Join as we pray for schools in Wales on Thursday 9th September

Every day we hear more about the many serious effects of lockdown on children's schooling - but we thank God for the gift of prayer.

The last three Wales Pray For Schools Zoom meetings in February, April and June were amazing! So many of you came and many of us renewed or made friendships in our 'randomly' assigned break out groups.

Free Churches Group are honoured to be part of the Pray for Schools steering group and are delighted to share news with you of the forthcoming prayer event.

With the new school year beginning we'd love you to join us again and invite any friends along to this 45 minute event. There will be input from Scripture Union, Urban Saints, TLG and others with a passion to bring the love of Jesus into our schools.

All are welcome!

Thursday 9 September at 12.30-1.15.P.M.

Click the button below to register your place:

There'll be a special breakout group for those who prefer praying in Welsh.
Os hoffech fynd i is-ystafell weddi cyfrwng Cymraeg, rhowch wybod i ni

(cover photo by Catrin Ellis of Wrexham @ Unsplash)

Education Sunday is this Sunday - A Word in Season - join us

Join us as we get ready for Education Sunday which is held this year on 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.

This year 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. As well as a thought-provoking sermon, there is a theme introduction from FCG Moderator, Revd Dr Hugh Osgood, a ‘Commissioning Prayers’ for Education Sunday, an all age worship outline, primary and secondary school age collective worship and a new hymn written especially for the celebration.

We hope you enjoy using and sharing these resources (via the Churches Together in England website) which you can access by clicking the button below:

(cover photo courtesy of Aaron Burden at Unsplash)

Get ready for Education Sunday - coming up next week!

Join us as we get ready for Education Sunday which is held this year on 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. This year 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 Tamanna Rumee at Unsplash)

Education Sunday is on 12th September: lots of inspiring worship materials to share!

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”. There are lots of interesting worship materials to share, including a new hymn written by the URC Minister, Revd Anne Sardeson.

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

This year, the resources have been inspired by: Isaiah 50. 4-9a, Psalm 116. 1-8, James 3. 1-12 & Mark 8. 27-38

(cover photo courtesy of Markus Spiske at Unsplash)

Involved in teaching RE? Anti-racist RE resources at the start of the new academic year

Are you or someone you know involved in teaching Religious Education? If so, these anti-racist RE resources for teachers may be helpful as plans develop for teaching this coming year.

The Free Churches Group and Methodist Schools are delighted to be able to offer these resources free of charge to teachers. They have been written and developed by Lat Blaylock from RE Today Services, and a team of teacher-volunteers from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds has provided valuable contributions.

In our society it is no longer sufficient to be non-racist, but we need to be equipped to be anti-racist. Many members of the Free Churches Group are engaged in their own conversations about how to combat the inequalities in our society. These resources are a tangible expression of that concern and a contribution to engage with the issues in the public square. There are materials for teaching in both primary and secondary classes. You can download these materials here:

We are grateful to the Westhill Endowment for providing financial support, without which this project would not have been possible.

(cover photo courtesy of Naassom Azevedo at Unsplash)