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by Cindy “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one … to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:22–23 For several years, I have been receiving faithful updates from a member of Wycliffe Singapore. This kickstarted my relationship with Wycliffe and, in September 2019, my journey with God led me to participate in a short trip to Northeast Thailand organised by Wycliffe. Our team was to teach English and run activities for village school children, participate in drama and bible storytelling, and interact with teams doing language work in the area. Although I was interested in Wycliffe’s work and also keen to reach out to village children, I initially hesitated as I was still struggling in the aftermath of dark experiences. However, God reminded me: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (1 Cor 12:9). These words carried me through and convicted me to go. I thank God for His gracious comfort, encouragement and loving hand throughout the trip. The team experienced blessings of “heaven-on-earth” experiences as the body of Christ served together with love and unity, and as we received providential help in language and literacy. “That they may be one…” As Jerry Falwell has said, “Nothing of eternal value is accomplished apart from prayers”. While preparing for the trip, each member of the team individually and together, as well as my Bible Study Fellowship group, covered the trip with regular prayers. God’s loving hand had assembled a 15-strong team from countries including US, Thailand and Singapore, with members who were completely new to one another. We did not even meet some of them until the actual day of teaching! By God’s grace, the various parts of the team came together very quickly to serve (amidst chaos at times!) and enjoy fellowship. Everyone contributed and supported one another. For example, the Thais helped modify the activities to make them more appealing to the local children. We were thankful for this spirit of unity which enabled us to glorify God “with one heart and mouth” (Rom 15:6). God also awesomely provided strong external support in our language and literacy preparations. To help in our lesson planning, a church provided very good English–Thai teaching materials as a reference. A church brother also volunteered his time, talents and network of connections to source, design and print English–Thai teaching materials and prayer cards for the children. We were also given much good advice, excellent service and quality printing of the cards by Print & Print Pte Ltd, a company strongly supportive of Christian ministries and missions. Truly, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” (Ps 133:1). Language and literacy On this trip, we also learnt about how providing support in language and literacy can help in building relationships with the minority groups. We saw how the people responded much more warmly when their own language was used. This showed us how important it was to translate Scriptures into the heart languages of minority peoples. At the same time, learning English helps the children in school and enables them to access and engage with a wider world of knowledge and opportunities. We met a young lady pharmacist, now working in Bangkok, who was visiting her home town. She told us how she had had to make use of every opportunity to practise speaking English with foreigners as access to good learning opportunities were scarce in the small villages. Local churches, with the support of foreign friends, are able to reach out in friendship to meet the felt needs of the schools and communities by providing support in teaching English (and increasingly for Chinese too!) to the children. During the trip, there was insightful sharing by Wycliffe members and local missionaries about bible translation into the heart language, reaching out to minority peoples, and ministry and practical challenges. We thank God for their willingness to leave their places of comfort and learn languages so that they can reach out, translate and teach Scriptures in the heart languages of the minority groups. Praise God for their positive, encouraging witness and testimonies in living out their faith with love and obedience. God’s heart is for men from “every tribe, language, people and nation” (Rev 5:9) to be saved. Through economic development and technological advancements, He has brought people from everywhere to everywhere. Through language and literacy, He has opened doors to connect hearts, minds and souls. May the Body of Christ be ever willing and quick to be God’s hands and feet everywhere, serving as ONE in Christ, to achieve the desires of God’s heart!

