Happy 40th birthday to Prison Fellowship!

It’s said that life begins at 40. Yet, thanks to God’s faithfulness, PF has already achieved so much in the transformation of prisoners’ lives since they were founded by Sylvia Mary Alison in 1979.

Join them and their special guests on the afternoon of Saturday 30th March at Westminster Chapel, London to celebrate the past 40 years, and look forward with anticipation to the future of our ministry to prisoners in England and Wales.

Register your attendance through our Eventbrite page. This is a free un-ticketed event, but registering will help them to plan how much cake to buy!

Find out more about the event and the contributors who will be part of it here.

Revd Bob Wilson SECRETARY FOR PRISON CHAPLAINCY AND FREE CHURCHES FAITH ADVISER will be there along with many other friends of PF and fellow workers.

“Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison.”— Hebrews 13:3

Photo by Jason Leung @ Unsplash

Every school a prayed-for school

The Free Churches Group has been an active partner with Pray for Schools for many years.

The Steering Group of Pray for Schools met earlier in March to pray for and plan for how to engage even more churches in praying for our schools.

Does your church pray for the local schools?

Would you like to find out more? Check out the latest events, resources and news HERE.

Pray for Schools Fortnight is coming up soon - 16-29 May. Find out more and how to get involved HERE.

The steering group is made up of many Christian groups who are involved in education, some of whom are featured in the photo from our latest meeting, which includes partners/guests from:

Open The Book

Prayer Spaces in Schools

Youth for Christ

CARE

Church of England

Scripture Union

ACT

You can read more about the work that FCG are doing in the field of education HERE.

Are you a chaplain working in FE in the West Midlands?

Then this event is for you!

If you’re a chaplain working in an FE college in the West Midlands region, you’re invited to join a conference on Wednesday 15 May at the Priory Rooms, Birmingham! The day includes contributions from Prof. Trevor Cooling (on spiritual development in secular settings), Garry Neave (on the current state of FE chaplaincy), stories from chaplains around the region, and plenty of scope to share ideas and good practice. The conference is organised by Phil Metcalf, WM regional FE chaplaincy ambassador (a three year ecumenically funded role*), and the WM Churches’ FE Council.

You can find out more information and book your place HERE.

The Free Churches Group are committed to developing and enhancing our member churches’ capability to engage with the local FE sector - you can read more about this work HERE.

Please join with us as we continue to pray for the staff and students in our FE sector, particularly our FE chaplains.

Let us pray.

Living God, we pray for students, tutors and support staff in the further education establishments in our area. May students be filled with strength, determination and wisdom to fulfill their potential in their vocational and academic studies.

In the name of Jesus, we pray.

Amen.

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You can download and share a helpful little flyer for your church about churches and FE HERE

Freedom on the inside to flourish on the outside

Freedom to learn and study while in prison can have a significant impact to the lives of prisoners while serving their sentence and to productive lives after release…

Good news?! There was a rare positive piece of prison news last week, as government research into prison education showed that prisoners who spend their time studying through distance learning are significantly more successful in securing work after release. The cost of funding prison education courses is tiny when compared with the cost of re-offending.

During my pastoral ministry training, with a Free Church denomination (CF) I had the privilege of serving alongside a prison chaplain in Gloucestershire. The work I did there and the amazing people I met, had a profound influence on my life, Christian witness and attitudes to life, learning and love. As the Education Assistant with the FCG, I have seen first hand the power of learning in later life, to transform all sorts of people. As church-folk, we have a unique and awesome responsibility to find ways of contributing to this.

What could you do? Please feel free to get in touch with me or Revd Bob Wilson at FCG to find out more about how you can get involved. 

The Free Churches Group support prisons and Free Church chaplaincies across the nation. You can read more about this work HERE. In a compelling article, Rod Clarke, the chief executive of the Prisoners’ Education Trust, champions the power of learning inside, to help men and women who are serving time to grow and develop and flourish on release. You can read the full article as featured in the Times Educational Supplement HERE.

Good news indeed! 

Revd Sara Iles, Education Assistant, Free Churches Group 

(Photo courtesy of Sunyu on Unsplash)

Religious Education resources for Lent and Easter

Barnabas in Schools is part of the Bible Reading Fellowship and they have some interesting RE materials for Lent and Easter.

Barnabas in Schools are committed to helping children explore Christianity confidently and creatively - you can watch a short video about their work HERE.

You can read all about the resources HERE.

There are worksheets to download and use and share freely with children in your churches.

“Tried-and-tested resources for assembly / collective worship, RE, festivals, drama and crafts".

Barnabas in Schools is a professional education service provider to primary schools. They work throughout England and Wales, offering quality creative arts-based Barnabas RE Days for pupils and specialist INSET sessions for teachers.