Praying alongside the Prison Fellowship...

Will you join us to pray alongside Prison Fellowship this Sunday and in the days ahead?

Prison Fellowship’s mission is to “show Christ’s love to prisoners by coming alongside them and supporting them”… for the last 40 years they have been working with, supporting and praying with and for prisoners across England and Wales.

The Free Churches Group and our work in prison chaplaincy have worked with The Prison Fellowship (PF) for many years.

Did you know that there are two Church of England bishops who serve as what is known as ‘prison bishops’? They are Bishop James of Rochester and Bishop Rachel of Gloucester. The Bishop to Her Majesty's Prisons is an episcopal post relating to the church's chaplaincy to Her Majesty's Prison Service.

This Sunday we are encouraged to pray with Prison Fellowship for the work these ministers undertake advocating for prisoners.

Prayer for Sunday 19th July

We pray for Bishop James of Rochester and Bishop Rachel of Gloucester who are the “prison bishops” for the Church of England. Thank you God, for the passion you have given them for this work. Would you bless their ministry and their advocacy for those inside

Amen

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers…

Find out more about their work HERE. You can read and pray through their July Prayer Diary HERE.

(image courtesy of at Om Prakash Sethia Unsplash)

Racial Inequalities – what can your church do? Webinar on 23rd July

Webinar is coming up on the topic of: “Racial Inequalities – what can your church do”.

This will be on Thursday July 23rd; 2:00pm – 3:30pm.

Registration details via EventBrite

This webinar is the first in a series of four entitled “Racial Inequalities: What can your Church Do?” and is intended to equip the church in the widest sense to address some of the recommendations raised by the Lammy Report into racial disparities within the Criminal Justice system. This is a CPD Event for Free Churches Prison Chaplains

The series is intended to provide faith community leaders with practical but informed ideas for churches to take action that can help to reverse the worrying trends and see fairer outcomes for BAME people in the criminal justice system in England and Wales.

We have examined the Lammy report, and suggested the focus for the webinar series, ‘ChangingTACK’ – on how churches can build Trust, Accountability, Community and Knowledge which will help them improve outcomes for BME people in the criminal justice system”.

For this, the first webinar, we are looking at building Trust: how the church can build trusting relationships with the community it serves, with criminal justice bodies and the police/police and crime commissioner and with individual troubled young people. The format will be: three participants each talking for 7-10 minutes; up to ten minutes’ discussion between the participants; with the remaining time allocated to questions. We are pleased that the contributors for this first webinar will be

•                Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin (Bishop of Dover)

•                DCC Vanessa Jardine (Deputy Chief Constable West Midlands Police)

•                Revd Paul Rochester (General Secretary of Free Churches Group)

(photo courtesy of Hannah Busing at Unsplash)

A new President has been elected - International Prison Chaplains Association!

On 12 June 2020, a video-conference meeting of the International Prison Chaplains Association (IPCA) Worldwide Steering Committee (WWSC) elected David Buick to replace Rod Moore as President. The election follows the resignation of serving President Rod Moore for health reasons. Please join us as we thank God for the work that Rev Moore has been able to do with the IPCA over the years and pray for his recovery and healing. We pray for David Buick as he takes on the new role he has been elected to serve in. We are invited to pray towards the end of August too for and IPCA day of worldwide prayer (details below).

“International organisations face major changes as they adjust during this time of global crisis”, said incoming President David Buick. “I look forward to taking up the challenge of leading IPCA Worldwide through this time of transformation as we seek to continue to support prison chaplains worldwide and advocate for prisoners’ rights through our work as an accredited UN Non Governmental Organisation.” You can read the full article on the IPCA news page.

The Free Churches Faith Adviser to the Prison Service, Revd Bob Wilson, serves as the Vice Chair to the International Prison Chaplains Association (IPCA).

A global day of prayer is taking place for prison chaplains across the world on 25th August 2020. Please encourage your church fellowships to get involved by praying in your homes or by safely physically distanced in your churches (as appropriate). Join with the Free Churches Group and many other ecumenical partners across the globe for the International Prison Chaplains Association (IPCA).

The theme for this year is: The Grace of God

The IPCA has produced an order of service, complete with readings from Scripture and prayers for you to share and pray through….

Join us as we pray together… you can download the prayer and worship resource HERE

(photo courtesy of Perry Grone at Unsplash)

Praying with Prison Fellowship this Sunday for prison chaplains ...

Will you join us to pray alongside Prison Fellowship this Sunday and in the days ahead?

Prison Fellowship’s mission is to “show Christ’s love to prisoners by coming alongside them and supporting them”… for the last 40 years they have been working with, supporting and praying with and for prisoners across England and Wales.

The Free Churches Group and our work in prison chaplaincy have worked with The Prison Fellowship (PF) for many years.

Prison chaplains play a vital role in supporting prisoners and prison staff. The work of prison chaplains has become even more challenging, even more rewarding and even more important in these days, so we pray for prison chaplains this Sunday….

Prayer for Sunday 12th July

God of Joy, even in the challenge of lockdown, we pray that prison Chaplains might know the delight and joy of serving the men and women in their care.

Amen

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers…

Find out more about their work HERE. You can read and pray through their July Prayer Diary HERE.

(photo courtesy of Malcolm Lightbody at Unsplash)

Refreshing prayer... with Prison Fellowship

Prison Fellowship Prayers for Sunday 5th July

This Sunday,

On this day of Sabbath rest, we pray that Christians in prison across England and Wales would be able to rest in God’s love, and know the refreshment that the Water of Life gives

Amen

The Free Churches Group and our work in prison chaplaincy have worked with The Prison Fellowship (PF) for many years. Find out more about their work HERE.

You can read and pray through their July Prayer Diary HERE.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

(photo courtesy of Kazuend at Unsplash)