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)

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)

Refreshing prayer... with Prison Fellowship

Prison Fellowship Prayers for Sunday 5th July

This Sunday,

On this day of Sabbath rest, we pray that Christians in prison across England and Wales would be able to rest in God’s love, and know the refreshment that the Water of Life gives

Amen

The Free Churches Group and our work in prison chaplaincy have worked with The Prison Fellowship (PF) for many years. Find out more about their work HERE.

You can read and pray through their July Prayer Diary HERE.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

(photo courtesy of Kazuend at Unsplash)

To show Christ’s love to prisoners...

“To show Christ’s love to prisoners by coming alongside them and supporting them” - that is the mission of Prison Fellowship and 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.

Find out more about their work HERE. And great news! Prison Fellowship’s prayer diary for July is out now!

You can read and pray through their July Prayer Diary HERE.

To get our praying hearts off to a flying start this month, here is their prayer for today:

Loving God, help us even in these hard times, to trust that You are who You say You are, and that You are living and active in our lives, and the lives of everyone in prison. Amen

(photo courtesy of Lina Trochez at Unsplash)

God's golden joinery... full of hope

We are delighted to share with you a poignant and inspiring reflection by Rev Gail Miller, who serves as a prison chaplain at HMP Preston. This has been offered as a reflection alongside the vital work of Prison Fellowship.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, i

f there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8, ESV)

Paul’s words call us to be true and honourable, pure and just. But what does that mean when we live in a world where facts are based on evidence, but truth becomes increasingly subjective and insubstantial?
As Christians we are called to stay true to God, holding tightly to our faith and our honesty. We are called to be a people of integrity, with beliefs and values that are based on biblical standards and the truth of the Gospel. When we live out these beliefs and values in how we speak and act, then we become a powerful model of faith, hope and of integrity in the world.

Another way of thinking about integrity is to think of being ‘whole’. When we are whole there is only ever one version of us (our true selves) in all our actions and interactions. To be whole means to have the various parts of ourselves integrated into one complete person. It means that we don’t leave anything of ourselves behind, including the parts of us that have been broken or damaged. We all have fractures or breaks somewhere in our past. I love that Matt Redman sings of being ‘Gracefully Broken’, encouraging us to pour out everything to God who is a God of grace and mercy. The only way we can hope to “live a life worthy of the calling we have received” (Eph 4.1) is to know that God’s grace brings strength to our weakness; his grace is enough (2 Cor 12.9).

As Prison Fellowship, we work with and pray for people in prison whose experiences may well include abuse, lies, grief, disappointment, distortion and disillusionment – people who are often broken and may have lost hope. Who better then to live out and model the Gospel message than those in whom God is at work to bring us towards full healing and wholeness?

In the Kintsugi tradition broken pottery is repaired using a lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. The break is enhanced, and the experience honoured as the pottery is put back together in an even more beautiful form; and God’s grace heals our fractures in a similar way.

God can use us, and our fractures, to show those we serve that nobody is ever beyond repair and redemption, because God can heal in a way that makes you even more beautiful than before.

So, as people who pray for and work with those in prison, may our breaks be healed by the shining light of the resurrection and the mercy of God’s grace, so that all will see that we are indeed a people of faith, truth, honour and integrity.

And may “God’s golden joinery” make us shine with the hope of the Gospel as we continue to respond to the calling we have received.

Rev Gail Miller
Anglican Chaplain at HMP Preston (pictured below)

(cover photo from Prison Fellowship Australia of kintsugi bowl)