Peace...

Today is International Day of Peace… we pray for peace in our homes and families, throughout our nation and across the world… May we be channels of peace, in the name of Jesus; sustained by God’s grace and upheld through God’s mercy.

We are invited too by our friends in Prison Fellowship to pray for peace…

Loving God, we pray for peace in our prisons.

May God use us as peacemakers, bringing reconciliation in times of conflict.

God, in your mercy, hear our prayers, in the name of Jesus, Prince of Peace. Amen

“Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.”

— Matthew 5:9 NIV

(cover photo courtesy of Wesley Eland at Unsplash)

A month until Prisons Week - Revd Bob Wilson invites us to join together in prayer

There’s a month to go until the start of a week of prayer for Prisons Week.

You are invited by Revd Bob Wilson, Secretary for Prisons Chaplaincy and Free Churches Faith Adviser, to join with churches and groups across the country, for a week of prayer for prisons.

This year the theme is Consider the Ravens, inspired by Jesus’s words in Luke’s Gospel.

You can access the prayers and other thought-provoking resources HERE.

Join us to pray for the needs of all those affected by prisons: prisoners and their families, victims of crime and their communities, those working in the criminal justice system and the many people who are involved in caring for those affected by crime on the inside and outside of our prisons.

(cover photo courtesy of I.am_nah at Unsplash)

The power and vital ministry of writing to a penpal in prison

We all know how wonderful it is to receive a letter from a friend or to write to a friend, so they have the joy of reading a letter from us. Prison Fellowship host a letter writing project for volunteers to have penpals who are in prison. The letters have such a positive and uplifting impact on those who both send and receive them. On International Literacy Day, we are invited by Prison Fellowship to pray alongside them for their Letter Link work.

Let us pray

Living God, we pray for all our volunteer letter writers and their penpals in prison.

We remember that literacy levels are below the national average for those in prison. So, we pray for encouragement, persistence, and a real sense of friendship as they write.

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen

“My volunteer has been there for me through some tough times. When I was down and thought of taking my own life, it was the letters of encouragement that kept me strong. There needs to be more people like this in the world.”

— Letter Link participant

(cover photo from the Letter Link section of the Prison Fellowship website)

Jesus says, 'Consider the ravens...'

In Luke’s Gospel, we read that Jesus challenges us to consider the ravens, assuring us that despite the fact that they neither sow nor reap, God still feeds them… The theme for this year’s Prisons Week offers us all the opportunity to reflect upon Christ’s words about God’s abundant and constant love.

Through prayers, films, poems and worship resources, we are led through a week of prayer for Prisons Week.

“Prisons Week has prepared prayer literature to enable the Christian community, through individuals and churches, to pray for the needs of all those affected by prisons: prisoners and their families, victims of crime and their communities, those working in the criminal justice system and the many people who are involved in caring for those affected by crime on the inside and outside of our prisons.”

— Prisons Week

“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn;

yet God feeds them.

And how much more valuable you are than birds!

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life.

Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?”

Luke 12:24-26 NIV

(cover photo courtesy of Mark Timberlake at Unsplash)

You are invited to a time of prayer for prison chaplains across the world on 25th August

Every year on August 25, the International Prison Chaplains’ Association (IPCA) invites chaplains and those with an interest in prison ministry to join together in a special day of prayer for prisons.

You can download our simple prayer guide from the website or from the attachments here. Our very own Revd Bob Wilson serves on the IPCA Europe Committee and is Vice Chair of the Committee in Europe. His colleague, David Buick

who serves as IPCA Worldwide President, send us all a message of encouragement and invitation:

“Preparation of this year’s day of prayer has been made especially difficult by the pandemic and the resulting pressures on chaplains everywhere. At the same time, that is all the more reason for us to pray for each other, for our ministries, and for the prisons in which we serve. The health crisis and related restrictions also mean that chaplains are even more isolated than usual. In view of this, we’ve decided to give you an opportunity to join together online for a short prayer service on Zoom following the prayer outline published here. This will be on Wednesday, August 25 at 17.30 BST.

Not many may be able to join in view of world time differences and the short notice, but we’ll be going ahead no matter how many or how few of us there are. If you wish to attend, please register at this link. We’ll send you a link to the Zoom meeting shortly before the event. Every Blessing, David Buick, IPCA Worldwide President.”

Register here for the prayer event taking place 25th Aug 5.30.P.M.

(cover photo courtesy of Nega at Unsplash)