NEWS
SUPPORTING RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN YOUR LOCAL SCHOOLS
Does your church host school visits, or would you like to think about ways in which you could invite schools to your building?
Would you consider talking about your Christian faith in an RE lesson, either in school, or through a video link? These are practical ways in which Free Church people can help children and young people to understand what it is to be a Christian and, in particular, what it means to be a Free Church Christian.
A new initiative – RegionalREHubs – has been set up to support schools, teachers and others involved in delivering Religious Education as part of the school curriculum, and one of its first activities is to equip speakers and those who host visits with the necessarily knowledge and insight to do so in a way that is compatible with the needs of schools.
The RegionalREHubs initiative is supported by a range of organisations, including the Religious Education Council, of which the Free Churches Group is a member – and has been for nearly 50 years! A series of free online training events has been launched, and anyone who is interested is invited to register for one of these dates:
2022
Monday 12 December 9:30-11am
2023
Tuesday 24 January 4-5:30pm
Monday 20 February 6-7:30pm
Thursday 23 March 2-3:30pm
Tuesday 18 April 9:30-11am
Wednesday 17 May 11-12:30pm
Tuesday 20 June 10-11:30am
To book a date, email: marketing@regionalrehubs.co.uk
Attending one of these training sessions offers participants the opportunity to sign up to an agreed set of principles for working with schools, and to gain a RegionalREHubs kitemark, either for individuals as speakers, or for church buildings where tours are offered. A national register will be developed, and any enquiries that come through the Regional Hubs will be passed to an appropriate person or an appropriate church. Do consider joining a training session and ensuring that Free Church voices are heard!
You can find more information here.
Photo by Christi Marcheschi on Unsplash
Nourishing Roots - with Ruth Perrin, 31st Jan 2023, 10:00-16:00
Location: St Antony's Priory 74 Claypath Durham, DH1 1QT
Date: 31st Jan 2023, 10:00 - 16:00
Register your place HERE.
A day of reflection and spiritual refreshment for Free Church chaplains within the quiet and peaceful surrounds of St Antony's Priory, Durham. This day is part of our tri-annual 'Nourishing Roots' sessions where we seek to help refresh our spirits and have a time of retreat away from our busy ministries.
Our reflections will be led by Dr Ruth Perrin, an experienced minister, trainer, researcher and mentor; she has been exploring and encouraging faith development for two decades and is passionate about helping people to draw close to Jesus and explore their part in his kingdom plans.
A buffet lunch will be provided - please advise us of any dietary requirements in advance.
The day is free of charge, but there are only 15 spaces available due to the size of the meeting room. We will initially have tickets available for six prison chaplains, six hospital chaplains, and three education chaplains. Tickets may be made more widely available in weeks to come.
A bit of Chaplaincy on the Side, a webinar exploring part-time chaplaincy
Monday 5th December from 18:30 to 20:00
Tickets are free and available from Eventbrite here.
Part-time chaplaincy roles come in many shapes and sizes. They may be:
inherited as part of a church posting
be carried out as a distinct role separate from church ministry
a role held alongside secular employment
Whether you are working part-time as a chaplain, would be interested in doing so, or know someone who should consider doing so(!) this webinar will explore how a part-time chaplaincy role can complement, inspire and inform other roles and areas of work and look at some of the pathways to becoming a chaplain.
With input from
The Revd Canon Helen Cameron: Chair of the Methodist Northampton District and Moderator of the Free Church Group
Gary Hopkins: Methodist Ministry Development Officer for Chaplaincy
Suzanne Nockels: Congregational Church Minister and Chaplain at Sheffield Children’s Hospital
Tas Cooper, Quaker Chaplain at Oxford University and a freelance Spanish to English translator
Bob Wilson: Secretary for Prison Chaplaincy and Free Churches Faith Advisor and chaplain at HMP Wayland
Mark Newitt: Secretary for Healthcare Chaplaincy and part of the chaplaincy teams at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and St Luke’s Hospice
The event flyer is available to download here.
Image by Gundula Vogel from Pixabay
Education Sunday 2022, 11th September 2022
Education Sunday will be marked by the churches on 11 September 2022
The theme for this year is ‘You are not lost!’
This year’s readings are:
Jeremiah 4.11-12, 22-28
Psalm 14
Luke 15.1-10
1 Timothy 1.12-17
Although some of the resources will make reference to other passages, the main focus will be on Luke 15.1-10: the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin.
Education Sunday 2022 resources are available to download;
Pray for young people on A-level, BTEC and T-level results day
Pray for young people on A-level, BTEC and T-level results day
We ask you to pray for all the young people who have received results today, and to give thanks for their teachers, who have guided and supported them.
The Methodist Church has a prayer for young people receiving results, which you can find here.
You can find resources to help your church support those who are going to university, or young people who come to your community as students here.