The Salvation Army plans to share 6,000 Gospels this Christmas

Churches and ministry teams across the North West are preparing to pair Luke’s Gospel with a personal invitation to discover more.

The Salvation Army is planning to give away 6,000 copies of Luke’s Gospel across the North West of England and the Isle of Man this Christmas, helping people connect its practical care with the Christian faith behind it.

Major Ian Mountford, Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army’s North West and Isle of Man Division, says the initiative brings together 54 churches from Crewe to Carlisle and a wider network of other places where The Salvation Army works in the region, including Lifehouses (hostels), prisons, charity shops, community programmes and schools.

Amid the busy Christmas season, Ian says churches have been challenged to be more intentional about sharing the Good News of Jesus and “to talk about the reason we’re doing what we’re doing”.

An invitation to come and see

Each Gospel will carry a personalised sticker inviting readers to connect with a local church and giving them a clear next step. That could be to attend a Christmas gathering, an Alpha course or a Bible course in the new year.

The aim is not simply to put a book into someone’s hands, but to offer a connection with a local church and an opportunity to explore faith further. The sticker on the front will complement the Gospel’s design and include a QR code to help people connect and also access The Chosen, the TV drama about the life of Jesus.

For Ian, the quality of the printed Gospel matters too. He believes having Scripture in their hands can help people engage with it, particularly younger readers, many of whom are turning to printed books rather than apps.

Working together across the region

The initiative was discussed in person at an officers’ retreat in February 2026, with requests for copies then gathered through Microsoft Forms. Coordinating the orders helps churches and ministry teams feel part of something bigger as they prepare for Christmas.

Ian draws encouragement from his experience of giving out Scripture during his time in Chelmsford. He is convinced that the copies shared there made an impact and continue to do so.

Preparing each copy with prayer

Teams will put the stickers on the Gospels and pray over each copy before it is given away. The books are intended for a wide range of ministries across the North West, including chaplaincy teams working in communities, prisons and hostels and with survivors of human trafficking.

Across those different settings, the invitation remains simple: to come and see. The Salvation Army’s aim is to love God and love others by bringing together practical service, Scripture and a personal welcome. In this way, it hopes to help more people discover the reason behind its Christmas work.

Order the Gospel of Luke from the HOPE Together shop from just £1.65 per copy, and pair it with your own invitation to church this Christmas.