by Jane Lee In the 21st century, the face of missions is no longer only that of a career missionary serving overseas long term. The balance is increasingly being tipped towards professionals who do missions alongside their vocation abroad and those who are involved in missions on a regular basis either locally or overseas. In fact, the combined number of these two groups now exceeds the number of career missionaries – they do similar work in church planting and training and often in the same countries – according to the recently released National Missions Study 2019. Conducted by the Singapore Centre for Global Missions between April and October this year, the study saw participation from 158 churches, ranging from small ones to megachurches, with a combined membership of 152,775. Calling this a step in the right direction, Lawrence Ko, national director of the centre, said: “The longstanding mindset of clergy and church-planters as the ones who are doing the real missionary work with educators, social service professionals, administrators, and other support staff as the second-class missionaries must be changed. “Business leaders and professionals along with clergy and mission workers who are adequately trained, must be seen as serving in missions at the same level responding to the calling of God in the field, touching lives and transforming communities as they reveal the glorious gospel of Christ.” Growing and greying And Singapore churches are getting more involved in missions than ever, with the missions force getting bigger and growing faster than church membership. The number of people involved in missions grew by more than 40% to 1,168 this year from 816 in 2014, when the last study was conducted. In the same period, the number of church members grew by just over 30%. As defined by the study, the missions force includes the following personnel who have been in their role for at least two years: Career missionaries sent by a church or mission agency serving outside Singapore Missions agency staff Missional professionals who are recognised as intentionally engaged in holistic missions within their vocational capacity Others: Christians who are involved in missions on a regular basis, including itinerant evangelists, pastors who travel regularly to do missions work, non-resident missionaries and those dedicated to missions at our doorstep. Short-term mission trippers are excluded. While the missions force is growing, it’s also ageing. Among the career missionaries, less than one in five are under 40 years old while more than one in three are aged 60 and above. Within the last decade, half of the missionaries are in their 50s and older, which meant they were first sent out in their 40s or later. David Tan, executive director at Wycliffe Singapore, attributes this late start in the mission field to Singaporeans’ pragmatic nature. “We tell ourselves and our children: Pursue your career, build up a nest egg and then serve God. So with that mindset, people are going full-time in their 50s,” said the former missionary. “Of course we want work and ministry experience but we want missionaries in their 30s who can chiong (charge ahead). Our values need to be transformed first before we can honestly tell our young people to ‘remember and serve their Creator in the days of their youth’ ( Ecclesiastes 12:1 ).” The silver lining is that while the next generation may not be signing up to be career missionaries, they are very much involved in mission as an “other”, according to the report. Some have been accompanying their pastors on mission trips five to six times a year to conduct training for locals while others intentionally reach out to migrant workers in Singapore. Short-term tripping In an attempt to capture a snapshot of the popularity of short-term mission trips in the Church, the study got churches to indicate the total number of trips and number of members involved for all of 2017 and 2018. Of the 158 churches, only four – all with fewer than 200 members – were not involved in any short-term trips. The majority (42%) sent out between one and five teams in those two years. In all, more than 1,400 short-term mission trips involving at least 6,600 members were made. The report went a step further and asked the churches to specify up to three desired outcomes for these trips. About half said the trips were for missions exposure while close to 40% said the teams went out to support existing partners or field work. With the pros and cons that such short-term trips bring, there are concerns over the pervasiveness of these trips among the churches surveyed. “There is no need to ‘keep up with the Joneses’, there is no need to be kiasu (afraid to lose),” cautioned Andrew Peh, missions lecturer at Trinity Theological College. “Ubiquity does not necessarily define utility; prevalent and popular is not to be uncritically assumed as principal and profitable.” The little red dot Singapore may be small in size but there are career missionaries, missional professionals and “others” in at least 35 countries. Including missions partnerships, the Church in Singapore is making missions impact in at least 42 countries, across every region of the world. And it’s important to look at these numbers as one part of a whole system, which is “the global Church with the whole Gospel to the whole world”, said