Commissioning Service for Chaplains in schools and colleges - 12th September

We are delighted to announce that Centre for Chaplaincy in Education are hosting a Commissioning Service for Chaplains in schools and colleges (online) on 12th September at 4 P.M.

This is an annual global commissioning service for all chaplains who work with schools and colleges, (on the same day as Education Sunday) is being organised by the Centre for Chaplaincy in Education.

It’s taking place online at 4 P.M. and you can register here.

You don’t have to be a chaplain to attend, so please join if you’d like to support and pray for chaplains in these settings – but do encourage any chaplains you know to join the service. Our very own Hugh Osgood and Sarah Lane Cawte are taking part, representing the Free Churches.

(cover photo courtesy of Anton Sukhinov at Unsplash)

How can your church support students

How your church can support students….

The A-level results are out, and many young people are looking forward to starting their university career in a few weeks’ time. For some of them, this will be the first time they’ve been away from home without family or friends, and it’s a big step. Whether you have young people in your church family who are starting university for the first time, or others who are returning, you might be wondering how you can support them.

If your church is in a place where there is a university nearby, there will be many new students in the area in the next few weeks. We have produced a series of 4 leaflets to help you think about what you can do as a church to support students in universities.

Branching Out offers suggestions about how to support those who are part of your church and who are going away.
Keeping in Touch explores ways in which you can maintain contact with young people who are starting student life.
Making a Difference is a collection of ideas about how to support university students in your community.
Home from Home will help you think about supporting students who come to your church.

These leaflets are free to download from the Free Churches Group website HERE.

We do have a limited number of printed copies available if you would like to circulate them around a group of churches, for example. Please contact our Education Secretary, Sarah Lane Cawte, if you would like us to send some to you (sarah.lane.cawte@freechurches.org.uk). We are only able to send these in quantities of 10 or above for each leaflet and would be pleased to receive a donation towards the cost of postage.

(cover photo courtesy of Redd @ Unsplash)

Lots of inspiring resources for Education Sunday: 12th September

For well over one hundred years there has been an annual recognition of Education Sunday in England and Wales. It is a national day of prayer and celebration for everyone in the world of education. Education Sunday will be marked this year on 12th September and the theme is - A Word in Season.

There are lots of inspiring and helpful resources and materials to help you in your church to celebrate this day. This year, we are delighted that a preacher, who was one of the Sermon of the Year contest* (in 2020), has written a sermon for this year’s Education Sunday. You can download and share Jan Thompson’s dynamic and inspiring sermon HERE.

As well as this thought-provoking sermon, there is a theme introduction from FCG Moderator, Revd Dr Hugh Osgood, a Commissioning Prayers for Education Sunday and lots more to come! We hope that you enjoy using and sharing these resources which you can access at the Churches Together in England link below:

EDUCATION SUNDAY RESOURCES

*Sermon of the Year is an annual competition held by Preach magazine.

(cover photo courtesy of Zero Take at Unsplash)

Get ready for Education Sunday - 12th September

For well over one hundred years there has been an annual recognition of Education Sunday in England and Wales. It is a national day of prayer and celebration for everyone in the world of education.

The theme is devised by an ecumenical steering group representing different Christian denominations and organisations - the theme this year is “A Word in Season”.

To help you get ready to celebrate this day in your church and community:

Further resources and worship materials will be shared over the summer on the:

Inspired this year by Isaiah 50. 4-9a, Psalm 116. 1-8, James 3. 1-12, Mark 8. 27-38.

(cover photo courtesy of Chris Lawton at Unsplash)

Join us as we pray for our schools... on 16th July

Free Churches Group are an active prayer partner in the work and mission of Pray for Schools, along with many other groups who have a heart for prayer and love our schools.

It has been amazing and such an encouragement to all to be able to pray alongside Christians from across England and Wales, at Zoom gatherings, during the last few months.

We have had an excellent range of contributors who have been able to share news about our schools and support us in what needs our prayers and care. This has helped to guide our prayers during the meeting and make these shared times very powerful in both prayer and fellowship. At our next prayer, we are delighted to say we will be joined and guided in prayer by staff from Scripture Union and Association of Christian Teachers.

On 16th July, we will be gathering once more between 12.30 - 1.15 P.M. and all are welcome. It is open to all, but booking is required.

REGISTER HERE

“Pray for Schools’ vision is for ‘every school to be a prayed for school. At this time we need to do this with faith, hope and love. That’s the vision of Pray for Schools: to mobilise Christians to support their school communities through prayer. All over the UK, groups of parents, teachers or schools workers meet on a regular basis to pray for their local schools. Join us for one of our online events as we gather together in prayer for our schools. ”

— Pray for Schools

(cover photo courtesy of Abel Marquez at Unsplash)