Ochorus for chaplains
Free Christian classics for prison, hospital and military chaplains
Books and sermons for people facing confinement, illness, grief and danger, free to read with no account needed. Bunyan wrote in prison; Corrie ten Boom survived a concentration camp; Hannah Whitall Smith wrote of the God of all comfort.
- books
- 295
- sermons
- 251
- reading plans
- 36
- languages
- 10
Take them offline
For a ward, a cell or a ship with no connection. Save them all to this device to read in the app, or download each one as a PDF to print or an EPUB for an e-reader. If you would like to print copies to give away, please contact us first.
Why chaplains use Ochorus
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Free, with nothing to sign up for
Every book and sermon is free to read with no account, so it can be offered to anyone without a budget, a form or a login.
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Written from the hard places
Classics written in prison, in sickness and under persecution: The Pilgrim’s Progress, Grace Abounding, the letters of Ignatius and the life of Corrie ten Boom.
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A sermon for one visit
Short sermons by Spurgeon, Moody and others can be read in a single visit to a ward or a cell, and many come with study questions.
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Simpler words when they help
Many classics are retold in plain language in editions for young readers and teens, which suit adults who find the originals hard going.
Good places to start
For suffering and grief
Comfort for the long nights.
Written from hard places
Books written in prison, in sickness and under persecution.
In simpler words
Retellings that suit any adult who finds the originals hard going.
Plans to read together
One short reading a day. Start on the same day and everyone reaches the same chapter together, each reader ticking off their own progress as they go.
The God of All Comfort: Faith in the Fire
35 days·~14 min/dayFor the days that are hard to pray through. Hannah Whitall Smith on the God of all comfort, and Gareth Evans on trusting the One who holds our tomorrows — a five-week walk into settled peace when life is uncertain.
Day 1 ·The God of All Comfort
The Way to God: Grace for Every Sinner
35 days·~18 min/dayA month on the oldest good news there is. Richard Baxter's tender call to the unconverted, D. L. Moody on the way to God, and Charles Spurgeon's All of Grace — the plainest of guides to how a sinner is saved, and how to know it.
Day 1 ·A Call to the Unconverted
The Pilgrim's Way
39 days·~22 min/dayThe road home, in three classics. Charles Spurgeon meets the seeker at the wicket gate, John Bunyan's immortal allegory follows the pilgrim the whole way to the Celestial City, and Bunyan's own testimony shows the grace that abounded to the chief of sinners.
Day 1 ·Around the Wicket Gate
Start a reading group
Choose a plan and the day you begin, then pass on the link. Everyone who opens it is on the same day of the plan. Nobody needs an account, and nothing about anyone is collected.
“The Lord's mercy often rides to the door of our hearts on the black horse of affliction.”
Ways to use it in your chaplaincy
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A book for the long days
Give someone facing a long stay a link to a single book and a reading plan to work through, one short reading a day.
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A study group
Read a sermon together each week and talk through its questions.
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Words for grief and fear
Turn to The God of All Comfort, All Things for Good or The Bruised Reed for those who are suffering.
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Promises for each day
Spurgeon’s Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith gives one promise of Scripture for every day of the year.
Meet the writers
The lives behind the books: each one has a full biography, with the books and sermons they left.
Pass it on
A message ready for a bulletin, a group chat or an email. Copy it as it is, or make it your own.
Questions
Is Ochorus really free?
Yes. Every book and sermon on Ochorus is free to read, with no paywall, no subscription and no ads. The classics themselves are in the public domain, and Ochorus is a ministry, not a business.
Does the reader need an account?
No. Anyone can read without signing up, with nothing to fill in. A free account is optional and only keeps progress and notes in step across devices.
What about people with no internet access?
The offline pack on this page has books you can download as free PDF and EPUB files, or save to your own device in one step to read in the app with no connection. If you would like to print books for a prison, hospital or base, please contact us first.
Is there anything for people who struggle to read?
Yes. The editions for young readers and teens retell many classics in simpler words, and any chapter can be read aloud with Listen.
Bring the classics to the people you serve
Browse the library, or start with a short sermon you can read in one visit.