New members are joining weekly. They were encouraged by the number of replies they received and they held a meeting in November 1995 where 30 like-minded folk from all over the country unanimously agreed to form the Boaters Christian Fellowship . The aims of the BCF are Fellowship, Worship and Witness . Meeting and sharing fellowship with other Christians is important for BCF members. Recognising other Christians afloat is therefore important.
Guides exist for many subjects, but there was no data source for locating churches near waterways.
To overcome this difficulty the BCF publish a Church Directory . During 1998 very detailed information has been collected on all the churches and fellowships of all denominations and the 1999 edition of the directory has been greatly extended and will enable members to find a suitable place of worship even more easily. Visitors to the IWA National Festivals and to the Braunston Show will have observed that a Sunday a Songs of Praise Service was included in the events. The BCF is committed to organising or supporting the local churches to include a service at these major events and increasingly at regional rallies. Apart from bringing the visiting Christians together it also has been well accepted by the organisers and general public .