International (MNN) ― With the help of Partners International, church planters worldwide are discovering new ways to connect with the unreached. Almost 50 ministries which receive assistance from Partners in 20 nations have been equipped with a new teaching method, which helps church leaders connect through the power of story.
Approximately 4.5 billion people, or 70 percent of the world's population, communicate their values and culture orally through storytelling, drama and music. Evangelism and long-term discipleship are challenging in these cultures because most traditional methods are ineffective.
Working with Scriptures in Use (SIU), Partners connects their associate church planters with SIU's Communication "Bridges to Oral Cultures" training course. This course teaches church planters how to share their faith through storytelling, dramatic presentations of the parables, cultural adaptations of Scripture to song, memorization of Scripture, and systematic presentation of Bible stories.
"We were never taught to look at the Bible as a storybook," said one of the trainees. "We were never taught that Jesus was a storyteller. This is the first time we have heard that storytelling is as powerful a communication tool as preaching."
Church planters and pastors in West Africa, Ethiopia, India and Indonesia who have already taken the beginner course will move on to the advanced teachings this year. Funding is needed to expand the ministry into North Africa, Bangladesh and Sudan.
A pastor in India said the training reinvigorated his ministry
"We Yenadi people are an oral culture, but I was using book culture methods," said the pastor. "I am convinced that the method of storytelling in small groups will be effective. When I heard these teachings, I wondered why on earth I used other complicated ways when this simple strategy is available."
Partners reports that because stories are an easy way to transmit the Gospel, new interest in Christianity is growing in many areas. Over the last two years, partners who were most impacted by the program have now started their own storytelling-training courses.
You can help church planters worldwide learn how to use story effectively for ministry. Click here if you'd like to support this program.
