We are pleased to announce partnership with Accord, “a network for learning, collaboration and building unity around the shared vision of eliminating poverty.”

We at ION are looking forward to collaborating with Accord Network in integral mission among oral preference learners. Many of the worlds’ poor are also oral preference learners. We believe that the combined strengths of both networks can increase the effectiveness of our service as we learn from and strengthen one another.

To learn more about Accord Network, go to: accordnetwork.org

It is hard to believe, but we are into the last 90 days of 2015! It is encouraging to see many more intercessors from many different regions of the globe connecting as we listen to the Bible in 90 Days and pray for those remaining people groups that still do not have Scripture in their heart language. [http://www.orality.net/weekly_prayer_focus]

As we close out the year, we look back over the last few months to see monumental shifts within ION. We remember back to David Swarr coming on board as he led us in a call for the prayer initiative of 50 days from Easter to Pentecost. It was a season of stopping to listen. Since that time, we have seen a myriad of answers to prayer in the different regional areas where orality work has been ongoing, and where now great breakthroughs are happening.

This is a new day in collaboration and unity. We want to bear witness and acknowledge God’s activity in allowing us to see with new eyes what is going on across regions.

Let’s recap what we prayed for and how God has and is continuing to answer. Believe with us for more of God. We took the seven weeks to pray for a fresh, historic outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon ION. We asked for a new anointing of the body of Christ to bring the Gospel to those who still wait to hear…in a way they can really understand and receive. We prayed specifically for the following:

1. Listen afresh
2. Looking out & seeking potential stakeholders who may not yet be a part of the network, but who have a desire to be connected
3. Focus our listening to really hearing the dreams, visions and aspirations you and others have for the movement
4. Explore the felt needs that the network should be serving. Who is still in need of Scripture?
5. Discover God’s view by focusing on a broad circle of those from around the globe who would like to contribute
6. See the potential of the orality movement and recognizing the next generation
7. Serve effectively. Stewarding the sacred gift of orality, so that the network can serve the Church with increasing effectiveness, fostering and encouraging a global orality movement to disciple oral learners

We rejoice for the new. May even more of this new be unfolded into the upcoming months. As we look into the future, believe with us for greater capacity and facilitation in each of the different regions of orality, to function within the context of the more – more being involved, more capacity, more effectiveness and more regions fully set for where God is leading.

Pray with us, from Ephesians 3:14-21: “Now unto Him WHO IS ABLE TO DO IMMEASURABLY MORE than we can ask or imagine. According to HIS POWER that is at WORK WITHIN US. . .”

For ION the past months have been a time of transition and preparation for a new season of great opportunity. We look forward to building on the amazing foundations that have been laid in ION for over more than 10 years of history. Yet although what has already been accomplished is truly remarkable, as we look at the fields ready for harvest, there is still a huge amount to be done.

How can we prepare the way for the next wave of global missions where orality will be a major focus, as over 80 percent of the world are oral learners?  We recognize that this will only be accomplished through cooperative effort between those who are able to generate and supply resources and those who are closest to the need and can communicate in local languages.  Our objective is therefore to influence the body of Christ to make disciples of oral learners by becoming truly global as a network.

We are excited to share new stories and updates with you soon, and being more connected to the ministries and services in which you are involved!

Dr. David Swarr
Executive Director, ION

Dr. David Swarr recently visited Serampore College near Calcutta, India to explore potential collaborative initiatives between the college's theology department and ION. Serampore was established by William Carey, the Father of Modern Missionary Movement, along with Joshua Marshman and William Ward in 1818. Since then the College has gained worldwide reputation as a unique educational institution.

William Carey laid a foundation for orality by working among oral populations using oral methodologies in his lifetime. Building on that, Serampore is now launching degree programs that will include training in orality principles and practices. In the past month, Dr. Swarr met with the leadership of the leadership of the institution to discuss the possibility of hosting an ION Orality Consultation and Forum, and tentative dates have been set for January 2017. We are excited about this emerging collaboration. More will be announced soon!

Pentecost (May 24th) – 50 days… Easter to Pentecost 7 weeks/7 topics

To Listen to Acts 2 or for a free download: https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Acts.2

 

Acts 2 Coming of the Holy Spirit

 

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord^[a] in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

 

The Crowd’s Response

 

And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,  Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”

 

Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”

 

Peter’s Sermon

 

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.
I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.’^[b]

 

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken^[c] by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; ²⁴ whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. For David says concerning Him:

‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face,
For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad;
Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.
For You will not leave my soul in Hades,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’^[d]

 

“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.  Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,^[e] he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.

