It has begun! Pray for Schools fortnight...

Join us as we pray for schools across the UK....

Let us pray on this ASCENSION DAY:

Almighty God, Your ascended Son has sent us into the world to preach the good news of Your kingdom. Inspire us with Your Spirit and fill our hearts with the fire of Your love, that all who hear Your Word may be drawn to You, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(This prayer will be said at thousands of ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ events across the world)

For further prayer ideas, to register as an individual, church or group with Pray for Schools, please see their website HERE. 

The Free Churches Group are active partners with Pray for Schools. 

Colossians 4 v 2-3 - 'Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ…'

The best start in life....

As part of our goal to feature articles from FCG member churches and groups, I am pleased to share a link and letter from the Baptist Union of Wales magazine, which is called The Messenger. 

Over the last couple of years, the Baptist Union of Wales have been supporting a project to improve maternal healthcare in Ghana as part of their Christian Aid work. Their churches have raised over £70,000 to support this work. Amazing effort! 

Please join us as we pray for the work of Christian Aid, for the generous donation given to their work in Ghana for maternal healthcare, so that babies have the best start in life and their mothers are supported to maintain their health and well-being... May God continue to uphold the work of CA in Ghana and elsewhere and encourage churches to be valiant witnesses to all of us who are in need. Amen 

What are the plans in your church for Christian Aid Week?- 13th - 19th May 2018.  

You can download inspiring ideas, suggestions and prayer resources HERE. 

You can read the full letter of thanks from the Ghana Christian Aid Country Manager HERE. 

Every school in the UK a prayed-for school! Is yours?

Every school in the UK a prayed-for school!

That's the vision of Pray for Schools: to mobilise Christians to support their school communities through prayer. You can do this through starting a group to pray regularly for your local school; having schools prayer as a focus for your church or praying as an individual for a school near you. The Free Churches Group are partners with Pray for Schools. 

Why not join thousands of others praying in our churches, homes and communities during Pray for Schools Fortnight?! This year, between 10th and 24th May, Pray for Schools are joining with Thy Kingdom Come and the theme is: "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ…" from Colossians 4:2-3. You can download free resources HERE. 

You can register free HERE. Registration is free, and you will receive a newsletter 3 times a year of encouraging stories and ideas to help you as you pray.

Here is an extract from the resources which you can pray and share now:

Loving Father, we pray for our school with all the successes, challenges, celebrations and disappointments that fill each week. We long for the light and love of Christ’s kingdom to come for each member of this community as Your Spirit works among them. May our school thrive because of Your gracious blessings. Amen.

Church and school say, "I do!"

The United Reformed Church in Rugby was delighted to welcome the two reception classes of Bawnmore Community Infant School, Rugby, who came to take part in a day of wedding workshops as part of the Warwickshire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education (RE). And what fun they all had! 

Gill Kingston from the URC church says, "It was lovely to see so many of them getting into the spirit of the occasion, wearing their best clothes, in some cases their own wedding outfits. At the end of the day, parents were invited to watch the ceremony, conducted by the minister, Rev. Robert Maloney, and the church was full. The Headteacher commented that although they can do similar things on school premises it makes a huge difference to the children to do it in a church. A very successful day!"

* Has this opportunity sparked your enthusiasm?

* How might your church link up with a local school? 

Thank to Gill Kingston, who serves on the Free Church Education Committee, for this wonderful good news story! The United Reformed Church are a member denomination in the Free Churches Group. 

During the course of the day each child did four workshops: Wedding invitations; cake decorating; buttonhole flowers; a marriage ceremony (role play).  Here are a couple of photos from the wedding workshop day. You can also see what the children thought of the day HERE. 

With this ring, I thee wed.. 

The wedding party 

A Call to Prayer & Action

It was a real honour for Rev. Dr. Hugh Osgood, the Free Churches Moderator, to give the closing prayer at the first march for 'A Call to Prayer & Action' on Sunday 22nd April 2018.

Hugh joined some 1,000 people on this march as they walked and prayed from Tottenham to Wood Green.

Following the spate of violence and killings across UK’s capital, church leaders are calling on all Christians and citizens of London to dedicate the coming weeks to a period of concerted prayer for peace on our streets and an end to violence and violent deaths.

The Free Churches Group fully support this cause and join the call for the church to come together as we symbolically conduct prayer walks over 4 Sunday afternoons in multiple locations in the most susceptible communities that represent the North, East, West and South of the city. The mission is to prayerfully take back our streets and our youth.

DATES:

SUNDAY 22ND APRIL 2018
First prayer walk in Haringey
From Tottenham Town Hall (Seven Sisters Tube Station) to Wood Green/Turnpike Lane (Piccadilly Line).
Arrive at 3.30pm, start 4pm, finish at 5pm

SUNDAY 29TH APRIL 2018
First prayer walk in Croydon
From outside Marks & Spencer’s North End Croydon to The Queens Garden by Croydon Council.
Arrive at 3.30pm, start 4pm, finish at 5pm

SUNDAY 6TH MAY 2018
Third prayer walk Locations will be announced in the coming week.
Arrive at 3.30pm, start 4pm, finish at 5pm

SUNDAY 6TH MAY 2018
Fourth prayer walk Locations will be announced in the coming week.
Arrive at 3.30pm, start 4pm, finish at 5pm

More information can be found here: https://thepeacealliance.org.uk