The Rt Revd James Langstaff, Bishop of Rochester, launches Prison Hope

Prison Hope is an exciting partnership of denominations, prison chaplains and organisations involved with prisoners, former prisoners and their families. We encourage local churches inside and outside prison to pray and share hope together.

Prison Hope connects people and organisations – encouraging prayer, volunteering and giving. We want to help churches to support prison chaplains and organisations working with prisoners and their families, both in prison and when they leave.

The video of the Rt. Revd James Langstaff, Bishop of Rochester, is available to view here.

For more information to get involved, please visit here.

[Event] Equality & Diversity Training Days for Chaplaincy

Please register via the following links:

London: http://bit.ly/2gQ9z2I
 
Sheffield: http://bit.ly/2ggPaCR

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Training Objective: To support chaplaincy services in order to...

• Deliver services that promote equality and diversity.
• Ensure equal access to high quality care for the population served.
• Create plans to support service development, local policy development and recruitment. 
• Target Audience: Lead chaplains, HR leads and equality leads

Purpose of Training: NHS chaplaincy in England has evolved considerably in recent years, largely in response to changing patient needs and increasing diversity of the population. Chaplaincy teams now often include people from a range of faiths and beliefs, including non-religious care providers.  The NHS England Chaplaincy 2015 guidelines acknowledged that: ‘Where requests for support relate to a particular religion or belief the chaplaincy service should be able to access appropriate support for the patient or service user and, when this cannot be matched, other chaplaincy support should be offered.’ Recognising the need for likeminded care, chaplaincy teams are developing their model of delivery to increase the choice available to patients, carers and staff.
 
When chaplaincy teams are more diverse the take up of the service increases, and so chaplaincy services will need to continue to evolve to best meet the needs of the people they serve, and to continue to provide high quality care for all.
 
This one-day training course will support chaplaincy services to complete a thorough equality assessment and apply this to all aspects of service development.
 
These events are free of charge. 
 
Please feel free to circulate this information to your network.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: All food and drink will be provided. The organisers are happy to cater for specific dietary requirements. Please specify your requirements. 
 
The organisers have requested that no food and drink are to be  brought into both synagogues as all the food and drink consumed on the premises must be strictly kosher.  

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Locations

London

Date: Wednesday 25th January, 2017
Location: The Western Marble Arch Synagogue, 1 Wallenberg Place (formerly known as Gt Cumberland Place), London, W1H 7TN 

Sheffield

Date: Tuesday 28th March, 2017
Location: United Synagogue Sheffield, 3 Brincliffe Crescent, Sheffield, S11 9AW

Prisons Week 2016

As I write, initiatives are in hand all around the country to inspire the nation’s churches to pray for all involved in the Criminal Justice Service. We are being urged to engage more effectively with prisons and prisoners, chaplains and officials, law-makers and law-enforcers, victims and rehabilitators. It is one week in the year when our focus can shift to effect the fifty-one weeks that follow.

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This Prisons Week it was my privilege to speak at the launch in Pentonville Prison. Taking this year’s theme of ‘Lord, have mercy’ I was able to speak on the significance of Pauls’ words in Ephesians 3:15 ‘He [Christ] has broken down the middle wall of separation’, underscoring the importance of showing mercy without condescension – even-handedly, sacrificially and securing equality of access. 

Those of us present were aware that the walls of separation that can exist in our minds, ensuring that many never give Prisons and the Criminal Justice System a thought, can be greater than the 15ft walls of Pentonville prison that surrounded us. Paul’s words to the Ephesians are certainly still relevant!

Interestingly, there was ample evidence at the service of how other walls can be broken down. The co-operation between the institutions and the Churches was remarkable. Not only were many of our Free Church denominations and chaplains represented, with contributions from myself and a Baptist magistrate, but the Governor and offenders took part, along with Pentonville’s Anglican Chaplain, the RC HQ Advisor, the Bishop of Rochester and Pastor Agu Irukwu of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

Rarely do we get the chance to see our sermons illustrated so visibly!

Revd Dr Hugh Osgood
Moderator of the Free Churches Group

For more information to get involved in Prisons Week, please visit here

Press Release from Prisons Week

CHURCH AND CHARITY LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE HEADING FOR PRISON - “LORD HAVE MERCY”

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release
on behalf of Prisons Week
Registered charity no.1020920

Over 90 Church leaders are expected to congregate in HMP Pentonville to pray during Prisons Week this year.

The Rt Revd James Langstaff (Anglican Bishop to Prisons) has invited Christian leaders from across the Church to gather together with charity leaders on 10th October to pray in this, the 40th anniversary of Prisons Week.

Over four decades the Church has observed a week of prayer for those affected by imprisonment, but never before has such a diverse range of church leaders congregated inside a prison’s walls with the sole purpose of praying together.

Revd Bob Wilson, chair of the Prisons Week Committee and Free Church Advisor to NOMS said

“This event is witness to the church uniting across denominations behind the power and potential of prayer – bringing together prisoners, victims, those who work in prisons, the criminal justice system and communities; people usually separated by prison walls. Prayer knows no such barriers.”

Prisons Week is run by a broad alliance of Christian denominations and leading faith-based charities working in the criminal justice system. It motivates prayer through its resources and encourages practical engagement through the voluntary sector.

Beginning on Prisons Sunday, the week of prayer runs from 9 -15 October. Across the country, people will gather in small groups and large cathedrals to support all those affected by prison, through events and services under the collective prayer theme of ‘Lord Have Mercy’. It is the great unifying prayer of all those who have ever called to God for help and this Prisons Week, the call to prayer will extend to prisoners, their families, victims, communities and all those working in the justice system.

The event at HMP Pentonville will also include the introduction of Prison HOPE, an initiative to encourage the church to engage actively with their local prisons.

Further information and resources can be found at www.prisonsweek.org
 
ENDS

For more information, please contact the following representatives from the Prisons Week Committee:

Rev Bob Wilson
bob.wilson@freechurches.org.uk
020 3651 8338

Tim Rosier
tim.rosier@reflex.org
07803 888 255

Rachel Shackleton
rshackleton@spurgeons.org
07976 323502

Notes to editors

•    Organisations involved include: Assemblies of God, Caring for Ex-Offenders, The Catholic Bishops Conference of England & Wales, The Church of England, Churches in Communities, Clean Sheet, Community Chaplaincy Association, Free Churches Group, Langley House Trust, The Methodist Church, Prisoner Advice and Care Trust, Prison Fellowship, Reflex, The Salvation Army, Spurgeons, Spread Creative Agency, United Christian Broadcasters and The United Reformed Church.  

•    BBC Radio 4 Daily Service will include prayer each day during Prisons Week.  

•    A short film on the theme is available here.

Free Churches Group Moderator, Revd Dr Hugh Osgood, offers condolence on the death of Shimon Peres

We have heard today the sad news that Shimon Peres, the former Israeli president, has died at the age of 93. The Free Churches Group Moderator, Hugh Osgood,  has sent his condolences to the Council of Christians and Jews and the Board of Deputies of British Jews. 

Message of Condolence

"As moderator of the Free Churches Group in England and Wales, I wanted to write to express my sadness at the news of the death of Shimon Peres. I would like to offer my heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Israel. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Shimon Peres worked tirelessly for the nation of Israel and peace in the region."

Revd Dr Hugh Osgood