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Since 1888, Lifewords has been dedicated to sharing the Bible's life words with people around the world.
The ministry was founded in 1888 as Scripture Gift Mission by printer William Walters, who was passionate about the Bible – "this book of books" – and wanted everyone to encounter the captivating story of God’s love.
From the very beginning, innovation has been at the heart of our work. Walters published Bibles and Testaments featuring specially-commissioned pictures from the Holy Lands, helping readers connect with the stories they read – a groundbreaking idea for the time. That same pioneering spirit continues today as we find creative ways to communicate the Bible across different cultures, languages, and digital platforms.
Our first non-English language resource was an Arabic Gospel of John, distributed in North Africa. Since then, we have published Bible portions in over 1,000 languages – including more than 200 pioneer languages where no Scripture had been available before. Today, our Bible resources are distributed in dozens of languages in 90 countries each year, through eight global offices, our Global Bible Resource programme, and digital platforms.
In the late 1990s, we launched our first Bible programme – Pavement Project – bringing hope and healing to street children through Bible-based counselling. The programme now operates in more than 26 countries, reaching tens of thousands of vulnerable young people. Lifewords works with over 250 partners to provide resources, training, and support for sharing life words in diverse and challenging contexts.
Digital platforms and social media have become key ways of reaching new audiences. Through online campaigns and interactive resources, we are helping people engage with the Bible in their everyday lives – from digital communities in the UK to those accessing resources in remote locations worldwide.
The Bible’s life words transform lives – from street children in India to teenagers in East Africa, from people in rural Indonesia to digital communities in the UK. Thanks to the generosity of individuals, churches, and trusts, our resources and programmes are freely available worldwide. Together, we are helping people discover good news that changes the world.
