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)

Tea and cake - a get together for healthcare chaplains - Fridays @ 4!

Revd Meg Burton, the Free Churches Secretary for Healthcare, has got the kettle on! Meg would like to invite you to bring a cuppa and have a get-together each Friday at 4pm through Zoom. Healthcare chaplains welcome!

There’s a lot going on for us all at the moment and finding space to chat and relax together can be challenging. Often things come up in our working week we want to share or we might just appreciate a friendly face and a cuppa on a Friday… so here’s the link. Join us if you can!

Zoom Meeting ID:870 5327 8978  Password: 669993

Meg says, “I will be there between 4pm and 5pm if anyone would like to join me

for an informal chat about anything.”

(photo courtesy of Loverna Journey 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)

At a loss...

Through my wider network and a recent Pray for Schools meeting, I have become aware of the excellent work of an organisation called At a Loss.

Their goal is to help the bereaved find support.

What they say about their work:

“Our vision is that: Nobody in the UK, suffering a significant loss, should be left floundering or alone.

Our aim is: To ensure that every bereaved person in the UK can find bereavement support when they need it.”

You can find out more about their work HERE.

Perhaps the resources and materials provided by At a Loss can help you, your church family and your wider community at this time?

Please feel free to share these links.

Sara Iles, FCG Media Support Officer

(photo courtesy of Mitchell Hollander 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)