St. John Baptist in Helen’s Bay, Northern Ireland, recently raised £1,700 in order to support the work of James and other hospital chaplains in the area. With the money raised, the church ordered boxes full of Lifewords' large print Daily Strength.

After a conversation with his friend, Rev Peter, from St John’s Baptist, decided to use this as an opportunity to support James in his work as a hospital chaplain.

"James told me a couple of really lovely stories about how, when he did have the booklets, they impacted people's lives and brought encouragement," he recalls. "Now they were going into hospital rooms without anything to give to patients or family members."

After hearing James share stories of how Daily Strength had encouraged people in hospital, Rev Peter invited him to speak at St John Baptist in Helen's Bay, Northern Ireland.

James spoke honestly about the privilege of walking alongside people in moments of crisis, and about the disappointment of no longer having one of the most helpful tools in his chaplaincy toolkit.

For years, Daily Strength had helped him offer comfort, encouragement, and hope to people facing illness, uncertainty, and loss. But due to limited funding, he no longer had access to these resources.

For Louise, what made the appeal so compelling was hearing the reality of chaplaincy work:

"As a parishioner sitting listening to a preacher, what really hooked everybody was hearing what it's actually like. He talked about the hours he works, what might seem like mundane things, as well as the personal side of what a privilege it is. And then it led into this little tool that he has in his toolkit that helps him—and he didn't have that tool anymore."

One story particularly stayed with her: "James mentioned how the booklet might be given to someone who's unwell in hospital and it can give comfort and strength. Sometimes that person passes away and the family are left to clear up their belongings and they find this little booklet."

"It was interesting to hear James' perspective as a chaplain," says Peter. "It was such a relatable thing. Everybody knows someone who's been in hospital, or they've been in hospital themselves. When James came to speak, there was something about his story and his approach, and that insight into that world, which inspired the church.

Peter invited the congregation to consider giving financially so that James could once again receive Daily Strength booklets and continue sharing them with those he supported. The church set an ambitious target of £750 - significantly more than they would normally aim to raise through an appeal.

"Our normal donation for our appeal would be a lot lower than £750," says Peter. "People did look at me as if to say, 'Are you sure?'"

Yet something about James' story resonated deeply. Individuals gave generously, and by the end of the appeal, the church had raised around £1,700 - more than double the original target.

In a healthcare environment facing continual pressures and cutbacks, chaplains often find themselves working with very limited resources.

"The local church has a role to play in chaplaincy work," Peter reflected.

In Peter and James' case, a conversation between two friends led to to an invitation to speak, which filled a congregation with inspiration, and so created a thread of connection between a local church, a hospital chaplain, and the people he serves every day.

Through the lens of our Lifebringers work, we want to equip others to be able to share the Bible through our resources in print and online.

We never want cost to become a barrier. While some supporters are able to meet those costs, and often go above and beyond, we also work to make resources available through grants where possible.

For churches looking for ways to serve beyond their walls, chaplaincy could be a great place to start. Could your church support the work of a local chaplain? Could you invite a chaplain to share their story? Could you help provide digital and print resources that bring hope and encouragement to people facing difficult circumstances?