Event

Mental health & Christian leadership - conference on 23rd Oct

A day conference for Christian leaders, chaplains, student workers and anyone interested in looking after their own mental health and that of others. This will be held at Bloomsbury Baptist Church, London on Wednesday 23rd October.

Lots of varied conference content and the opportunity to explore a wide range of topics… Theological input, panel discussions and a choice of workshops including exploring mental health first aid, supporting those in study, and worship and dementia.

The conference costs are £25 per person and you can find out more information and book your place here.

Come along and be inspired… learn together…

Develop skills and share good practice in this important area of ministry

For information contact sarah.lane.cawte@freechurches.org.uk

Tickets provided through Eventbrite

A WARM INVITATION TO OUR 2018 MEETING OF THE DEPUTIES

Dear Friends,

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We hope that you will join us at 6.00 pm at 27 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HH on Thursday 8th November when we are delighted that the Rev. Joel Edwards, former leader of the Evangelical Alliance and now a Commissioner of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, will speak on “Martin Luther King Jr. - Disobeying with Civility”. You may have seen Rev Edwards as he preached at the recent “Windrush” service in Westminster Abbey.

The “Deputies” were established as elected lay people, working with a body of Ministers, in 1732 to fight for the removal of restrictions which excluded the churches and people we now call in the “Free Church” tradition from many areas of public life. London based, they argued on behalf of churches across the country. We maintain this somewhat quaint sounding Body as an annual society to honour their achievement. Free speech should never be taken for granted since it enables us to sustain our life, worship and witness. The Body also keeps alive our historic right of direct approach to the Monarch.

Today, the Free Churches Group carries out the Deputies’ functions relating to government, as we will hear during our very brief formal proceedings.

This is an open invitation to your members and Minister. It would be most helpful to know in advance of the numbers attending. Please return the registration form by post or email. Respecting our historical structure, it would be appropriate to nominate two “Deputies”, but all are welcome. Please display the poster. Our income is limited, and a small contribution would help to cover our meeting costs.

We know that Joel Edwards will have a great deal that will be of interest to say and we hope very much you will come to hear him.

Yours faithfully,

Paul Rochester Keith Salway


Please download here for invitation letter, registration form and poster.

A Call to Prayer & Action

It was a real honour for Rev. Dr. Hugh Osgood, the Free Churches Moderator, to give the closing prayer at the first march for 'A Call to Prayer & Action' on Sunday 22nd April 2018.

Hugh joined some 1,000 people on this march as they walked and prayed from Tottenham to Wood Green.

Following the spate of violence and killings across UK’s capital, church leaders are calling on all Christians and citizens of London to dedicate the coming weeks to a period of concerted prayer for peace on our streets and an end to violence and violent deaths.

The Free Churches Group fully support this cause and join the call for the church to come together as we symbolically conduct prayer walks over 4 Sunday afternoons in multiple locations in the most susceptible communities that represent the North, East, West and South of the city. The mission is to prayerfully take back our streets and our youth.

DATES:

SUNDAY 22ND APRIL 2018
First prayer walk in Haringey
From Tottenham Town Hall (Seven Sisters Tube Station) to Wood Green/Turnpike Lane (Piccadilly Line).
Arrive at 3.30pm, start 4pm, finish at 5pm

SUNDAY 29TH APRIL 2018
First prayer walk in Croydon
From outside Marks & Spencer’s North End Croydon to The Queens Garden by Croydon Council.
Arrive at 3.30pm, start 4pm, finish at 5pm

SUNDAY 6TH MAY 2018
Third prayer walk Locations will be announced in the coming week.
Arrive at 3.30pm, start 4pm, finish at 5pm

SUNDAY 6TH MAY 2018
Fourth prayer walk Locations will be announced in the coming week.
Arrive at 3.30pm, start 4pm, finish at 5pm

More information can be found here: https://thepeacealliance.org.uk

VIDEO: Compassion in the Dominican Republic

In late February, nine representatives from six of our twenty-four denominations had the privilege of visiting the work of Compassion in the Dominican Republic. Having accompanied the team, I know that this visit really inspired hope.

In the midst of the bustle of Santo Domingo it was wonderful to see how much Compassion is accomplishing for disadvantaged children through the local churches that deliver its programmes. We saw projects helping young mothers through their pregnancies and supporting them through their early experiences of parenting. We also saw excellent initiatives that encourage and equip deprived children from some of the Dominican Republic’s poorest areas. This visit definitely inspired us with hope and we have produced a video that we trust will inspire you too.

'They Also Served' in WWI

Service and Exhibition Sunday 2nd July in Birmingham

This is information from Bishop Dr Joe Aldred at Churches Together in England and Angelina Osborne from the CTE project 'They Also Served' about a service and exhibition to solemnly remember and reflect upon the contributions of African and Caribbean Servicemen to WW1. 
 
Service date: Sunday 2 July 2017
Time: 5PM – 7PM
Venue: The New Testament Church of God, Lozells Road, Birmingham B19 1NP
 
Keynote speaker:  Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, priest vicar at Westminster Abbey and Chaplain to the Queen
 
With prayers, music, dance and poetry from Aberdeen Street Gospel Choir, operatic soprano Abigail Kelly, Brothers United in Christ, King Solomon Business School Choir, Roy McFarlane and Sandra Golding.
 
For many years, the contributions of African and Caribbean servicemen to the First World War has been largely forgotten and underexplored. The war’s centenary (2014-2018) presents an opportunity to revisit this history, and to re-examine and rediscover African and Caribbean involvement. It is now recognised that the assistance and service of over 2 million Africans and 16,000 Caribbeans, not to mention the countless Black Britons that joined British regiments, made a considerable impact in terms of manpower and resources. It means that the Great War was a multi-racial and multi-national war.
 
‘They also served’ is an 18-month Research Project led by Dr Angelina Osborne that has been uncovering African and Caribbean contributions to WW1.  Join us for this project concluding event that pays tribute to these heroes.
 
Planning Group:  Dr Joe Aldred, Rev Canon Eve Pitts, Dave King, Paulette Douglas

Download PDF Flyer of the Service Poster (large file)

FREE REGISTRATION:   www.bit.do/theyalsoserved

Website: www.theyalsoserved.co.uk 
   
'They Also Served' is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.