 

“For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:

‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’^[f]

 

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

 

A Vital Church Grows

 

And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly^[g] received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

 

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church^[h] daily those who were being saved.

 

Source: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%202%20&version=NKJV

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What God used Jesus to began, continues still to today. It has been said there is a real sense in which the Book of Acts continues to be written today. Not in an authoritative Scriptural sense; but in the sense of God’s continued work in the world by His Spirit, through His church.  “The Acts of the Apostles should therefore be studied mainly for this double purpose: first, to trace our Lord’s unseen but actual continuance of his divine teaching and working; and, secondly, to trace the active ministry of the Holy Spirit as the abiding presence in the church.” “The ‘promise of the Father’ now became also the promise of the Son.” (A.T. Pierson)

 

Between the promise of the Messiah (even the latest of those promises) and his coming many ages intervened; but between the promise of the Spirit and his coming there were but a few days; and during those days the apostles, though they had received orders to preach the gospel to every creature, and to begin at Jerusalem, yet lay perfectly wind-bound, incognito—concealed, and not offering to preach. But in this chapter the north wind and the south wind awake, and then they awake, and we have them in the pulpit presently. This was to signify the powerful influences and operations of the Spirit of God upon the minds of men, and thereby upon the world, that they should be mighty through God, to the casting down of imaginations.  (Matthew Henry)

___________________________________

 

Let us pray: Lord give a fresh, historic outpouring of the Holy Spirit, upon Your body of Christ. We ask You to pour out afresh, on International Orality Network and ION Partners, so that we might fulfill our call to Influence the body of Christ to make disciples of all oral learners. We are asking as we seek You, that we would Influence the body of Christ to bring the Gospel to those oral peoples, unengaged unreached people groups, and oral Bible-less who still wait to hear the saving message of Jesus Christ in a way that they can really understand and receive.

 

As we close out these 50 days of prayer, we ask for Global Positioning, for Next Generation -- "students and young adults", for Media-ization -- "getting the Story out" and for a Maintaining the centrality of all we do to be the Bible -- The WORD. 

 

Just as it is written in Acts 2:17-21, Lord, we pray “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. Show us Your wonders, O Lord in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’"

Lord, give us a fresh, historic outpouring of the Holy Spirit, so that ION might fulfill the call. In this also we ask for a NEW anointing as we seek to Influence the body of Christ to make disciples of all oral learners. Lord bring the Gospel to all Oral Peoples, Unengaged Unreached People Groups, and Oral Bible-less who still wait to hear the saving message of Jesus Christ, in a way that they can REALLY understand and receive.

We rejoice as Pentecost begins at Sunset today. Lord send a fresh outpouring over Your body!

May this be our prayer for the body of Christ!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Join in praying for the body of Christ to recognize where we are and where God is drawing us to be into the future for Revelation 5:9 & 7:9.  State of the World – Global Frontiers Missions via vimeo.com  Watch at: https://vimeo.com/127875015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As sunset falls and Pentecost 2015 begins across the face of the earth, we pray united. . . May we be found faithful. . . continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. . . Amen

 

·      The disciples did what they could do, relying first on God. Let us be people of the Word doing what we can do, relying first on God alone, that the world might hear and see His Story in a way that they might receive.

 

Week 7 (May 17-23) -- Serving Effectively, Stewarding the Sacred Gift -- Join in prayer that the network can serve the Church with increasing effectiveness, fostering and encouraging a global orality movement to disciple all oral learners.

As the Orality Movement of ION moves into the coming days, we are joining in prayer for more effectiveness. May we ask together how to foster and encourage a global orality movement to disciple all oral learners. At the core is maintaining the centrality of all we do to be the Bible -- The WORD is key to God's movement in orality.

Yet so many still do not have the WORD in their heart language and so many still do not have someone devoted to trust God for the way to bring the Good News of the Gospel in a way they can really understand.

​    

  Here we are in the last week leading up to Pentecost. Just as the disciples had to be ready to receive, we must be ready to receive. The disciples would not have been able to move forward if not for the waiting and the receiving. After the Holy Spirit came, the disciples moved from the upper room. From that time forward, they moved into the practice of serving and stewarding the sacred gift. Jesus was now in them, in Spirit and in power.

“‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ - Acts 2:17-21

Jesus was quoting from -Joel 2:28-32 “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls."

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we remember Jesus' command for them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait: Jesus had nothing else for the disciples to do other than to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit (the Promise of the Father). Jesus knew that they really could do nothing effective for the Kingdom of God until the Spirit came.

·      To wait means that it was worth waiting for.

·      To wait means that they had a promise it would come.

·      To wait means they must receive it; they couldn’t create it themselves.

·      To wait means that they would be tested by waiting, at least a little.

Source: Enduring Word Commentary ​http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/4401.htm

Can you imagine what it must have been like that last week as Jesus had ascended and now they were in the upper room waiting as instructed? They were willing to wait for the promise of God to come. Will we be willing to wait and receive. For just as the disciples received, we also must receive. Let us be willing to watch and pray as we wait, believing that as the Holy Spirit comes, He will guide.

  Pentecost is coming

Let us pray:

Lord, we come acknowledging that in the days ahead, we desire to see the network serve the Church with increasing effectiveness, fostering and encouraging a global orality movement to disciple all oral learners. We pray that as ION moves into the coming days, that you would draw us to join together in continued prayer for more effectiveness.

We ask together how it might look to foster and encourage a global orality movement to influence the body of Christ to disciple all oral learners. We also plead that you will keep us true to you and at the core of everything, to maintain the centrality of all we do to be the Bible -- for the WORD is key to God's movement in orality.

Asking that you put a love for those who still wait in our hearts. We ask you to use us. Allow us to be effective, willing stewards of the sacred gift. While there are still many who do not have the WORD in their heart language, we pray. And where there are still so many who do not have someone devoted to trust God for the way to bring the Good News of the Gospel in a way they can really understand to them, we pray.

Just as Jesus had compassion, we pray also, " When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” -Matthew 9:36-39

Father, GIVE US YOUR COMPASSION, AND SEND THE WORKERS INTO YOUR HARVEST FIELDS.

Father, SEND A FRESH DESIRE such as was with the disciples in Acts. A desire to pray, to receive. For in the receiving, we will have a greater ability to be stewards of the sacred gift. To be disciples who do what Jesus did.

  Finally we plead for a new sense of maintaining the centrality of all we do to be the Bible -- The WORD.

Allowing for everyone to have the WORD in their heart language is key to God's movement on the earth.

·      The disciples did what Jesus did. Let us be people of the Word doing what Jesus did.

[*Please note: This information will be posted in the ION Blog section of the website http://orality.net/blog ]

http://ionprayer.com/2015/05/18/week-7-may-17-23-serving-effectively-stewarding-the-sacred-gift/ 

Week 6 (May 10-16) --Seeing the Potential -- Recognizing the potential of the orality movement that lies within the next generation. 

​ Here we are at Week 6... Waiting had become the new normal for the disciples and the 120 gathered in the upper room. Pondering this week the end of what they were waiting for... ​

​Remembering in this 6th week, Jesus would have ascended and the disciples would have found themselves in the middle of Acts 1:8 and the beginning of the last 10 days to the Day of Pentecost. ​

Just before The Ascension into heaven, a very important instruction was given...

Then He said to them, 'Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day . . . Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.' -Luke 24:46, 49

Jesus instructed the disciples to 'tarry' in Jerusalem. The Greek word for tarry translated is kathizo [Strong's Concordance #G2523], which means to sit down. Jesus was instructing the restless disciples to relax and wait in Jerusalem until they received the power of God. After that is when they could go out and preach the gospel to the world with effectiveness!

Acts 1:1-11 Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven
1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."​

Seeing this in a movie format is really powerful. If you have not yet seen this section of Scripture, there is one that is very well done. Here is the link for the A.D. The Bible Continues - The Ascension of Jesus (5 minute Episode Highlight), it is worth the time. Click: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgS6Hdvi8Jw

The disciples were full of questions, full of wondering what was to come... Yet, it is quite telling that in this portion of Scripture, as Jesus spoke to them --what He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

He knew the plan. He just needed them to submit to the plan and have the want to follow and obey. It was upon them and the coming time was now with them, when a new generation was to take the lead. The potential of this group was worth the time that Jesus had invested in them. The Father knew what they could do. The same is true for today. We too, need to step into place and be ready to see the next generation be ready to carry the message. It will take some transition of mindsets, it will take time. But it is coming. It will also take a willingness for us to be ready to receive those that God is touching for such a time as this. JD Payne recently wrote and did a podcast on the Power of the Ordinary.  Check it out and see if it strikes a note in your heart for what God might be doing.

