NEWS
Free Churches Commission into social cohesion in the UK - our work so far
Social cohesion has been near the top of the political agenda for well over a decade now. FCG set up a research project looking at the relationship between the Church and social cohesion in England. The project is being conducted by Theos, the UK’s leading think tank on religion and society issues.
There will be updates on this work coming up soon and the full report will be published in the autumn. If you haven’t had the opportunity to learn about our work in this field yet, then you can get up to speed and read all about it, by checking out the Commission updates which have been produced since the project began HERE.
We would like to thank Westhill for their support of this commission.
For more information visit their website →
Beginning Chaplaincy...
There is a Beginning Chaplaincy course starting soon at St Padarn’s Institute in Llandaff.
Our Free Churches Secretary for Healthcare Chaplaincy, Rev Meg Burton, will be teaching on this programme, in early March, alongside colleagues.
What are your recollections of beginning a new course of study? I always feel there’s a sense of trepidation mingled with excitement when we begin a new course - lots of things to learn, new people to get to know, different concepts and ideas to encounter and engage with…
Please join with us as we pray for the tutors, support staff and students on this course, which is running from 7th until 11th March.
We pray for wisdom and understanding for the tutors; we pray for the wider staff at the college as they support this course and for the students, as they begin their studies into this vital area of ministry. May they be upheld in their studies and work; may this course provide a firm foundation from which to serve in the setting in which they minister. Amen
You can find out more about the Free Churches healthcare chaplaincy work here.
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(photo courtesy of David Travis at Unsplash)
JLG Conference - Shaped by Welcome: Generous Worship
On Wednesday 11th March 2020 the Joint Liturgical Group will be holding its fifth annual one day conference. This year we will be looking at how our welcome shapes our worship through the concept of an invitational approach to Church going. The day will be led by Michael Harvey who is a co-founder of Back to Church Sunday. He has developed the concept of invitation as a mission tool across seventeen countries. Michael will address the subject and facilitate discussion on how we invite people to share in communities of faith.
CONFERENCE DETAILS
Venue: St. Aloysius Church Hall, 20 Phoenix Road, Euston, London, NW1 1TA
(Next to Euston Station, very convenient for St Pancras/King’s Cross Stations)
Doors open 10.30 a.m for an 11am start. Finish by 3.30pm
Price £25 (Includes light lunch)
Further Details, please visit the JLG website here.
Booking/Tickets via Eventbrite here.
Note: The Joint Liturgical (jlg.org.uk) exists as a creative working group. It offers materials to churches and ecumenical bodies, organises conferences, and advises and comments on worship matters. Work produced by the group is offered to churches and worship leaders to use as they see fit. Currently about one third of the active the membership of the group is drawn from denominations that are members of the Free Church Group.
A message from the Chair of the RE Council of England and Wales
The RE Council of England and Wales reports,
“It is with a mixture of pleasure and sadness that I announce that our CEO Rudi Eliott Lockhart has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Schools Association (ISA) with effect from the 1st August 2020. My pleasure is for Rudi and his family as this position offers them opportunities the REC could not offer. My sadness is that we are losing a talented and highly committed CEO. He will be greatly missed.”
Rudi took up this post with RE Council in November 2014. He has made a considerable and positive impact in the life and work of the RE Council. He will be greatly missed. We wish him every blessing in his next role and pray for the work of the RE Council going forward, as they chart a way through this new phase.
(photo courtesy of Colin Watts at Unsplash)
Prison Reform Trust - their latest briefing
Each season The Prison Reform Trust publish a bulletin outlining the state and statistics in British prisons. They are a registered independent charity and their mission is to work to create a just, humane and effective penal system. They do this by inquiring into the workings of the system; informing prisoners, staff and the wider public and by influencing Parliament, government and officials towards reform.
The Prison Reform Trust's main objectives are: reducing unnecessary imprisonment and promoting community solutions to crime; improving treatment and conditions for prisoners and their families; promoting equality and human rights in the justice system. You can read their latest news here. The independent nature of the work they do means they can dig deep into the issues and policies affecting those serving prison sentences.
You can read the winter report (Bromley Briefing) in full here, but here is a statement from the latest report which show some of the issues facing the sector and the prison population this season:…
“More than any other factor, it is the increase in sentence lengths
and time actually spent in custody which has created a prison population that already exceeds the available decent accommodation by around 8,000 spaces.“
It is a complex picture and one that will need advocacy and support from many in the criminal justice system. Wondering what you can do in your church? Well, one way you could help is by registering your church as part of The Welcome Directory - whose mission is “Helping faith communities welcome people who are leaving prison.”
Join with us as we pray (Prisons Week Prayer)…
Lord, you offer freedom to all people. We pray for those in prison. Break the bonds of fear and isolation that exist. Support with your love prisoners and their families and friends, prison staff and all who care. Heal those who have been wounded by the actions of others, especially the victims of crime. Help us to forgive one another, to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly together with Christ in his strength and in his Spirit, now and every day. Amen.
(photo courtesy of Matthew Ansley at Unsplash)