NEWS
Prisons Week - Thought of the Day (Tuesday), with Hugh Osgood
Today our focus is on rehabilitation programmes in prisons.
When Joseph was unjustly imprisoned in Ancient Egypt, the whole experience still added to his life. He was arrested as a young man who had just transitioned from pampered son to household manager; a man with two unfulfilled (and easily misinterpreted) dreams circulating in his head, plus a whole lot to learn about Egyptian culture.
Although there was no education programme, positions of trust could be earned and this brought Joseph into contact with two royal-household prisoners. Becoming a dream interpreter secured his future position in government. Would that all prison sentences proved to be such a stepping stone!
“It is painful to be caught in a cycle of offending and we need to look for ways of seeing such cycles broken.”
Currently a lot of work is going into prison-based programmes for rehabilitation and prevention of reoffending. We need to pray for the effectiveness of such courses, both in terms of their planning and delivery.
A change in the rate of reoffending would also indicate a change in the extent of changed lives. It is painful to be caught in a cycle of offending and we need to look for ways of seeing such cycles broken.
This is part of the gospel message of setting the prisoners free.
Prisons Week - Thought of the Day (Monday), with Hugh Osgood
Forty years ago, one of my predecessors as Free Churches Moderator joined with the then Archbishops of Canterbury, Westminster and Wales to support the recently established annual Prisons Week. In Thought of the Day this week we will be adding to the prayers of churches in England and Wales as part of Prisons Week 2018.
As we think of prisons, prisoners and prison staff, Paul’s 1st Century imprisonment in Philippi is a good starting point.
He was arrested with Silas at the request of slave owners who had lost their livelihood when a young fortune-teller they had been exploiting was set free.
The magistrates gave in to an angry crowd and had Paul and Silas imprisoned where conditions were poor and treatment harsh. A jailer’s life depended on fulfilling the magistrates’ wishes, and this was complicated by having his family living on site.
“Compassion still has an important place in prison ministry.”
The jailer in Philippi feared for his life when a God-sent earthquake loosed chains and opened doors.
Assuming that all his charges had fled, he prepared to commit suicide in anticipation of the inevitable. Paul’s intervention saw him surrender his life to Christ, and that brought compassion to the fore.
Prisons are still challenging places today. We need to pray for prisoners and prison conditions, remembering those officers, governors and chaplains who, in the midst of extreme work pressures, seek to balance prison duties with family life.
Compassion still has an important place in prison ministry.
Lights, camera, action for Further Education!
FCG have been both working and developing links with Festive, the UK based Christian charity, who support students and staff in further education. They have just launched a fantastic, inspiring and Christ-centred new YouTube channel. You can check out all the films HERE.
These films would be great to share in your churches and youth groups.
Film topics include: How do I live for Jesus? and How do I survive as a Christian?
You can read more about FCG’s work in the arena of further education HERE.
Ready… steady… Pray…
The FCG have been working with Pray for Schools for many years. It has been a fruitful partnership, with a mutual heart of prayer and care for our schools’ sector - for all of the teachers, children and support staff.
Each year there is a Pray Day on the third Tuesday of November every year when schools across Europe and around the world are the focus of prayer.
This year it will be held on Tuesday 20th November 2018, with schools across the UK taking part. Find out more and how to get involved, see HERE.
You can read more about the work that FCG are doing with schools and other sectors in education by clicking HERE.
40 Seconds… Praying for Education
As part of our work in the FCG Education Team, over the last year or so we have been working with Festive - a UK based Christian charity who support students, chaplains and staff in further education (FE). You can read more about their important work HERE.
Each month, among other things, they publish a prayer bulletin entitled ‘40 Sec Prayer News’. You can register to be on the mailing list for this on their website.
Here are the prayers for October… pray with us…
Praise God that He hears and answers!
Please pray for Annabel and Thomas who are the new leaders of their CU. Please pray that they will find a suitable time and place for the CU to meet. They ask us to pray for the outreach events they plan, and that they will themselves be faithful witnesses to Jesus and good examples as leaders for others in the CU. Pray for many others like them!
There isn’t a CU at Langley Park Girls’ School but Keziah has some Christian friends and she wants to start one. She is very uncertain about how to do that, and nervous about speaking to staff and management about it. Pray that God would give her the courage she needs and the words to speak, and that she would find favour with those she speaks to. Pray for Jess (our volunteer student support worker) as she writes to her and supports her.
Ali, a youth worker in Wakefield writes: ‘My biggest prayer is for more workers….there is a harvest but we need more people to be salt and light in these environments’. Please pray for more volunteers to work with Ali. Wakefield college is asking for a chaplaincy but there are not enough people available to set up a team. Pray for Ali as he looks for recruits, that God would raise up people to take up this opportunity.
Festive is now working in Northern Ireland! Praise God for this and pray for our 15 new student contacts there. Pray also for Elaine, James and some of the other Christian staff and chaplains we met over there who are keen to see chaplaincy and CU's established at various colleges across NI. Pray we would see breakthrough in this.