Healthcare Chaplains Study Day: Making our Cases: Using story and data to demonstrate value

Date and time: Thu, 5 Jun 2025 10:30 - 16:30 BST

Location: Wesley's Chapel and Leysian Mission, 49 City Road London EC1Y 1AU

One of the challenges for healthcare chaplaincy is to develop ways of demonstrating the benefit, impact and value of our care. Chaplains' work often relates to more intangible aspects of patient and staff care, which can be difficult to quantify and measure using traditional healthcare metrics. This study day (supported by the Association of Hospice and Palliative Care Chaplains and the Free Churches Group,) is open to anyone to attend and will explore different and creative ways to showcase the positive influence of chaplaincy services.

Confirmed speakers include:

· Mark Evans, National Adviser for Spiritual Care in the Scottish Government on ‘Developing a Minimum Data Set in Scotland’.

· Frin Lewis-Smith, specialist chaplain for oncology and palliative care at Leeds Teaching Hospitals on ‘Spiritual pain by Numbers?’

· Steve Nolan Bereavement & Spiritual Care Lead, Princess Alice Hospice and Visiting Research Fellow at University of Winchester on ‘Learning from Case Studies.’

· Clare Pye, Research & Innovation Manager at St Luke's Hospice in Sheffield

Alongside speaker presentations, the day will include live storytelling from a number of chaplains as a way of exploring how stories can connect, challenge, inspire and validate us.

If you are a Free Church Chaplain or a member of AHPCC, please get in touch with Mark Newitt at mark.newitt@freechurches.org.uk for the discounted price.

Image by Bob Dmyt from Pixabay

Join Us for a Hybrid Seminar on Artificial Intelligence and Ethical Use in Churches and Faith-Based Organisations

A Hybrid Seminar on Artificial Intelligence and Ethical Use in Churches and Faith-Based Organisations

Date: Thursday, 13th March 2025

Time: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Location: Free Churches House, 27 Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9HH

We’re excited to invite you to an engaging and thought-provoking seminar exploring the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within churches and faith-based organisations. This event will address how AI can transform faith-based work, from organising services and social action to optimising resources and improving outcomes for vulnerable and marginalised groups.

Keynote Speakers

We’re honoured to welcome:

Revd Professor David Wilkinson – ECLAS (Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science)

Sara Speicher – World Association for Christian Communication (WACC)

What to Expect

The integration of AI offers immense potential for churches and faith-based organisations. However, with these opportunities come critical ethical questions:

• How can AI be harnessed to uphold the values of human dignity and justice?

• What risks does it pose to vulnerable communities?

• How can faith-based organisations develop guidelines for ethical AI use?

Organised by Eurodiaconia, the Free Churches Group, and the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC), this seminar will provide a platform for:

• Exploring the risks and opportunities of AI in faith-based social action.

• Discussing its implications for vulnerable communities.

• Reflecting on how churches can integrate AI ethically in their mission-driven work.

This seminar marks the beginning of a series designed to foster a shared understanding of AI and its implications for faith-based organisations.

Spaces are limited, so secure your place today! Join us in person or online for this timely discussion on the future of AI and ethics in faith-based contexts.

We look forward to seeing you there and building a collective vision for ethical AI in service to communities.

Revd Paul Rochester

General Secretary

Photo by Pixabay.

Induction Service for Revd Dr. Tessa Henry-Robinson, the next Moderator of the Free Churches Group, 13th April 2025

We are delighted to invite you to the induction Service for the Revd Dr. Tessa Henry-Robinson, who will succeed Revd Helen Cameron as the Moderator of the Free Churches Group.

This promises to be an inspiring service, during which we will formally welcome Revd Dr. Tessa to her new role, spend time in worship, offer prayers, and hear her first formal address as Moderator. We will also take the opportunity to express our gratitude to Revd Helen Cameron for her service and dedication as the Moderator of the Free Churches Group over the last few years.

We hope many from across the Free Churches community will join us for this special occasion. The Service of Induction will take place at the American International Church, 79a Tottenham Ct Rd, London W1T 4TD, on Sunday 13th April 2025, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

Please register for this free event via Eventbrite page HERE.

We look forward to welcoming you. Should you have any questions, please contact Sabina Williams via email at: sabina.williams@freechurches.org.uk

NB: Photographs will be taken at the Reception and after the Service of Induction.

Revd Paul Rochester

General Secretary of the Free Churches Group