May we be willing to allow our extraordinary God to use the power of the ordinary to bring about His plan and purposes. We too must be willing to just follow and obey, even when we do not know the plan.

ION has been in a season of waiting and praying during this 50 days to Pentecost. Are you getting a sense of expectation as to what is to come? It will take all of us standing together, in faith. Ready to receive. . . It will take a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit to carry His message into the hardest and toughest places on the earth that are left. The body of Christ is well equipped at this time, the same way they were in the first century. Let's pray that we will work together in monumental ways and step up to trust Him and believe that He will move.

Let us pray: Recognizing the power of following the King. Seeing the potential of the orality movement that lies within the ordinary that allow the extraordinary God to work. We pray now for the next generation. Acknowledging for the distant near future of the time when they must take the lead. We are asking for a greater portion of trust in you and in your purposes. We are so grateful for the generations that have gone before us. Let us, with a grateful heart pray for those that are being set in place to serve into the future. Fully trusting in God's ability to draw people to Himself -John 6:44. Trusting as God reveals spiritual truth -Matt. 16:17; John 14:26; 16:13. Standing firm that God convicts about sin -John 16:8-9. Bowing down in humble submission as God convicts about righteousness and brings His own into right standing -John 16:8,10. Knowing that He is just and will bring conviction about judgment -John 16:8,11. Give us the mind of Christ and the desire to ask for the vision of God. Lord help us to receive those that are going to be needed in this next season. Bring those with technology skills and gifts of teaching. Bring those who are oral learners and who will understand the centrality of the WORD in everything. Let us have the common sense, a sanctified common sense to know the times. We are in need of different skill-sets and the need to pass on the skill-sets that are currently in place. We are asking for a great portion of desire to see the generations walk together into the future. May these coming years be known as a new phenomena and modeling of the generations serving side by side in every nation. For your glory Father we pray.

·      The disciples used ordinary sanctified common sense. Let us be people of the Word, using ordinary sanctified common sense.

[*Please note: This information will be posted in the ION Blog section of the website http://orality.net/blog ]

http://ionprayer.com/2015/05/10/week-6-may-10-16-seeing-the-potential/

Week 5 (May 3-9) -- Discover God's View -- Focus on hearing from a broader circle of those from around the globe who would like to contribute.

This 5th week, can we wonder together how the disciples and those who had become accustomed to being with Jesus might have been doing as the reality was setting in. Most of their time with Jesus was filled with moving about among the people. Moving as Jesus moved. That meant going to a broader circle of those who had not yet been with him. His desire to go and be with those who did not yet know of God's love for them. Can we imagine and pray for a deeper longing for the body of Christ for that same thing in this current time?  It is very possible, but we must believe! Back in the weeks that followed the Resurrection, the believers had to make a transition. They had to come to a point of a reality check. They were going to have to go to where they had never been before. Along the way, just as was the case for Jesus. The reality check of the Father's will is priority. When he arrived the people had already heard of him and were most times waiting. The Media-ization --"getting the Story out" was happening without our even as much as a marketing department. As the disciples were still moving about, did they recognize that the task of ssharing God's story now fell on them? What a place to be... yet they did not yet have the power that Jesus had spoken to them about. But, they did and would always have had, the testimony of having been with Him.

Let us pray: Focus on hearing from a broader circle of those from around the globe would like to contribute.

​Father, stir our hearts for a love for Your people, Your believers around the globe. May we be focusing on hearing from a broader circle of those around the globe. Those who are wanting to contribute and yet seem to be so far away in the area of being able to contribute. Open our awareness of Your power. Pour out Your Spirit upon us to be ready willing and able to reach out to listen and hear from a broader circle. Lord, let us as 1 Peter 4:8-11 shows:

[*Please note: This information will be posted in the ION Blog section of the website http://orality.net/blog ]

http://ionprayer.com/2015/05/01/week-5-may-3-9-discover-gods-view/

Beyond Literate Western Practices: Continuing Conversations in Orality and Theological Education

Samuel E. Chiang and Grant Lovejoy, eds,, International Orality Network in cooperation with Capstone Enterprises, 2014.

