Some more resources shared here, to support you in your ministry...

Revd Meg Burton, Secretary for Healthcare Chaplaincy for the Free Churches, has been writing, gathering in, compiling and sharing a range of supportive and informative communications with Healthcare Chaplains. Although these are primarily aimed at those working in healthcare chaplaincy, many others may find the content encouraging and helpful in their life and ministry.

There is:

an adaptation of Psalm 23 for health staff;

a poem based on the hymn ‘I cannot tell’;

a poignant reflection entitled ‘The visitor’.

You can find out more and explore these reflections and materials HERE.

Meg provides the leadership on Healthcare Chaplaincy work at a national level for the Free Churches as well as in a multi-faith context.

(photo courtesy of Flash Alexander at Unsplash)

JOIN US, IN PRAYING WITH PRISON FELLOWSHIP, IN THE WEEKS AHEAD...

The Free Churches Group and our work in prison chaplaincy have worked with The Prison Fellowship (PF) for many years. Last year the Prison Fellowship celebrated 40 years of working with prisoners… their mission is : “to show Christ’s love to prisoners by coming alongside them and supporting them.”

Their work continues, as do the links the FCG and other organisations have with PF. You can join with friends and partners of The Prison Fellowship, by praying together through the month and May and beyond…

Prayer Diary – June 2020

This month, they are continuing to pray for all the prisons across England and Wales. There are four listed each day. To find out more about their work and register for their monthly prayer diary, click HERE.

“I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.” Philemon 6-7

Prayers for Sunday 7th June

Although we cannot gather for church in buildings and prison chapels today, we celebrate that in Christ we are united as one body. We pray that any barriers between us might continue to be broken down, and strangers become family.

Amen

(photo courtesy of Diana Simumpande at Unsplash)

Chats with chaplains and managing the maelstrom...

Like others, chaplains in schools and colleges are facing changes and challenges in the way they work. Instead of face-to-face meetings and conversations (except, in some cases, with the limited number of students and staff in schools), they are finding new ways of supporting and encouraging their communities.

Maggie Everett, Lead Development Officer for the Centre for Chaplaincy in Education, was joined on Zoom by chaplains from a range of schools and colleges to record some ideas for chaplains to use in their work with staff and students.

Additionally, Toni Coulton (Chaplaincy Central) joined Maggie to share some thoughts about the usage of metaphors to frame conversations about this time of pandemic, as well as some lessons we might learn from chaplains who have been in extreme situations. In this recording we were delighted to include some pupils from Abbey Grange Church of England Academy in Leeds, who told us what they would like to say to their chaplain and something they would like their chaplain to do for them. Powerful stuff in ‘Moving through the Maelstrom’.

There have been some interesting and helpful conversations going on to support chaplains in schools and colleges in these challenging times, facilitated by the Centre for Chaplaincy in Education and partners. We are pleased to be able to share a range of short films with you.

During a week in May 2020, Maggie Everett, Lead Development Officer for Centre for Chaplaincy in Education, was joined on Zoom, by several chaplains (FE College /Church School and non- church school and primary school) to record some ideas they have found have worked with staff and students in the past few weeks.

Do take a look (the links are both on our website and below). ‘Chats with Chaplains’ 1 and 2 are around 15-20 minutes long. These videos emerged from discussions with St Peter’s & Saltley Trust, the Free Churches Group, Chaplaincy Central, the Methodist Church and the Church of England and Maggie is grateful for their interest and continued partnership.

Managing the Maelstrom [ password 7G%&?=^# ]

Chatting with Chaplains #1 [ password 3J$E86?$ ]

Chatting with Chaplains #2 [password 5K?.RhQS ]

Centre for Chaplaincy in Education has also been gifted the privilege of being a partner organisation with the Church of England, in their recently launched initiative: #Faithathome. This really exciting collaboration involves a diverse range of organisations who are all working on supporting families, schools and churches by delivering high quality resources and opportunities for exploring faith at home. The Centre are facilitating the Chaplains’ Stream of this and will be letting you know what is planned as soon as possible.

Other exciting developments in the field of chaplaincy in education can be read about here, along with the Centre’s newsletters.

(photo courtesy of Abigail Keenan at Unsplash)

Webinar: Reflective Practice: a Pathway to the Heart

Photo by Guillaume LORAIN on Unsplash

Photo by Guillaume LORAIN on Unsplash

“Thanks very much for this helpful and encouraging session.”

We’ve talked to a lot of chaplains and other leaders recently, and understand something of the range of new pressures that the Coronavirus pandemic has brought with it. These pressures and challenges have opened up new opportunities for many people, but there has been little time to stop and reflect.

On 2nd June, the Free Churches Group held a webinar on Reflective Practice, attended by over 60 chaplains and pastoral workers from a range of setting. Even if you were unable to attend the event earlier in June, you still have the chance to take some time out and reflect on your own work. You will find the link below to recording of the webinar session. This will hopefully give you the opportunity to take a bit of time out for yourself – time to ponder, time to think, and time to learn how to embed reflective practice in your ministry. Here’s some feedback from those who took part:

“The session made me look again at the way I’ve been working over the last few months, and I realised I just haven’t stopped. Now I know I need to stop: I need to make space to reflect and to find the hooks on which to hang the bags I’ve been carrying.”

“I would have burnt out in ministry a long time ago had it not been for reflective practice/supervision. I'd encourage people to find the places and safe spaces that are possible for them.”

If you missed the live webinar, you can now watch the recording, using the link HERE. You will need to use this password: 1n#7=O$e

It’s about 80 minutes long, with the main presentation lasting about an hour.

Documents to accompany the webinar are available here, including copies of the PowerPoint slides used in the presentation.
Participants’ Guide
Clouds document
Reflective Practice PowerPoint
Reflective Practice Pdf of PowerPoint

Who is it for? Chaplains in healthcare, prison or education settings, or any other setting; Christian leaders; anyone who is interested in ways of engaging with others in a pastoral situation.

Our presenter: Mark Stobert is Lead Chaplain to Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) and came into post in November 2018 having previously been a healthcare chaplain for over 25 years in the West Midlands. Mark is currently studying for a Doctorate in Practical Theology (DPT) using critical reflection to explore the chaplaincy practice of creating ‘Safe Space for Slow Questions’ with patients, visitors and staff of CUH.

“A ‘Slow question’ is a question that can’t be replied to by a fast answer. Sometimes there are no answers but in asking it can be enough just to be understood. Sometimes the slow question is simply, ‘Why?’ Sometimes it is the nagging or delicate thought that can only be voiced when it is safe to do so.”

“Thank you for the Reflective Practice Session. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
“Very beneficial”

Pentecost Sunday - prayers with and for the Prison Fellowship

Prayers from the Prison Fellowship for Pentecost Sunday 31st May

Let us pray…

Come once again Holy Spirit as our advocate, our counsellor and our helper.

Give us Your Fire, that we may burn to see justice and truth in this world;

Breathe into us, that we may bring Your life to all we encounter;

and speak into us Your words of hope, that we may see lives renewed and transformed,

in Jesus’ Name. Amen

The Free Churches Group and our work in prison chaplaincy have worked with The Prison Fellowship (PF) for many years. Last year the Prison Fellowship celebrated 40 years of working with prisoners… their mission is : “to show Christ’s love to prisoners by coming alongside them and supporting them.”

Find out more about their work HERE.

(photo courtesy of Jon Tyson at Unsplash)