What Would Happen if...
- A common goal of this OneStory partnership of mission agencies is to develop worldview-sensitive, chronological Bible “story-sets” for each specific group, which is the first step in planting a church.
- These story-sets (typically 40-60 stories in the first two years), are taught to a group of mother-tongue speakers, and then recorded. These story-sets form the beginnings of a culturally relevant oral Bible to be told and retold. These aren't allegories or flannel board stories. They are straight from the Bible, but might have to be presented differently (maybe with a rhythmic style) and wisely (for example, selecting Bible sections for a people group who's world-view is dominated by fear or shame) . As these stories are woven together, the people are clearly hearing the gospel.
- After this initial set of stories is developed, the storyers are taught another 40-60 stories that build a base for discipleship, then another 40-60 stories on biblical leadership.
We're seeing that as people are hearin
g these stories communicated in “their way”, whole families and villages are coming to faith, are starting village churches using these stories, and are reproducing them in the surrounding communities as they go out themselves to tell the stories.
Sounds an awful lot like the Book of Acts.
This partnership of multiple mission agencies is only three years old, but already has 50 Quest teams sent out. The vision is to send out teams to 5,000 unreached people groups by 2020.
What if each of these people groups got into God's Word and the Word got into them?