Will you be an Angel this Christmas and bring some joy?

The Prisons’ Team at the FCG has an excellent working relationship with Prison Fellowship. One of their most vital projects at this time of year is Angel Tree.

Rev Bob Wilson, our Secretary for Prison Chaplaincy and Free Churches Faith Adviser, proudly supports their work in any way he can. Bob say, “Angel Tree is a superb example of seeking to address the issues of those serving a ‘hidden sentence’ through no fault of theirs in a way that demonstrates love, grace and generosity.”

Angel Tree gives parents in prison the opportunity to send a Christmas present to their children. Last year they sent out over 4,800 gifts! Christmas is especially difficult for prisoners and their children. Angel Tree lessens the devastation experienced as a result of parental absence by not only helping families connect and build relationships, but by providing children with much-needed joy.

Pray with us

Please pray that there will be a generous outpouring for Angel Tree, and that individuals and churches alike will feel called to support families separated by a prison sentence this Christmas. Amen

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:4-5

(photo courtesy of Nick Fewings at Unsplash)

Prison Advice and Care Trust carols service coming up soon in London

PACT with whom the Free Churches Group work alongside, as part of our work for Prisons Week, are hosting a carol service soon. PACT is the Prison and Advice Care Trust.

It is on 10th December at 7pm - held at Jesuit Church on Mount Street, London W1K 3AH

If you are in the London area and would like to go along, you can find out more information here.

(photo courtesy of Chad Madden at Unsplash)

Beyond the gates... celebrating 50 years of prison education

I used to work as a prison education contracts manager with a government funding agency. I witnessed, first hand, the power that education has to turn the lives around of those in prison. Education in prison has a profound impact on transforming the lives of those serving sentences, their relationships with their fellow prisoners and their families, as well as supporting the opportunities they can harness on their release. I had the privilege of visiting literacy and maths classes across prisons in the South East. The men and women in the classes were glad to be able to develop their skills and grow in confidence in their lives.

As an Open University graduate myself, I have also benefited greatly from distance learning opportunities which the OU provide and which many women and men in prisons have also studied and transformed their lives with… The OU had produced a short film about the work the OU has been doing in British prisons over the last half a century - watch the film here…

There are lots of ways you can get involved in prison work at your church or supporting ‘through the gate’ provision for prisoners on their release. Here are a couple of organisations you might be interested in:

• Prison Fellowship

• The Welcome Directory

Revd Sara Iles, FCG education assistant

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Join with us as we pray…

Thank you God, that your church is rising up to obey your call to support men and women in prison. May we continue to proclaim the good news that your love and grace has no limits, and that no one is beyond hope! Amen

Looking after mental health while in prison - a free resource for prisoners and chaplains

The Mental Health Foundation has developed an accessible and informative resource for male prisoners on how to look after their mental health whilst in prison. This guide is not only helpful for those serving sentences, but it has also proved useful for those supporting prisoners, such as prison charities and chaplains.

We are grateful to The Salvation Army Prison Ministries Unit for making us aware of this resource. They have been working closely with the Mental Health Foundation who, after producing this excellent free resource, are keen to share it widely and get it into prisons, so it can support those who are in need.

Inside the guide, there are links to other support organisations, general advice and guidance, as well as 10 tips for looking after one’s mental health in prison. These tips have come from prisoners themselves as well as researchers working in prison…

You can read more about this and download it for free, here.

(photo courtesy of Erol Ahmed at Unsplash)

Our mental health conference - a snapshot of the day!

The Free Churches Group hosted a one day conference on 23rd October. It was a well attended event with delegates coming from across England and Wales, from a range of different vocations, backgrounds and denominations.

We were hosted kindly by the Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church and had a excellent range of speakers in the morning. They helped us to think about the church and mental health; this was followed by panel discussions to explore the issues raised in greater detail.

In the afternoon, we had the opportunity to explore ways to care for ourselves and how to develop models of reflective practice. The day was surrounded in prayer and fellowship and gave us an excellent opportunity to learn and grow in this complex and interesting area of our ministries.

The programme and information are attached for your further reference and if you would like to know more about any of the contributions made on the day or how your church might learn more about this vital work, then let us know.

You may be interested too in the forthcoming Healthcare Chaplaincy Study day coming up on 7th November. For further info, look here.