New report published - On children and young people's mental health

On 22nd November, the NHS published a report concerning the mental health of children and young people across England. You can read the full report HERE.

We will know of children and young people in our churches and communities who have struggled with mental health issues; we may be a young person reading this who is encountering difficulties; we may have youngsters in our own congregations and families who have mental health conditions. This is a concern for us all and so it is important to be aware of the report’s findings and understand some of the issues that our children and young people are facing. There are links below which could help and can be shared with others in need.

Some of the key findings from the report are:

• One in eight (12.8%) 5 to 19 year olds had at least one mental disorder when assessed in 2017

• Rates of mental disorders increased with age.

• Emotional disorders have become more common in five to 15 year-olds 

A recent article in the Premier Christian Media Trust calls for churches to be open to teenagers facing issues. You can read about it HERE and find out where schemes to support young people are currently operating.

The Free Churches Group are committed to supporting member churches and groups engage with issues of the day and find ways in which our free churches can engage more fully in the community, in issues such as education and mental health support. We will be developing these further over the next couple of years so keep an eye out in our FCG newsletters for further information.

There are various networks you can register your support with or join their newsletter circulation list:

1. Action for Children

2. “Beating the Blues” Programme

3. Pray for Schools

4. Anti-Bullying Alliance

5. Mind and Soul Foundation

6. Childline

7. Festive - the Christian Further Education charity

A blessing Prayer

May the Lord God Bless you each step of Life’s way.

May you learn each day to open yourself to love and the blessings of love. May you find a stick to lean on when the road is hard- and not use the stick to beat yourself. May you be blessed with life's abundance and blessed in poor days too, learning again what really matters, what lasts.

May you never give in to despair or the lie that nothing can change. May you find ways of life and walk them with courage, knowing that every step is within the heart of Christ who holds all our days in love. Amen

© Revd Dr Christopher Jenkins

Every school, a prayed-for school... pray with us today, with Psalm 100

Join with us today in an international day of prayer for schools

Pray Day is the third Tuesday of November every year when schools across Europe and around the world are the focus of prayer.

If you haven’t heard about it before, this is a day set aside every year for people across Europe to focus on praying for their schools, with events taking place in many countries including the UK. The day is for:

• all types of school from nursery to sixth form

• pupils, school staff, governors, parents, church leaders, youth workers and anyone else concerned about young people

• anyone who believes that God hears our prayers

Resources for PrayDay 2018 based on Psalm 100 - a psalm for giving thanks to God

You can download the Prayer Sheet and other ideas for getting involved HERE.

“Shout to the LORD with joy, everyone on earth. Worship the LORD with gladness. Come to him with songs of joy.”

"At least one child is bullied in every class, each day across the UK," the TES reports

I have been shocked and saddened to read in the news recently that at least one child is bullied in every class, each day across the UK. You can read this article in the Times Educational Supplement HERE. Almost half of young people said they had been bullied, face-to-face, in the last six months.

Many of us will have encountered bullying and perhaps have been bullies ourselves. It is a deeply upsetting and threatening thing to experience and is often borne of powerlessness and which creates powerlessness and fear…

The Anti Bullying Alliance (ABA) is a unique coalition of organisations and individuals who are working together to achieve our vision to: stop bullying and create safer environments in which children and young people can live, grow, play and learn.  You can read more about their work HERE.

They welcome members from a wide variety of organisations, including faith groups. You can sign up for their newsletter HERE.

There are lots of different ways to get involved in their work. They also have a range of resources and training programmes available. Why not get your church involved in this work, so that bullying can be tackled and we can all be educated to improve the lives of children and young people in our schools and colleges?

We are approaching the international day of prayer for schools - Pray Day - on 20th November - so perhaps you could pray for the work of the ABA and for the perpetrators and victims of bullying, that peace and reconciliation might be achieved.

As the Scripture tells us… “for God gave us a spirit, not of fear, but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Tim 1:7). In the name of Jesus, peace maker and healer, Amen

Revd Sara Iles, FCG Education Asst

Are you and your church based in the West Midlands?

As you may already know, the Free Churches Group have been developing ways in which our member churches can get involved in Further Education and the life and work of chaplaincy in our local colleges…. you can read more about our work in general in this arena HERE.

If you or your churches have connections in the West Midlands, you may wish to know more about the WMCFEC….

The West Midlands Churches’ Further Education Council exists to:

• Support colleges in the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of students and the training and resourcing of staff in matters of faith and spirituality

• Support churches in valuing FE and lifelong learning as part of their wider involvement in education, and providing resources and training to partner colleges in their work

There are lots of links and resources to check out, whether you are in West Mids or further afield… Many colleges in the West Midlands are looking to developing their work and engage chaplains - perhaps there are people in your churches who would be able to use their gifts in local colleges…? Find out more and get involved HERE.

Read all about it! Latest news from Festive!

The Free Churches Group have been developing productive working relationships with Festive, the Christian charity who actively engage with the Further Education sector. We have been doing this to strengthen strategic links and to empower our FCG member churches to be able to engage more with the world and the life, issues and joys of Christians in FE. (Festive stands for Further Education and Sixth Form Initiative)

You can read the latest news from Festive HERE.

Why not subscribe HERE to their newsletter so you can keep in touch with their work?

In the month’s edition, there is lots to read, learn about and pray for, including….

• Prayer for students & workers in FE

• Interview with Phil Metcalf, an FE chaplaincy ambassador

• Some updates for your prayers

“For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus

and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you,

remembering you in my prayers..” Ephesians 1:15