Offer much-needed hope

"Here in our prison there are many men suffering from bereavements which hit them hard especially when they are separated from family. It’s the job of the chaplain to give ‘bad news’ about the death of a family member, and also prisoners come to the chapel to light candles to remember anniversaries. I have given out countless Living with Loss booklets and they seem to be much appreciated."

Sunday School groups at St Pancras Old Church and St Paul’s Camden Square have been using You Matter to explore Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son, helping children understand themes of forgiveness, belonging, and unconditional love. They have also used Meet the Cast to bring the story of Jesus’ birth to life in an engaging and accessible way.

It’s great to be able to chat to someone about faith and then give them something to take home with them. Often during the conversation, a topic we have a resource for comes up and I can very naturally give it to them. Other times, someone can choose the perfect one for them on the way out.

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"I discovered Lifewords literature a few years ago and started using it in the College. We have a table that is left in the main foyer with Lifewords booklets on it and staff and students regularly pick them up to take and read. At the college's fayres we get a really good chance to interact and chat about life and faith, letting people know we are here for them.

"I find the booklets very engaging and helpful and the students will come over to us, pick them up and ask us what being a Christian is all about. This gives us the opportunity to tell them about the gospel of Jesus. I'm very confident the Lifewords resources are and will continue to be an essential part of our ministry at the College."

Kathy wrote a study for her community group at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Swanage based on Little Book of Joy. The group spent time reading through verses included in the Little Book of Joy, and reflected on some of the Little Books prompts, as well as some questions that Kathy wrote too.

Ewa recently helped host a Women's Breakfast at her church in Katowice, Poland, creating a welcoming space for fellowship, encouragement, and meaningful conversations. Each attendee received a copy of Encounters with Jesus (Spotkania z Jezusem), alongside other resources, helping them to reflect further on the character and words of Jesus.

"As a Mental Health Chaplain, I have used these resources for the past five years. Working in a psychiatric setting, I have watched patients who are at their most vulnerable find the bite sized chunks of curated scripture speak not only to them and their situation, but also at a time when finding the right words is difficult, they speak for them."

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"At Messy Church we began a series on the Parables and prayer. The children made prayer boxes with contents to encourage them to pray and we gave a copy of  Little Book of Prayer to all the parents."

#Restart is a project set up by Dobre Dzieło, a Christian foundation in Poland. Tthrough talks, conversations, resources, hot meals and an array of activities are sharing the love, freedom, found in Jesus with their community. Tomek shared: “The materials we’ve received from you are doing an incredible job. They are a vehicle for the Gospel. Local churches and individuals have also started coming to us to make use of the materials we use.”

Chrisco Educational Centre, who have been partnering with Lifewords and using our Choose Life program for 18 years, welcomed Lifewords' Clara to join them as they gave the opportunity for the children taking part to share the challenges they are facing as well as how 'Choose Others' and the other Choose Life modules have been helping them to develop new skills and deal with issues in their homes and communities.

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Revd Matt shared his heart for the work: "I seek to bring life in my role by facilitating people to engage with God in a way that they feel comfortable and in a way that they understand." While conversations in the chapel or on the wings can be powerful, Matt knows that often, the real moments of reflection and change can also happen in the quiet of a prison cell: "That's often when God's at work. Through Lifewords resources, they engage with God in a deeper way."