Chriswin Raj’s call to Maritime Christian Ministries (MCM) came one evening as he reached into a sack of potatoes. Having settled in the UK from India to study, Raj had been convinced of the UK’s need for Christ-centred, biblically rigorous teaching. But how could he serve?
It was in 2019 that he delved to the bottom of that potato sack and found it lined with the pages from an evangelical newspaper. Under a thin film of soil, staring back at Raj (pictured below), was an advertisement from MCM for the post of port chaplain in Liverpool.
Since that day, Raj has served faithfully with MCM bringing the gospel to hundreds of sailors who arrive in Liverpool each year aboard cargo ships. With the vast number of cargo ships arriving1, it soon became evident to Raj that the opportunities for discipleship and evangelism were immense.
However, with opportunities come challenges. Not only does Raj have the challenge of reaching so many, but often he cannot speak their language. What’s more, he only has a short window before the ship sails and his opportunity to share the gospel vanishes over the horizon. How could he maximize this Godgiven opportunity and address the challenges of a ministry where the world comes to you in their hundreds, but just for a fleeting moment?
A providential encounter between Raj and Trevor Condy, a former chairman of Grace Baptist Mission, lit the touch paper for what is now known as Chips for Ships. Raj had shared with Trevor his vision for using MicroSD cards, also known as “chips,” to share the gospel with sailors, yet he lacked the technical ability to do this. Trevor, however, knew Keith Charlton, a UFM mission partner who serves with OneHundredFold.
A Chips for Ships Mustard Seed
OneHundredFold has developed an off-line mobile app called the Mustard Seed, mounted on a Micro SD card which is inserted into a phone. This can contain hundreds of hours of gospel material, in hundreds of languages that can be read, listened to, or watched by anyone with an Android mobile phone, even where there is no internet. Keith and the team at OneHundredFold, have developed a Mustard Seed targeted specifically at sailors arriving in the UK. Once inserted in their phones, sailors from say, Romania, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, or Georgia, will have access to Christcentred, biblical teaching in their own language at the touch of a button.
Once Chips for Ships is fully rolled out, this will transform the work of port chaplains. There is already interest from chaplains in two other UK ports. Sailors plagued by loneliness and boredom with their nomadic lifestyles will have an almost unlimited access to gospel videos, sermons, discipleship material, and, most importantly, the Bible.
Raj will be able to share the gospel with those on the ships and leave them with a Chips for Ships Mustard Seed. Although they may never meet again, the sailors now have access to the Word which brings eternal life, and the means to disciple believers.
Please pray for sailors
Raj urges people to pray that the Word be planted, watered and that God give the increase. He also asks for churches and individuals to come alongside him in reaching out to the sailors. He is but one man reaching out to hundreds of lost souls. Maybe this time the Lord won’t use a newspaper at the bottom of a potato sack to inspire someone to reach out to sailors, perhaps He will use an article about Chips for Ships in 4 Corners?
Ben Griffin serves in the UK with 100Fold, working to share Christ using technology
Source: 1. 2,250 cargo ships arrived in the ports of Liverpool in 2024 (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/port-freight-annual-statistics-2024/port-freight-annual-statistics-2024-arrivals)