Praying at a new level...

Thousands of young people, up and down the country, are getting ready to sit their GCE Advanced (A) Level exams at schools and further education (FE) providers. You may have children, Godchildren, nieces or nephews of your own who are busy revising.... or you may know of young people in your church and community who are awaiting the start of these... or you may just wish to be part of the wave of prayer surrounding all young people across the nation at this challenging time... Join us as we pray for them, as they prepare for and sit these important exams... 

Let us pray. Loving God, we ask to bless and uphold all those who are preparing for and sitting GCE A Level exams this year.

We ask that you give them courage and wisdom in their endeavours. We pray that you will sustain their teachers and exam invigilators in supporting the students and conducting the exams with integrity and diligence.

Living God, we know that this can be a time of stress and challenge, so we humbly ask for Christ's peace to prevail for all at this time. We pray that each and every student will be able to perform to the best of his or her ability. 

May they all know the courage and grace of God and bring to mind the passage from Philippians... "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." 

We ask all this in the name of Jesus, our teacher and friend, Amen

Remember Pray for Schools Fortnight

12TH – 26TH MAY 2019 - THE VISION OF PRAY FOR SCHOOLS FORTNIGHT IS TO BRING TOGETHER PEOPLE TO PRAY FOR SCHOOLS IN THEIR AREA.

You can find out more information about Christian groups who work with FE students by checking out Festive HERE. 

Scripture reference from the New Living Translation - Philippians 4:13 

Prayer for those sitting GCSE exams this year

Let us pray.

Loving God, we ask to bless and uphold all those who are preparing for and sitting GCSE exams this year.

We ask that you give them courage and wisdom in their endeavours. 

We pray that you will sustain their teachers and exam invigilators in supporting the students and conducting the exams with integrity and diligence.

Living God, we know that this can be a time of stress and challenge, so we humbly ask for Christ's peace to prevail for all at this time. We pray that each and every student will be able to perform to the best of his or her ability. 

We ask all this in the name of Jesus, our teacher and friend,

Amen 

Remember Pray for Schools Fortnight

12th – 26th May 2019 - The vision of Pray for Schools fortnight is to bring together people to pray for schools in their area.

Reaching out to universities - a church resource for you

The FCG Free Church Education Committee have just launched a flyer that can make a difference to how you serve in your community.

Universities, through the sector called Higher Education (HE), play a vital role in our society and communities. We have produced an easy to use flyer to help you and your church find out more about the HE sector and explore ways your church can get involved. You can download, print and share this HERE.

“Higher Education is a massively significant part of contemporary society, with an enormous cultural, social and economic impact on individuals and societies. Universities, the main focus for higher education, are formative for many of their students, not only in terms of intellectual development but also shaping values and world-views. Universities thus impact in a very direct way on nearly half the total young adult population, plus many older people; such is the reach of universities in Britain today. “ Extract from Hope in Higher Education Report which you can read, in full, here,

Join with us as we pray… Majestic God, as students aim higher and develop their God-given potential, give students firm foundations in your wisdom, rooted in your love and stability. We pray for the tutors and chaplains in universities - loving God, give them the wisdom, clarity and patience to support the students and staff with compassion. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen

(photo courtesy on Unsplash by Logan Isbell)

The power of a second chance! A church and community working in partnership

There are lots of exciting and varied ways in which our FCG member churches / member groups are involved in serving their local community and working in partnership to make the lives of people more fulfilling. You can read about the work that a United Reformed Church (URC) in South East England is doing to help this fulfillment come to fruition. Learning in a local centre can be a really powerful way for adults to gain in confidence and have a second chance to develop their skills, even if their school life didn’t go to plan.

They have had a new lease of life at the church and made some excellent links with people from all walks of life. Read their story HERE.

What might you do? How could your church develop something similar?

You can download this free resource which has prayers for the education sector and is full of ideas on how to go about making links.

Join with us as we pray… Living God, we pray that you will guide and inspire all those adults who are embarking on training to improve their employment prospects. We uphold in prayer all those seeking support and new learning, to help give them a second chance in life and learning. We pray for the tutors and church partnerships with local learning providers, that they have the courage, wisdom and stamina to support the students. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

(Photo courtesy of Helena Lopes at Unsplash)

Serving as a college chaplain; serving God in the community

Across the UK, there are hundreds of further education colleges. There’s probably one in a town near you! Colleges are exciting and dynamic places of learning, training and development for young people and adults. Student support and chaplaincy services are vital to enable students to make the most of their lives at college, as they chart through the challenges and opportunities which they encounter.

What is life like for a chaplain in a college? You can read all about the work and witness of a chaplain here. Cathy, the chaplain featured here, works with Festive - a UK based Christian charity working in FE

What could you do?

What could your church do to link up with your local college?

Check out further information and the FCG action flyer here to learn more about how to get involved.

Let us pray… Living God, we pray for students, tutors, chaplains and support staff in the further education establishments in our area. May students be filled with strength, determination and wisdom to fulfil their potential in their vocational and academic studies. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)