Ng Su-ling, associate international director of Operation Mobilisation. She believes that God has given Singaporeans unique gifts to serve the global body of Christ in the areas of project management, planning and administration. “To collaborate well, one of the critical skills is to be able to understand what’s going on, distil it into a plan, implement it and administrate,” she explained. “Singaporeans might be called boring but it is a blessing to the global missions community when we bring that skillset to the table.” Currently, the bulk of the missions force, unsurprisingly, is in Southeast Asia and East Asia. The numbers remain low in West and Central Asia, as well as Africa. Only a third of the churches surveyed is involved in work among the unreached people groups (UPGs) – mainly church-planting but also in education and community development. It’s sobering to see that two thirds of the churches are not involved in UPG work at all. Of the ongoing UPG work, three of the five projects have lasted at least seven years, indicating that there has been limited take up of global UPG work in the last few years. The study also noted that the bulk of UPGs live in parts of the world where “the Church in Singapore has not been reaching in significant numbers”. Tan pointed out that UPGs are now usually located in creative access countries and are more resistant to the Gospel, so the reality in missions today is that there’s “no easy low-hanging fruit left”. “But Singaporeans are pragmatic, wanting quick results without pain, if that were possible. So this naturally leads to missionaries and resources being channelled to maturing fields, thus leaving the UPGs to remain unreached. “Are we willing to go to the hard places and people groups which will mean more pain and suffering, and which require a much longer time commitment before we can see results? “If we want to be an Antioch of Asia, then we need to be prepared to pay the price.” Those interested in getting a copy of the National Missions Study 2019 report can request for one from admin@scgm.org.sg Reproduced with permission from Salt&Light

by Bryony Lines As a member of the Nyra* storying team in Southeast Asia, Ruth has seen God transform many people’s lives through Bible stories. Her colleague June describes sharing the story of the fall with one woman. ‘I felt really satisfied. When I tested the first story, the old woman understood and thought about sin. Her children didn’t want to care for her, so she thought, “This is a result of sin.”’ Through this story, her worldview was beginning to change. Ruth and her colleagues often spend three or four days travelling by plane, bus, boat, car, and motorbike to run Bible storying workshops around their country. When their children were babies, they brought them along too. Between sessions, they support the workshop participants as they develop sets of oral Bible stories. This can be hard, especially in remote or mountainous areas with limited phone coverage. One of the major challenges is to encourage them to persevere, says Ruth’s teammate Timothy: ‘A good crafting process is necessary for a good story, but it is very difficult when they just want the product [the final story].’ As she continues to demonstrate God’s love for other people groups, Ruth prays for her husband’s people. He is from another ethnic minority, although it’s often considered part of the group she belongs to. After their son was born, she grew closer to her husband. It was then that she began to realise how much their languages and cultures diverged: ‘I noticed different word use, and cognitive differences.’ This people group already consider themselves Christians, she explains, but they mix their faith with the traditional religion. Using another language in church has led to lots of misunderstanding. People don’t realise that Jesus has power over everything, including spirits. ‘People in this area hold many beliefs,’ Ruth says. They believe in spirits of trees, mountain gods and many other spiritual forces. Parents don’t allow children outside after dark for fear that evil spirits will steal their young, vulnerable souls. And when a couple intends to marry, they kill a bull or pig and look at its innards to predict the future; a certain colour indicates a promising future and a healthy family, whereas another predicts death. A story for every occasion ‘To solve that is not so easy. But we can share a story to connect with them. To see that God is more powerful than what they are afraid of. For every point, we must have a [Bible] story: for the marriage ceremony, how God cares for children…’ This is an important part of the storying process. The team works with communities to identify issues they face, and helps them to select stories that address those issues. For example, in places where there is widespread fear of evil spirits, they might choose the story of Jesus restoring the man possessed by demons in Mark 5. They also make sure each complete set (usually around 30 stories) covers what a new believer should know. Story sets are told chronologically, and together make up one big story, the story of God redeeming humanity, from creation to new creation. When a story is approved, the local team records a master copy for future reference. They also begin running story fellowship groups, in which an oral Bible story is used for study and discussion. Group members also memorise the story to share with others. Ruth knows it will make a big difference to her husband’s people to be able to relate to God in their own language through stories and songs. This is a sensitive issue, though. Many people are not keen to use their own language in church. They feel it’s better to be part of the larger, more powerful group, and to use the same language, as there is strength in numbers. They are united with the larger group in one church denomination, so even the senior leaders are reluctant. Why do they need it? Members of the larger group are also cautious of anything that might cause division. ‘They speak our language,’ they say. ‘They understand everything. Why do they need anything else?’ But people clearly don’t understand everything. They don’t understand that Jesus is all they need, and so they mix religions. And there are other challenges when Christians don’t know the Bible well. ‘People don’t know how to share their faith with their children, let alone with non-believing neighbours,’ says regional director Nicholas. ‘It’s helpful to have something that encapsulates a key message, and that’s what Bible stories do.’ Several pastors have said they learnt more about the Bible in one of the week-long storying workshops than in three or four years at seminary. ‘It’s sad in a way,’ says American team member Rebekah, ‘but it really motivates us – not only is there a need for non-believers, but for Christians and pastors too.’ Timothy’s wife and teammate Sarah tells us that people say to her, ‘You are the wife of a pastor; you should go to seminary.’ ‘I say, “No need!”’ says Timothy, and everybody laughs. Sarah has memorised about 100 Bible stories in the course of her work. A story fellowship group So what are story fellowship groups like? Earlier this year, the team ran a session for a group of Wycliffe staff from the UK, including me, who were curious to experience it first-hand. Our first challenge: no taking notes. In an oral storying workshop, participants learn by listening and speaking. So we put our pens and our laptops away. Phoebe, another American team member, begins by telling the story of Elijah competing with the prophets of Baal to settle the question of who is the one true God. It’s a long one: 23 verses from 1 Kings 18:17–39. We’re supposed to remember all of this? But as Phoebe speaks, we see the story. We chuckle at Elijah’s taunts, and wince inwardly as the prophets of Baal cut themselves until they are covered in blood. The story closes with a hiss of steam and the smell of burning flesh as the Lord’s fire licks up Elijah’s sacrifice, the wood of the altar, and even the water in the trench. ‘And all the people fell to the ground and cried out, “Surely Elijah’s God is the one true God!”’ Phoebe finishes. ‘What did you like about the story?’ she asks, following the usual pattern. ‘I liked Elijah’s jokes,’ offers my colleague Matt. ‘I liked that God answered right away,’ adds Emma. The discussion continues: What didn’t you like about the story? What does it teach us about human beings? What does it tell us about God? How will you apply it to your life? This stage is about taking it into our hearts – understanding it emotionally as well as intellectually. To help participants learn the story, the team suggests various ways of retelling it – acting, drawing pictures, dancing... This step often helps reserved participants to warm up and join in, too. We scatter a pot of pens on the table and use them as puppets. ‘You troublemaker!’ the King Ahab says. ‘I’m not the troublemaker – you are!’ replies the Elijah pen. ‘You refuse to worship the Lord, the true God. And what’s more, you lead the people to worship the false god Baal.’ The props were helpful to us, but that’s not always the case. The team recalls one elderly lady who struggled to retell a story using pictures as prompts. ‘Try telling it without the pictures,’ they suggested. Putting the images aside, she told the story fluently. A true oral communicator, asking her to use pictures was like asking a professional cyclist to use stabilisers. Stunned silence The five women sat in stunned silence. For the last 10 days, they had been eagerly scrambling to be the first to try to retell the oral Bible story they had just heard from memory. But today was different. For the first time they were speechless, their minds whirring as they tried to understand what they’d just heard. Jesus...died? The Jesus they had heard amazing stories about...the Jesus who had just raised someone from the dead... ‘Why did he die when he was innocent?’ one woman finally asked. Timothy helped them remember parts of the stories they had learned previously, such as the one in which Isaiah talked about someone who would suffer and die for the sins of many people, sins he did not commit. Then they started remembering parts of other stories that pointed to Jesus’ death and its significance. These Buddhist women, who had only just learned their first Bible stories the previous week, were teaching each other to understand Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Their shock soon turned to amazement about how God had accurately foretold what took place at Jesus’ death. The next day, when they heard the resurrection story, they were even more surprised…he didn’t stay dead! This is not the kind of story they had expected. They begged Timothy to tell them what would happen next. But he said, ‘You’ll have to come back tomorrow.’ Beyond memorisation When we come to retelling the story, Ruth and I are partners. As I have never done this before, I go first. I try to get as close to Phoebe’s version as possible, running through the events like a checklist. Ruth points beyond memorisation, though. She explains that in storying workshops, they encourage participants to use their own words, to tell the story in a way that engages listeners, rather than just reciting it. The stories are deliberately crafted to be memorable. This helps to ensure each retelling is faithful to Scripture as the stories pass from person to person. But the real skill is to tell each Bible story in such a way that it kindles the imagination and stirs the heart. As teller and listener share God’s word, he transforms them both. After all, ‘the word of God is alive and active’. (Hebrews 4:12) Ruth longs for her husband’s people to experience this transformative relationship with Jesus. But for now she must move carefully. ‘I will just begin with the people who visit my home,’ she says. That’s a lot of people. They live near a hospital and seminary, so for about nine months a year, they have a mixture of short-term and long-term guests. She tells them about how the Lord has used her in this work. If they are curious, she is more than happy to tell Bible stories. Some of the younger, more junior church leaders are receptive to the idea of using their own language in church. They tend to be the ones visiting the seminary for training. ‘She takes time to invest in them,’ says Rebekah, ‘often using oral stories in their household devotion time in the evening. She has a long-term approach.’ After all, as Ruth says, they may be junior leaders now, ‘But one day, they will be the leaders.’ Wycliffe Singapore supports projects among some of these people groups. Click here if you wish to find out more or support such projects. *All the names in this story have been changed for security reasons. Reproduced with permission from Wycliffe UK.

by Wycliffe Global Alliance 7353 total languages in the world Total world population : 7.7 billion people Languages with Scripture 3384 languages with some Scripture – 6.9 billion people 698 languages with a complete Bible – 5.6 billion people 1548 languages with a complete New Testament (some also have Old Testament portions) – 786 million people 1138 languages with some translated Bible portions – 470 million people Languages with no Scripture 3969 languages with no Scripture – 252 million people. 707 languages have work in progress 1147 languages are not vital enough to plan translation work 2115 languages need translation (or preparatory work) to begin Bible translation need 1.5 billion people, speaking 6665 languages, do not have a full Bible in their first language. 171 million people, speaking 2115 languages, still need translation work to begin. Africa - 643 languages, 25 million people Americas - 123 languages, 3 million people Asia - 870 languages, 139 million people Europe - 64 languages, 4 million people Pacific – 415 languages, 0.5 million people Bible translation in progress 2617 languages in 161 countries with active translation or preparatory work begun – 5.4 billion people Wycliffe Global Alliance Involvement Snapshot 2019 Alliance Organizations are working in at least 1995 languages. Alliance Organizations are involved in work in at least 129 countries. Alliance Organizations have been involved in the translation of New Testaments or Bibles in at least 1419 languages. Alliance Organizations have been involved in the translation of at least one published Bible book in an additional 766 languages. Working in community partnerships, Alliance personnel not only assist in Scripture-related goals but also help produce resources for literacy, education, health and other community-based objectives alongside Scripture. Statistics are rarely as simple as the numbers imply Translation need is not as simple as determining which languages do or do not have Scripture. Most of the languages with only “some Scripture” are in need of more, and even full Bibles undergo revisions from time to time. See Bible Translation Statistics FAQ: Going Deeper for background explanation of what these statistics “mean.” A new way of measuring Bible Translation Progress Statistics provide one lens through which to measure progress in worldwide Bible translation. Progress involves not just publishing translations but changed lives as people encounter God through his Word and as the worldwide Bible translation movement moves toward greater unity in Christ. Alliance leaders have begun to explore other important measurements of progress such as: How are language communities experiencing life-changing impact from Scripture? Are churches increasingly taking ownership over the work of Bible translation? Are churches, communities, and organizations partnering more effectively to carry out the work of translation together? These are just a few examples of measurements being talked about. To read more, see: A missiology of progress: Assessing advancement in the Bible translation movement by Dr. Kirk Franklin. Wycliffe Global Alliance presentations of Scripture and Language Statistics are compiled from data provided through progress.Bible by Wycliffe Organisations, SIL International, United Bible Societies and many other partners. Data is current as of 1 October 2019. Population data is based on available information about first language speakers in SIL’s Ethnologue. Further stories about people and projects are available at www.wycliffe.net and from your nearest Wycliffe organisation . Reproduced with permission from Wycliffe Global Alliance

