Forty seconds to pray...?

The Free Churches Group has been developing active links with the Christian charity, Festive, who are dedicated to support students and staff in further education. You can subscribe to their newsletter here to keep in the loop with their important work.

Each month Festive give their network the opportunity to join with them to pray for the specific needs of the lives of those in further education. So join with us all this month, as we pray together….

Seems like the summer is finally here! Colleges and sixth forms around the country start to wind up for the summer and students and staff look forward to a break. Half of our contacts will be heading off to university or employment and many Christian Union’s will have already been handed over to younger students.  Here are some prayer requests for July that should take no longer than 40 seconds to read through:

• Joshua asked for five copies of ‘Beyond Beans on Toast’ (an evangelistic book we produce and send out for free for year 13 leavers) to give to his friends who are not Christians yet. Pray that God would use the books to lead Joshua’s friends to himself. Pray for the hundreds of other copies of this book we have sent out this term. Pray that God would work powerfully through them.

• Joe at Sir John Deane’s is excited that a non-Christian has started to come to the CU. Normally only three come along, all Christians. Pray for this girl. Pray that the girl would be drawn into the wonderful truth of God’s Word and put her faith in Jesus. Pray that CU’s across the country would be welcoming places where non-Christians can feel comfortable attending.

• When Sharon became a Christian her father, who brought her up and is a practicing Pagan, rejected her, and she had to move in with her grandmother. Pray that God would keep her strong and give her grace for every situation. Pray for many other students who have met Jesus this last year through CU’s, chaplaincy and friends at college. Pray their faith and relationship with God would grow and flourish.

• Becci is new to chaplaincy at Shrewsbury College and just finding her feet. Pray for her that over these summer months that God would be building her up and equipping her for all that lies ahead from September. Ask God to make her very effective for the Kingdom in the place he has called her to.

Thanks for praying. Love from, The Festive team

Please share these prayers in your churches, house groups and networks…

(Photo courtesy of Igor Rodrigues at Unsplash)

Exploring Chaplaincy in Education - conference on 10th July - Manchester

Are you interested in exploring chaplaincy in education? Have you felt a calling to serve in this way? Are you currently working in education, but want to find out more about how your church can engage with colleges?

The Church of the Nazarene (who are members of FCG) in partnership with Festive, Chaplaincy Central and FCG are hosting a conference on 10th July in Manchester.

This will be a great opportunity to learn more about chaplaincy in education and to find out ways that you can support churches and colleges to work together to support the pastoral needs of students.

The event will be hosted by the Nazarene Theological College and tickets costs £20. You can find out more and book your place HERE.

The kind of student support services, prayer and encouragement that chaplains can provide in colleges are crucial to the progress and confidence students have - although FE serves people of many ages, further education is a key time of transition from youth to adulthood for younger students and so the work and witness of a college chaplain can be vital in offering guidance and support to them.

You can read more about what an FE chaplain can offer here. Please join us as we pray for the work of college chaplains and the staff and students at colleges whom they support and encourage.

To find out more about FE chaplaincy, why not read this?

Reforming Christianity

Do you work with children aged between 7 and 16 years old? Then you might be interested in these religious education teaching resources.

These resources have been commissioned by the Free Churches Group and The Methodist Church, sponsored by the Westhill Endowment and produced in association with RE Today Services.

The resources were written and launched to commemorate The Reformation. They are a dynamic and engaging range of teaching and learning materials you can share as part of your work with children and young people.

If you are working as an RE teacher in schools or know someone at your church who is, why not pass these on to them too? It could help them with their planning for the next academic year.

A CALL TO PRAYER

For teachers and support staff in the teaching of RE and those studying RE at primary and secondary school. We pray for NATRE (National Association of Teachers of RE) and pray for wisdom as we engage with all faith traditions. Amen.

A CALL TO ACT

RE Reformation resources and why not register for the NATRE newsletter if the RE curriculum interests and inspires you to dig deeper

(Image courtesy of Masaaki Komori @ Unsplash)

Are you interested in religious education?

Religious Education (RE) has the capacity to build up the lives and confidence of our children and young people today. It offers the opportunity to support tolerant and compassionate interactions with those in and across our wider local community and globally.

Want to find out more about the important work of the RE Council and its place in today’s world? You can subscribe to the RE Council’s monthly newsletter HERE.

The Free Churches Group have representatives on the RE Council of England and Wales. 

THE RE COUNCIL'S MISSION - WORKING TOGETHER TO STRENGTHEN THE PROVISION OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

Why does RE matter?

“The ability to understand the faith or belief of individuals and communities, and how these may shape their culture and behaviour, is an invaluable asset for children in modern day Britain. Explaining religious and non-religious world-views in an academic way allows young people to engage with the complexities of belief, avoid stereotyping and contribute to an informed debate.” (from the RE Council website)

Please join us as we pray for teachers, especially those teaching RE, children and young people, schools and our churches - that they may be places of learning, wisdom, compassion and peace.

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A date for your diary - Pray Day for Schools coming up on third Tuesday of November. Click HERE for further information.

Here are a couple of prayers to share for you and your churches:

1. A prayer for teachers - Dear God, grant our teachers an abundance of Your wisdom. Prepare their hearts to welcome and love our loved ones, and may we make sure to show them love and respect in return. Give them grace as they help students who aren’t thriving, courage to say what needs to be said, tools and knowledge on how and when to speak love, and strength when they feel weak. When they feel unseen, remind them that no moment goes unnoticed. They are shaping the future in one million small - yet incredibly important - ways every day. We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the gift of learning they share with our children. Bless them, Lord, and may they see even just a glimpse of how their faithfulness will forever impact generations to come.
   Amen.

2. Prayer from FCG Member Church - from the prayer resources of the URC

“Lord Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, we are your people, people of the way.
Light our path.
Show us Your way clearly and compellingly.
Through complexity, diversity, dissent, make Your will known,
make Your will shown – in our lives and in our Church.
We give thanks for Your call which gave birth to our Church many years ago.
Help us now to hear Your call afresh.
Like a cool wind on a hot day, blow us out and about, people of the way,
healing, life-giving, wise and faith-full.
Amen”

(Photo courtesy of Sharon CcCutcheon @ Unsplash)

Pray with us for those who are sitting exams

Let us pray.

Loving God, we ask to bless and uphold all those who are revising for and in the midst of 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, across our schools, colleges and other providers.

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. 

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

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

Amen 

You can find out more about how to engage your church in praying for schools here.

Why not check out the reports and resources the FCG have produced for our churches about schools, colleges and universities?

(Photo courtesy of Pixabay at Pexels)