Lifewords (formerly Scripture Gift Mission ) is a Christian mission based in London , but with offices worldwide. It exists to promote the positive influence of the Bible on everyday life. This has been done traditionally through literature distribution, but more recently includes websites, film, educational programmes and live events. Lifewords does not carry out mission initiatives directly, but provides resources to other mission organisations, churches, or individuals. All Lifewords' work is funded by donations, and the agency currently operates in over 25 countries.
6-452: Scripture Gift Mission (SGM) was founded in 1888 by a printer named William Walters, who believed the Bible should be accessible to all. His two main innovations were to make the Bible available free of charge, and to dispatch two painters ( James Clark and Henry Andrew Harper) to Palestine to produce illustrations. Both of these were controversial at the time, as it was felt that they devalued
12-475: A young soldier lying dead on the battlefield beneath a vision of Christ on the Cross. It had an immediate appeal to many, and prints were snapped up by churches, schools, and mission halls. One reviewer stated that the print had "turned railway bookstalls into wayside shrines." Framed copies were hung in churches next to Rolls of Honour, and clergymen gave sermons on the theme of the painting. The original oil painting
18-626: Is the Pavement Project, a counselling programme for street children, and Choose Life, a values education programme for Kenyan schools. James Clark (artist) James Clark (1858–1943) was a provincial English painter born in West Hartlepool , in north-east England. He rose to prominence in 1914 when his painting entitled The Great Sacrifice was reproduced as the souvenir print issued by The Graphic illustrated newspaper with its Christmas number. The painting depicted
24-842: The post-war years, SGM continued to expand, starting offices in Australia , South Africa , Poland and India , among others. Translation work was an important feature of the mission, and SGM published its 1000th language in 2002, according to their Interact magazine. Following changes in the nature of their work, and a desire to move into new fields, SGM rebranded in 2005 and became SGM Lifewords (since 2017 - Lifewords). The organisation celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2013. Lifewords produces literature in many languages, available from their offices worldwide or online. It remains free of charge. The range includes pastoral and counselling titles, ranges for Christmas and Easter , and more general evangelistic materials. Among Lifewords' broader portfolio
30-578: The scriptures. SGM produced Bible materials for troops in the Boer War in 1899, and the supply of military items was to become an important part of the mission's work, particularly during the two World Wars . In 1945, the society distributed hundreds of thousands of New Testaments according to the text of the Miniature Bible by Franz Eugen Schlachter to German POWs in English prisons. In
36-521: Was acquired by Queen Mary , wife of George V but several other copies were made. Clark also painted The Bombardment of the Hartlepools (16 December 1914) ( Hartlepool Art Gallery ). Clark designed a number of war memorials and his painting was the basis for several memorial stained glass windows in churches. He executed the scheme of wall paintings in the nave of Holy Trinity Church, Casterton , Cumbria , between 1905 and 1912. James Clark
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