Nearly 100 people turned up for a family day of fun activities on 2 November 2019 to mark the 36th anniversary of Wycliffe Singapore. To engage even the younger members of each family, a children’s programme was included to help everyone in the family discover that missions can be for anyone! The day's programme included a buffet lunch for mingling, workshops, and sharing about projects. Guests were rewarded with chocolates for correct answers if they could answer questions about Wycliffe and missions correctly! Guests chose two out of three workshops: Craft a Bible story in Singlish – hands-on experience of story-crafting in clear, accurate and natural language. Linguistics taster – phonetics, grammar and more! Power tools for language learning – tips for picking up a new language. While their parents were attending the workshops, the children were involved with Bible-related activities such as stories, games, arts and craft, and even balloon twisting! Some feedback from guests: "Super impressed by how intentional everything was, all linking to the big idea of God's word. Teachers were great and passionate!" "It was good to learn more about Wycliffe's work, and the workshops were engaging." "The event was an eye-opener! I learnt about C.A.N. (Clear, Accurate and Natural) when telling a Bible story, while making it relevant and culturally appropriate."

In order to proclaim God’s Word on Orchid Island, Taiwan, the Tao churches work together with three organizations to record their audio New Testament. God Speaks to Me from Wycliffe Global Alliance on Vimeo .

The first known example of graffiti in the Bamunka language of Cameroon, a language Wycliffe workers helped write down for the first time. It reads: ‘I’ve gone to bed.’ Wycliffe’s vision is to end Bible poverty, so that all people can engage with the Bible in their own language. We know that having the Bible changes lives. We also see how the work of Bible translation, which includes writing down the language of some of the most marginalised people on earth, often for the first time, as well as teaching people to read and write, also changes lives. A roadside poster in the Lunyole language of Uganda, a language Wycliffe was involved in writing down for the first time. It reads: ‘Dispose of all faeces in a pit latrine to prevent diseases.’ Without Wycliffe’s translation work health messages like this wouldn’t exist in Lunyole. The effects of this ripple out beyond Christians and churches to touch the lives of whole communities. When people learn to read and write their language it means that: They can communicate in new ways and access technology they had been cut off from Gain new opportunities to get work Learn their legal rights, so that it is harder for corrupt officials to abuse them Women and girls are empowered Education is transformed Parents can read the correct dosage of medicine to give their children Poverty has many faces – spiritual, economic, social, and physical. Watch this video to see how Bible translation plays a part in reducing them all: That is why Wycliffe works so that everyone still waiting for the Bible can experience the transformation God brings through his word. And also benefit from the wider ripple effects that come through each translation. Reproduced with permission from Wycliffe UK

by Erin

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. (Matthew 13:34) Jesus Teaches the People by the Sea by James Tissot, Wikimedia Commons. Why Tell Stories? Who doesn’t love a good story? Storytelling is an age-old art form that teaches about the human experience. When we hear a story, our thinking, emotions, and imagination are engaged, as if we were in the story. It affirms or challenges our beliefs and perceptions by showing us how other people think. It encourages discussion and application of the lessons. And telling stories is an easy way to start sharing the best story of all — the great biblical narrative of God’s plan for Man and the world. Bible storytelling is not new — Jesus himself constantly told parables (stories) using everyday settings, characters and language to teach spiritual truths. Why Oral Stories? Many of those Jesus taught were illiterate or had limited literacy. He did not ask them to brush up their reading skills while he wrote down his teachings! He taught them in the way they could learn best — through stories told orally. Both the Old and New Testaments existed in oral form for years (even centuries, in the case of the OT) before being written down. Researchers have extrapolated from literacy statistics and concluded that over 70% of the world’s population today still relies mainly on oral means to receive information. There are also cultures which have a stronger preference for oral communication over written. Let me make it clear that I still believe that reading and studying the scripture are