'Organ Donation Week' coming up in September

A couple of years ago Free Churches Group, working with the Blood Transfusion and Organ donation services, facilitated a one day conference with our member churches and groups. This was a useful event to help us to raise the profile and importance of these services, particularly for our churches who have members from Black, Asian and other ethnic communities. We would like to continue to encourage more blood and organ donors from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities to come forward to meet the needs of patients from across our communities. Certain conditions, such as sickle cell and thalassaemia, are more prevalent within these communities.

We would like to share with you news of Organ Donation Week which is coming up in September.

This is an awareness raising week from 20th - 26th September with a theme this year of: ‘Leave Them Certain’. This campaign aims to encourage people to talk to their loved ones about organ donation through highlighting that families are always involved before organ donation goes ahead.

Watch this space for further information about this year’s campaign and how you, your churches and your families can get involved in the discussions about this vital issue.

ORGAN DONATION WEEK

(cover photo courtesy of Alexandru Acea at Unsplash)

Journeying from Despair to Hope… preparing for Prisons Week 2021

Journeying from despair to hope is an online event coming up on the morning of the 20th July to help church and community leaders explore the prayer and support materials for Prisons Week.

For forty years, Prisons Week has prepared prayer literature to enable the Christian community, through individuals and churches, to pray for the needs of all those affected by prisons: prisoners and their families, victims of crime and their communities, those working in the criminal justice system and the many people who are involved in caring for those affected by crime on the inside and outside of our prisons. Prisons Week raises awareness and generates prayer.

(cover photo courtesy of Jeremy Bishop @ Unsplash)

Get ready for Education Sunday - 12th September

For well over one hundred years there has been an annual recognition of Education Sunday in England and Wales. It is a national day of prayer and celebration for everyone in the world of education.

The theme is devised by an ecumenical steering group representing different Christian denominations and organisations - the theme this year is “A Word in Season”.

To help you get ready to celebrate this day in your church and community:

Further resources and worship materials will be shared over the summer on the:

Inspired this year by Isaiah 50. 4-9a, Psalm 116. 1-8, James 3. 1-12, Mark 8. 27-38.

(cover photo courtesy of Chris Lawton at Unsplash)

Revd Bob Wilson, Free Churches Faith Adviser, invites you!

Our very own Revd Bob Wilson, who is a key member of the Prisons Week planning group, extends a warm welcome to church and community leaders, to an online event on the morning of 20th July - offering an opportunity to explore the theme and resources for this year's Prisons Week (held 10-17th Oct).

I had the opportunity to preview some of the thought-provoking and inspiring resources earlier last week, so I can thoroughly recommend this event; it will be a great support to us all as we prepare for praying during Prisons Week this year.

- Sara (FCG media support officer)

This will offer church and community leaders space to meet and hear about this year's campaign, its theme and the prayer resources available, and to consider how we can best encourage others to pray.

Event details
Time: 10.30-11.30 A.M.
Date: 20th July

(cover photo courtesy of Billy Pasco at Unsplash)

Join us as we pray for our schools... on 16th July

Free Churches Group are an active prayer partner in the work and mission of Pray for Schools, along with many other groups who have a heart for prayer and love our schools.

It has been amazing and such an encouragement to all to be able to pray alongside Christians from across England and Wales, at Zoom gatherings, during the last few months.

We have had an excellent range of contributors who have been able to share news about our schools and support us in what needs our prayers and care. This has helped to guide our prayers during the meeting and make these shared times very powerful in both prayer and fellowship. At our next prayer, we are delighted to say we will be joined and guided in prayer by staff from Scripture Union and Association of Christian Teachers.

On 16th July, we will be gathering once more between 12.30 - 1.15 P.M. and all are welcome. It is open to all, but booking is required.

REGISTER HERE

“Pray for Schools’ vision is for ‘every school to be a prayed for school. At this time we need to do this with faith, hope and love. That’s the vision of Pray for Schools: to mobilise Christians to support their school communities through prayer. All over the UK, groups of parents, teachers or schools workers meet on a regular basis to pray for their local schools. Join us for one of our online events as we gather together in prayer for our schools. ”

— Pray for Schools

(cover photo courtesy of Abel Marquez at Unsplash)