The What and Why of Orality

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Orality - What & Why

Simply The Story is part of a larger movement of ministries seeking to address the need for reaching and discipling those who cannot or prefer not to learn from written materials. In this Video, Dr. Larry Dinkins, a longtime STS instructor and Operation Mobilization missionary to Thailand, explains the need for oral teaching methods and how ministries like Simply The Story are meeting this need.

Summer Camp Bible Story Challenge

I recently ventured to girls camp as their missionary and enjoyed teaching the girls how to learn Bible stories. The girls as young as 9, 10 and 11 learned a couple of Bible stories and were greatly impacted by the Lord through His Word. Some of these girls had lost brothers, mothers, and loved ones and were open to share during our discussion time.

The older girls and even the camp counselors accepted the call for a contest to learn the longest Bible story they could in just a couple of days. The winner...? Judges chapter 6 & 7. The most accurate, the whole book of Jonah. The biggest winners were all the girls as they shared how the Bible spoke to them through out the week.

They say I blessed them and taught them, but the opposite holds true as I’m now a richer woman for having spent time with these young ladies! For anyone interested in sending your children or grand children to this camp in Maine, contact the office. We are also available to help train staff in STS.

Bible Story Opportunities

Our team in the Middle East continues to meet every Saturday online. The recent Bible story had people from central Asia, New Zealand and India.

Understanding Bible for 1st Time

Our STS instructors just finished training a group of the Toposa people in South Sudan. Fourteen leaders were raised and now they are establishing oral Bible schools in the region. The lead instructor wrote about the Toposa people, "This people group is not widely reached and do not respond well to the Bible! I was told even the ones in the church are mostly not converted! But today some of them started giving testimonies of how for the first time they understand the Bible and how the stories of Martha and Mary and Rock One [Exodus 17:1-7] addressed their spiritual issues.

Raising Storytellers

Irma spread her hands, encompassing the group. She was sharing the story of John the Baptist, and she was asking a question about the story to promote discussion. When someone participates in a story, the story comes alive in the person’s heart, and it is easily remembered. Remembering God’s Word is good for the soul!

Irma asked a question. “The story says God the Father sent John before Jesus to prepare the way. What might we observe about the Father’s character that He would send someone to prepare the way for His Son?” Someone answered, “The Father was investing in the Son’s success.” Others started to comment on the same theme; we had a fulfilling discussion.

One of the tools we use in Mexico to prepare people for ministry is STS to train them to tell Bible stories. We invest in their success in sharing the Word of God by teaching them how to tell the stories of the Bible with passion, how to ask questions, and how to listen carefully to people’s answers and respond to them.

In July, we trained about twenty people to tell Bible stories with STS. After three Saturdays of training, we asked them to continue to meet once a month to practice this new method of sharing God’s stories. In August, eight storytellers came to our home to practice their stories and continue their training in an STS advanced course. All day Saturday, we listened to Bible stories and participated in discussions. “Washed in the Word” takes on new meaning when you get to hear the Word and discuss it with others. Please pray for us as we invest in our storytellers one Saturday each month!