Praying alongside the Prison Fellowship...

Prison Fellowship Prayers for Sunday 14th June

This Sunday, we pray for our brothers and sisters in prison:

“For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.”

(Colossians 2:5)

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.

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

(photo courtesy of Kelly Sikkema at Unsplash)

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:

  • Hope in Crisis

  • Bereavement Toolkit [in the context of COVID-19]

  • Losing a colleague during the Coronavirus outbreak (from NHS England)

  • Leading during bereavement and complex grief (NHS guidance)

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 Imam Abiyyu at Unsplash)

Hope in Crisis

Vivienne Manley, a Specialist Maternity Services & Palliative Care Services Chaplain, has shared a newly produced booklet, entitled Hope in Crisis, with our Secretary for Healthcare Chaplaincy, Revd Meg Burton.

The booklet has been carefully put together and sensitively written; it has already been a great comfort to many.

Concerning the booklet, Revd Ian Inglis (a hospital chaplain) writes: “It’s such a beautifully presented booklet and [healthcare] staff have found it a joy and inspiration, even when they personally haven’t lost someone, but they are coping with the pain, suffering and loss of patients on the wards so much.  I suspect that some have also found the booklets helpful when we have lost staff members as well.”

We are grateful to Vivienne for sharing this resource with us. Please feel free to share this booklet and may it be a comfort to those it reaches.

(photo courtesy of Arto Marttinen at Unsplash)

New reality, same Mission... a new resource published by the URC

The URC (who are a member church of the Free Churches Group) has launched resource to help renew community engagement as we emerge from the pandemic.

This new URC resource has been launched to help people explore how they can respond to the current needs, opportunities and injustices in their local neighbourhoods. It is hoped that New reality, same Mission will act as a stimulus to renewed community engagement by individuals and local congregations as lockdown eases.

You can read and share the document HERE.

You can also find additional materials including films produced by the URC HERE.

(photo courtesy of Tim Swaan at Unsplash)

Praying with the International Prison Chaplains Association

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

The IPCA’s mission is: “Uniting, encouraging and equipping... a global network of prison chaplains as they share God’s love and restoring justice.”

For the last ten years the IPCA Steering Committee has invited all those involved in prison ministry around the world to come together in a special day of prayer on 25 August, the birthday of IPCA. We would like to thank members of IPCA AFRICA and EUROPE for arranging this year’s program together.

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

(photo from IPCA Global Prayer Day resource)