Contextual Bible Storying: an Orality Training Workshop
There are 12,000 unique people groups in the world. Half of these—several billion people—are considered unreached by the gospel message. They live behind barriers of culture, terrain, language, and literacy. These people are illiterate or functionally illiterate, so even if a Bible is available in their language, they cannot read it.
According to the International Orality Network, four billion people in the world are primary oral learners—people who do not learn through literate means like reading and writing. Oral learners communicate through methods such as storytelling, drama, songs, and proverbs. Ironically, an estimated 90% of the world’s Christian workers present the gospel using literate—not oral—communication styles. In order to reach and disciple oral learners, we must learn to use the strategies that are familiar and relevant to them.
Our Approach
At Living Water International, our mission is about much more than water.
When we provide a cup of clean water in Jesus’ name, our hope is that those who receive it would know the grace and power of the true Living Water that alone satisfies the deepest thirst. This is why the Contextual Bible Storying method is important to us.
In our Orality Training Workshop, we will invite you to interact with the stories of the Bible as an oral learner. You won’t just learn statistics and theories about oral cultures—you’ll experience Contextual Bible Storying both as a listener and a storyteller. During the workshop, you will participate in the same orality training that Living Water conducts in developing countries.
Because so many of the world’s people are oral learners, anyone interested in missions or unreached people groups will greatly benefit from gaining a working knowledge of Contextual Bible Storying.
*Sessions are conducted in both English and Spanish.
Upcoming Dates: |
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| Jul 17 | Sat: 8:30am-4:30pm | Houston Baptist University, Houston, Texas Dillon II, Hinton Center 7502 Fondren Road Houston, TX 77074 |
Content:
This one-day workshop offers a practical and proven approach to make disciples of oral learners. Topics covered include: the scope of the problem, why and how oral strategies work, keys for making disciples of oral learners, and using story as strategy. On top of all that, participants will experience Bible stories as oral learners, first listening and learning then retelling and teaching. After each story, there will be time for analysis, discussion, and questions.
Cost:
Intensive one-day workshop: $35.00
Fees will be collected on-site; no pre-payment is necessary. The cost of snacks and lunch is included in your payment. All other costs relating to travel, lodging, etc. are the responsibility of the participant. Limited scholarship funding is available if costs are prohibitive.
