Praying alongside the Prison Fellowship... for those struggling with their mental health

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.

This Sunday we are encouraged to pray with Prison Fellowship for all of those who are struggling with mental health issues… this is a particularly challenging and difficult time for many prisoners… so in the healing name of Jesus, we pray…

Prayer for Sunday 16th August

We pray for those inside whose mental health is negatively impacted by the lockdown.

May they know God’s peace and hope, and find the support they need to heal and thrive.

Amen

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers…

Find out more about their work HERE. You can read and pray through their August Prayer Diary HERE.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him,

so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13

(photo courtesy of Marquise Kamanke at Unsplash)

New Hope - an online Youthscape event coming up on 21st September

Schools work is going to look very different this term. Join Youthcsape and partners for New Hope, a free online conference to serve and inspire schools workers amidst uncertainty.

New Hope is an online schools work conference hosted by Prayer Spaces in Schools and Youthscape, streaming live, for free, on Monday 21st September from 10am - 3pm.

WHAT IS IT? An online Conference focusing on what Christian schools work could look like in the coming academic year, and how we as a community will navigate the challenges that this presents. We’d love for you to join us.

WHEN & WHERE? Monday 21st September. Live-streaming to YouTube, and using Zoom for seminars – you'll need to sign up to access the seminars. The day starts at 10am and finishes at 3pm.

WHAT'S HAPPENING? During the day there will be four sessions. Two shaped around keynote presentations, and two shaped around a choice of live webinars. All four sessions will include opportunities to interact and engage with the discussions – there will be a lot of wisdom in these virtual rooms, and we want to make the most of the opportunity to learn from one another.

WHO'S INVOLVED? Keynote contributors will be:

  • Jill Rowe, Ethos and Formation Director for the Oasis Trust

  • Esther Deans MBE, former Head teacher and chair of the Race Equality and Education Group (REEG)

  • Baroness Elizabeth Berridge, the Parliament Under-Secretary of State for Education, interviewed by Bishop Paul Butler, Diocese of Durham

  • Rachel Gardner, Director of Partnerships at Youthscape

To register for this event, click HERE.

(cover photo courtesy of Silas Baisch at Unsplash)

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TEA AND CHAT - FRIDAYS @ 4PM - FOR HEALTHCARE CHAPLAINS!

There’s a lot going on for us all at the moment and finding space to chat and relax together can be challenging. Rev Meg Burton invites you to have a get together with herself and other chaplains, so bring a cuppa …

Join us if you can!

Meg, the Free Churches Secretary for Healthcare invites you each Friday at 4pm through Zoom. Healthcare chaplains welcome!

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;

a chance to get together and chew over the week before you go home.”

You can find out more about the work the Free Churches does in the field of healthcare and download helpful resources HERE.

(photo courtesy of Annie Spratt at Unsplash)

Every school a prayed for school...

Every school a prayed for school - that’s the mission and vision of Pray for Schools

They have designed an inspiring range of prayers accompanied by passages from the Bible, to support our prayers for school, called Ten Ways to Pray for Schools.

You can download, share and pray through this HERE.

At FCG, we have been an active and passionate member for the Pray for Schools steering group for many years. We have written and published a range of reports and resources about schools which you can read here.

(photo below from PFS website, cover photo courtesy of Adam Winger at Unsplash)

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Today is a BIG day!

The 13th of August is a big day for all Year 13 students as it is A level results day!

Festive, the Christian education charity for sxith forms and further education invite us to pray today…

Big decisions will be made about the next few years. Some students will be elated and others bitterly disappointed.

Pray for Christian students to handle their results well, and to know how to support their non-Christian friends. Amen

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We pray for those in our families, communities and churches who are getting their results today…

May they be upheld and guided by God’s grace and mercy… Amen

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Over the last few years, FCG has researched, written and published a number of interesting and helpful reports and resources linked to churches and further education which you may be interested in exploring…

(photo courtesy of Ilya Somin at Unsplash)