also showcases how the internet can make church services accessible anywhere in the world via webcam. Rev Charmaine Host, vicar of Kineton, provided the thought for the day. She is an advocate of using the tools of modern life in order to spread God's Word.

"My passion is for helping people engage with the Christian faith," she said.

"That has involved running a Christian basics course in the local pub and turning the church interior into Narnia during the Christmas season."

About 180 groups are displaying at the Heart of England Christian Resources Exhibition, which finishes today.