Are we free to work well?

Are we free to work well? This question is posed on behalf of those working in prisons…

Prisons can be places of challenge and struggle, not only for those who are serving sentences, but also for those who are working in prisons, as chaplains, officers and support staff… Prisons can also be places of hope, connection and rehabilitation. Today we pray for those working in prison, continuing the theme of Freedom… what does freedom mean to you and are you free?

Are we free to work well?

Friday’s prayer for Prisons Week

Gracious God, who calls, equips and knows us, be with all who work in prison. May we not lose heart in a place where the reality of trauma and the risk of violence is a daily occurrence. Keep us from being imprisoned by our roles but instead set us free by your love, able to meet with others and understand their true needs in Christ. Tune us in to the surprising movement of your Spirit. Gracious God, set us free. Amen.

---

“We ask that you bless and protect all

who work in our prisons today.

Those with uniforms on, suits, overalls,

hard hats, and chef’s whites.

May we serve them well and rely on your strength to bring a sense of

your grace and peace wherever we go.”

A Prison Chaplain’s prayer

Prisons Week is a small charity which faithfully relies on sponsorship and donations to continue its work. Want to find out more? Able to make a donation to the vital work of Prisons Week?

(photo courtesy of Jonny Swales @ Unsplash)

Praying with communities

Thursday’s prayer for Prisons Week.

PRAYING WITH COMMUNITIES

Are we free where we live?

Let us pray

Everlasting God, who leads his people in every age to places where we are called to be community together, make us mindful of those places in our own communities that are subject to fear, violence and rejection. Equip us by your Holy Spirit to share your love, peace and acceptance with all. May we learn to love each other as ourselves, living as neighbours were intended to and join our prayers together. Everlasting God, set us free. Amen.

---

“We ask that you knit our hearts, our vision & our actions together across our community

that we may all be totally free to live life abundantly in your love.”

Prayers for communities affected by Domestic Violence

(photo courtesy of Vincent Camacho at Unsplash)

Why was our freedom taken away with theirs?

Why was our freedom taken away with theirs? This is a heartfelt and compelling question for families who have a relative in prison.

A few years ago, I had the honour of taking part in A Hidden Sentence course facilitated by the prison charity PACT (The Prison Advice and Care Trust). It was a thought provoking programme to be part of. This course was developed and named from a phrase that PACT have so often heard from prisoners’ families as a description of how their lives can feel - a hidden sentence. It was challenging and inspiring to be part of this training; I am heartened to see that Pact are going from strength to strength in their work and are a key sponsor for Prisons Week.

Today’s prayer is praying with families…

Faithful God, who watches and waits with those who are betrayed and suffer; draw near to family members who are affected by crime and imprisonment. Give us your strength to persevere through pain and disappointment, soothe our anger and heal the wounds of separation and loss. Help us to know your grace to find forgiveness and hope for the journey ahead. Faithful God, set us free. Amen.

---

“To my Son I miss U and I pray to God you won’t come back here again.”

“God, I miss my Daddy. Try to help him. Please bring him home.”

Prayers from prisoners’ families for Prisons Week

(photo courtesy of Ben White @ Unsplash)

Sara Iles, FCG website support

Free Churches Commission Project Update # 3, 4th October 2019

Photo credit: Emma Goff, image from Unsplash

The project has now been running for almost a year. We have completed the vast majority of our data gathering, and are now analysing the material to prepare the Commission write-up.

* Theos researchers have consulted 353 participants across 282 interviews, and completed 19 observations. That equates to a rate of more than one participant every day since the project began!

* Research teams have visited Bolton, Bury, Bradford, Middlesbrough, Derby, Peterborough, East Lindsey, Solihull, Thanet, Plymouth, Cornwall, Newham, Haringey and Croydon.

* In partnership with the Cadbury Centre, the Free Churches Group and Theos have started a series of roundtable events which have brought expert voices into conversation with the emerging themes of the project.

* We have also interviewed a selection of experts in this field as participants in their own right, from academia, policy, and frontline delivery.

We have seen inspiring work happening across the country, demonstrating the power of positive partnership and the incredible potential of the church in every place we have visited. We have noted the unique assets that local churches can bring to their neighbourhoods – whether that is their buildings, strong leadership, the convening power to bring community voices together, the ability to mobilise volunteers, or (perhaps most importantly of all) a strong vision for the well-being of their communities.

The strength of this contribution also means that local churches are often on the frontline of service delivery – although this can sometimes bring tensions with local authorities, as churches risk going from ‘serving’ to becoming ‘service-providers’. This relationship worked most fruitfully when both parties understood the priorities and unique language of the other.

We are also excited that Theos and the Free Churches Group have been selected to deliver the British Academy’s Companion Review on “The Place of Faith & Belief in Social Cohesion”, as part of its Cohesive Societies series. Existing work in the series can be found here. This means that the FCG Commission itself will now be released in Summer 2020, later than originally scheduled. We look forward to expanding the reach of our investigation into a greater consideration of existing policy in this area, and applying what we find to the conclusions of the FCG Commission.

Praying with the victims of crime...

Continuing on the theme of freedom for this year’s Prisons Week, we are challenged to consider Where is freedom now? for the victims of crime.

For many people who have been affected by crime, it can mean feeling trapped in the circumstances and nightmares of that which has been perpetrated against them… it can lead to fear, hopelessness and grief…

The criminal justice system works hard to support victims of crime and programmes such as Restorative Justice can often bring about a sense of healing for those affected by crimes. All of our churches and communities are affected by crime in some way or know those who have been… .

Today’s prayer, this Prisons Week, is praying with the victims of crime….

Loving God, always close to us, be very present in lives shattered by crime, and with those searching for a freedom unjustly taken away. May your Spirit of comfort and healing find ways of breaking through walls of mistrust, fear and injustice, working through all who build us up with love and care, taking one step at a time on the path to freedom. Loving God, set us free. Amen.

“Unbind me from the bonds of grief and fear

that I may become again

the person you created me to be –

a person of joy, of love, of trust, and hope.”

Prayer of a victim of crime

(photo courtesy of Melanie Wasser @ Unsplash)