News
PACT with whom the Free Churches Group work alongside, as part of our work for Prisons Week, are hosting a carol service soon. PACT is the Prison and Advice Care Trust.
It is on 10th December at 7pm - held at Jesuit Church on Mount Street, London W1K 3AH
If you are in the London area and would like to go along, you can find out more information here.
(photo courtesy of Chad Madden at Unsplash)
I used to work as a prison education contracts manager with a government funding agency. I witnessed, first hand, the power that education has to turn the lives around of those in prison. Education in prison has a profound impact on transforming the lives of those serving sentences, their relationships with their fellow prisoners and their families, as well as supporting the opportunities they can harness on their release. I had the privilege of visiting literacy and maths classes across prisons in the South East. The men and women in the classes were glad to be able to develop their skills and grow in confidence in their lives.
As an Open University graduate myself, I have also benefited greatly from distance learning opportunities which the OU provide and which many women and men in prisons have also studied and transformed their lives with… The OU had produced a short film about the work the OU has been doing in British prisons over the last half a century - watch the film here…
There are lots of ways you can get involved in prison work at your church or supporting ‘through the gate’ provision for prisoners on their release. Here are a couple of organisations you might be interested in:
Revd Sara Iles, FCG education assistant
Thank you God, that your church is rising up to obey your call to support men and women in prison. May we continue to proclaim the good news that your love and grace has no limits, and that no one is beyond hope! Amen
The Mental Health Foundation has developed an accessible and informative resource for male prisoners on how to look after their mental health whilst in prison. This guide is not only helpful for those serving sentences, but it has also proved useful for those supporting prisoners, such as prison charities and chaplains.
We are grateful to The Salvation Army Prison Ministries Unit for making us aware of this resource. They have been working closely with the Mental Health Foundation who, after producing this excellent free resource, are keen to share it widely and get it into prisons, so it can support those who are in need.
Inside the guide, there are links to other support organisations, general advice and guidance, as well as 10 tips for looking after one’s mental health in prison. These tips have come from prisoners themselves as well as researchers working in prison…
You can read more about this and download it for free, here.
(photo courtesy of Erol Ahmed at Unsplash)
The Free Churches Group hosted a one day conference on 23rd October. It was a well attended event with delegates coming from across England and Wales, from a range of different vocations, backgrounds and denominations.
We were hosted kindly by the Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church and had a excellent range of speakers in the morning. They helped us to think about the church and mental health; this was followed by panel discussions to explore the issues raised in greater detail.
In the afternoon, we had the opportunity to explore ways to care for ourselves and how to develop models of reflective practice. The day was surrounded in prayer and fellowship and gave us an excellent opportunity to learn and grow in this complex and interesting area of our ministries.
The programme and information are attached for your further reference and if you would like to know more about any of the contributions made on the day or how your church might learn more about this vital work, then let us know.
You may be interested too in the forthcoming Healthcare Chaplaincy Study day coming up on 7th November. For further info, look here.
Are we free to do what is right? This is a profound and challenging question that Prisons Week asks on behalf of those who are working in the criminal justice (CJ) system.
As we continue following the theme of Freedom this week, we ask this, in support of men and women who work in probation services, prisons, police forces, courts and wider CJ agencies….
Are they free to do what is right?
Saturday’s prayer
Let us pray… God of majesty and power, who establishes the order of the universe, and upholds justice in your mighty right hand, sustain and inspire all who seek to bring justice in our communities. Where the truth is complex or hidden, help those making decisions that seek to reveal the truth, to do so wisely, with a vision of your righteousness, justice and mercy. Majestic, powerful God, set us free. Amen.
A prayer for courts and judges
(photo courtesy of Dariusz Sankowski @ Unsplash)