important for discipleship, and those who desire to really understand God’s will and character should ideally study the written scriptures for themselves. Neither is it my view that a collection of stories should be considered an adequate substitute for the whole Bible. Every storying project hopes that hearing Bible stories will create in the listeners a hunger and thirst for more of God’s word, and that every people group will eventually have the whole Bible in their language. However, for non-believers who have low levels of literacy or motivation to read, or those with learning or physical disabilities that make reading difficult, hearing stories is a more accessible way to encounter God’s word. There are also those who simply prefer to hear rather than to read. Even in highly literate societies like Singapore, it is still much more effective to share the gospel in speech rather than with a tract, and there is a strongly felt need to share orally with the elderly in a Chinese dialect, or with migrant workers in their own language. Written vs Oral Communication Why not just read the Bible aloud? This suggestion overlooks the distinct differences between oral and textual communication. A written text tends to be more precise, sophisticated and formal. It appeals to more literate and highly motivated readers. However, reading a written text aloud is not a very effective means of communication as listeners are likely to find it boring and will probably forget much of what they hear. In contrast, spoken communication transmits meaning more effectively. Spoken words and sentences are usually less complex and more natural, and supported by non-verbal cues such as intonation, facial expressions and gestures. Listeners learn by engaging their imaginations and emotions to make sense of what they hear. Storytelling in Missions As we seek to reach unreached people groups to “make disciples of all nations”, we have to use methods of communication that fit with their culture and traditions. Bible stories are most effective when they are told, not just orally, but also in the style used for important, true stories in that culture, and may involve music, drama and dance as well. All storying programmes share a few elements in common: the stories must communicate scriptural truth accurately, be clear in its meaning, be told in a natural manner in the heart language of the hearer, and use a culturally appropriate style. “Story sets” comprising anything from 20 to 100 or more stories are carefully chosen from across the Bible, and are intended to give listeners an overview of the great truths of the Bible. Understanding the host culture will also guide the choice of stories. For example, stories illustrating the power of God over evil spirits have proven very effective in animistic cultures. As the stories are crafted, they are repeatedly checked, tested and revised for clarity, accuracy and naturalness until they are judged to be ready for wider use. Bible storytellers are expected to remain faithful to the original meaning and not add or subtract from the contents of each story, and they practise until they can tell each story consistently and accurately. With modern technology, a recording of a “master version” can be stored for reference, and as more people learn the stories, they will be able to check and correct one another. In the mission field, stories are often told or performed in small group settings followed by a discussion about the story. In this way, the stories involve the hearers’ emotions and imagination, and help them understand more about God and themselves. They are then encouraged to learn to retell the story so they can share them with their friends and relatives. This has proven to be an effective and non-threatening method of evangelism and discipleship, with the potential to develop into a full-blown translation project. After all, everyone loves a good story!

Bible translation truly begins when someone starts praying for the work! If your heart’s desire is to pray for people without Scripture, below are a few prayer points to help you get started: PRAY FOR THE MESSAGE In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. — John 1:1 (NLT) Pray that the last languages of the world would receive the Scriptures in whatever form they need them. Ask God to provide every person in the world with his Word. Pray for quality translations that speak meaningfully to the hearts of Bibleless people. PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him — though he is not far from any one of us. — Acts 17:27 (NLT) Pray that Bibleless people would hunger and thirst for God’s Word in a language and form that speaks to their hearts. Pray that Bibleless people would engage with Scripture once it is translated and that their lives would be transformed by the power of the gospel. PRAY FOR PERSONNEL So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. — Matthew 9:38 (NLT) Pray for more language and support workers around the world to be called, trained and sent. PRAY FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE TASK Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. — Philippians 2:16 (NLT) Pray for perseverance and that those involved in Bible translation would not grow weary or give up before the work is complete. Reproduced with permission from Wycliffe US (PDF)