Empowering Others

Prayer & Praise Report #2, March 2012

Download PDF

Dear Friend of God’s Story,

For your prayers we thank you, and for God’s answers we stand amazed.  

A few days ago our Africa director spoke to the Lausanne Executive Committee about oral strategies. He later shared with the African committee how our program, Regional Empowerment, can reach Africa. The leaders agreed and said, “Let’s do it.”

God’s Story: From Creation To Eternity

God’s Story versions increased by 25 in 2011.  We have completed 4 more this year; 11 are waiting for final field approval, and 7 are in recording. More are in translation.  The following languages were completed since we last listed new versions. For Ghana we have Ntrubo, Sekpele, Selee, Gikyode, Lelemi, Koma & Wali; Ethiopia got Afan Oromo West Central; for NE India, we produced Hajong & Thadou Kuki.

“Best Tool.”  At an Eurasia media conference in Germany, attendees showered our International Director with, “God’s Story is the best, most effective tool we have to reach the lost!”  How exciting to hear verified again that the timeless nature of God’s Word, as delivered in the stories from the Bible in this chronological overview, does reach the lost.  For basic discipleship, many are using the short stories in God’s Story and then discussing them with those learning about their new Saviour.

“For Me!”  While in India, we were privileged to hand over scores of our 150-page flip charts and MegaVoice solar-powered audio players with God’s Story, New Testament, recorded Bible stories and the how-to of Simply The Story.  

One village church planter, who oversees 6 churches, was enthralled when he saw the chart and heard his own language on the solar player.

But when I said, “These are for you,” in shock he asked, “For me?”

After he finally realized he could keep the player and chart, he couldn’t stop smiling. 

For a long time he just kept turning the pages and listening to God’s Story.

Over and over this same response of delight for the gifts reminded us of the value of biblical resources to those who have so little.

Simply the Story

After the training, our instructors traveled to 15 locations in 12 different countries to oversee and move many they just trained toward leadership.  Challenges arose that many of our instructors had never experienced. Promised preparation that did not materialize (and worried gatekeepers who at first resisted the information) confused those who were new at overseas ministry.

After prayer and quick reminders of worldview differences and bondages, hundreds were blessed.   

In many regions ministry took place. As you see in the photo, interest in Bible stories and responses to the Gospel were many. 

After training, text messages, emails and phone calls poured in from pastors and workers at the rate of 20 or more a day!

Here are two of the hundreds of messages:

“STS TEACHINGS ARE VERY MUCH USEFUL IN MY CONGREGATION, ALL ARE SO PLEASED.  I WANT TO GIVE STS TRAINING TO MY AREA PASTORS AND BIBLE WOMEN IN MY AREA.  PLEASE PRAY AND ENCOURAGE ME.”

“I want to thank you for spending time to train us. Your labor did not go in vain as just trained more then fifty pastors and evangelist. STS has played an important role to open the eyes of the pastors and church leaders to shift their old way of thinking, as we have conducted two workshops in XXX and XXX in Kashmir. And we invited pastors, evangelist and the Bible teachers too.

“At the beginning they started telling me ‘brother we know most of the Bible stories we are learning all these stories from our childhood,’ but I said ‘at least come and attend one session if you don't like then you can go back.’

“Praise God and thanks to the STS leaders who have made the gospel so easy and simple and interesting which anybody can easily understand. And, I tell you at the end of the day every one was saying ‘this a good way to preach the gospel and we will implement this method to our churches, and in our Bible studies.’ Praise God that we got the positive and tremendous response from all our participants and not only that they started using this method to their congregation from same day onward. Please continue to uphold us in your precious prayers so that we may train and equip many more pastors and evangelist and church believers.”

Combining God’s Story and Simply The Story

A year ago, a missionary who has used God’s Story for years in the public schools in his country of service asked us to help him. His question came during an STS workshop, his first exposure to STS: “We have these one hour weekly mandatory religious education slots where I have developed a story by story program using God’s Story, but I need a DVD with a full program so I can multiply myself. How can I use STS and God’s Story on DVD in schools?” His question sparked development of the Interactive Discovery of the Bible (IDB)

Over this last year, we developed and tested this new DVD program.  We tried it with children and adults, in Christian and secular settings, even in prisons.  In India we watched over 100 people interact with the filmed storyteller, respond to his questions and then periodically go into small groups and discuss their ideas about the Bible story.

The IDB design was such that, presumably, it would work in audio too.  Suddenly, when the projector went out, we had an unplanned chance to see if the audio version worked.  It did!  The lively discussions continued. The participants never missed a beat!

Empowering: Our goal and tools are all designed to empower. We trained a film and editing team while in India so the IDB can be produced by Indians in their own languages.

The empowerment is working. Note one of those trainers (in this photo) is an African who had been trained by USA leaders on two trips to Africa. Now these Africans are producing their own films.

Innovations: Last year we developed an advanced leadership training called Vine Huggers. The Africans then led their own version of it. They had 15 “leaders” from six countries sleeping on the floor in apartment living rooms just so they could gain this oral leadership style. They went back to their own ministries to lead workshops and establish Oral Bible Schools

Kenya now has 22 OBSs and Sudan just opened their first two.  Philippines operates 4 in remote places. They train, check stories and do discussion—all over cell phone!

Blessings,

Dorothy A. Miller

Executive Director TGSP