Reviewed by Lynn Thigpen, IMB missionary, Southeast Asia; PhD student, Intercultural Education, Biola University

One dissertation writer in the field of orality calls the gap between oral learners and the highly literate an abyss. As someone working in that “abyss,” I appreciate when the highly literate minister comes alongside the oral majority and share best practices. Continuing to promote awareness for integrating theological education with the needs of oral learners, editors Samuel Chiang and Grant Lovejoy provide papers from the International Orality Network’s 2014 meeting of practitioners working across the globe. The book first gives case studies and current practices in formal and non-formal settings, then addresses affirming oral leaders, exploring worldviews, and implementing oral strategies.

What intrigues me about these twenty-one papers and responses? On a global scale, practitioners and researchers in the field of orality are progressively widening their scope to include ethnodoxology, the arts, ministry in the unwritten language of the deaf, various modes of education, such as problem-based education, case studies, and dialogue, and other creative ideas. They continue to raise awareness of honor/shame issues, the need for increased cooperation with national partners, and sensitivity to worldviews.

In his ministry with the deaf, Sauter recounts storying through church history. Dinkins laments the omission of oral strategies in church history studies. Coppedge urges sensitivity, using print materials when people value the appearance of literacy but prefer oral methods. Overstreet conducts levels of holistic leadership training, and Bekker desires a learning community “where the primary focus is mentoring rather than lecturing, and where the intended outcome is a transformed and empowered life, not a degree” (p. 4).

In the midst of these good ideas, I have a few questions. One paper gives a definite plea for assistance integrating oral methods in their Bible college curriculum. How will ION answer the challenge? Another paper discusses third-party evaluations. How are those implemented? One writer gives a plea to “recognize pathologies present in verbal communications.” If there are pathologies in speaking, what are the cancers to be avoided in writing? For instance, with a lack of face-to-face interaction in the email world, misunderstandings abound. The pathologies apply to any spoken communication. After reading this and several other papers, I feel clarification is needed regarding the scope of the field.

A number of papers lament lack of curriculum and express concerns over accreditation and assessment, as well as the literate bias of theological education. I appreciate the problems raised in this work, but look forward to additional scholarly research that provides answers, including more case studies of best practices. May there be countless others who join forces with ION, enter the exciting world of the “abyss,” and emerge with even more nuggets of truth on how to teach oral learners more effectively and how to integrate orality into theological education.
 

A weekly book review delivered to you from Missio Nexus
Review provided courtesy of
The Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College
and Evangelical Mission Quarterly

Week 4 (April 26-May 2) -- Exploring Needs -- Exploring the felt needs that the network should be serving. Everyone at Pentecost heard the Word proclaimed in their own heart language. Who is still in need of Scripture? Week 4  (April 26-May 2) --Exploring the felt needs that the network should be serving. Everyone at Pentecost heard the Word proclaimed in their own heart language. Who is still in need of Scripture? 

Did you know?

1,900+ people groups do not have ONE VERSE of Scripture.

How many Bibles do you have?
Praying for the Bible-less Oral Peoples. ‪#‎makingdisciples‬ 

This past year, the ION Prayer Teams have been discovering how many people groups do not have access or very little access to the Word of God. How can they know of Him without His Word? Groups/Partners within the realm of ION have been working tirelessly to bring awareness of the need for more Scripture translations. We must be willing to ask the Lord of the Harvest how we are to pray at this time. With so much work that has been done to date, there is still so much need. In recent years ION released a Declaration calling on the Body of Christ to expand the reach by making the entire Word of God available to every person who can hear... to devote energies and strategies and resources to provide all oral learners any and every available audio portion of God's Word in their heart language.

 

 

 

 

If you are reading this blog, you are one of those who probably has  access to a Bible in your own heart language.

Still so many Scripture translations are still needed.

 

Did you know that there is a need for 72 languages to have Scripture in their own heart language in the Americas?

Check out this map and see the need... 1,900+ do not have one verse. ‪#‎NotOneVerse‬ ‪#‎makingdisciples‬

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What are we doing to bring the Gospel to those who have little to no access to the Word of God? Those who are oral learners?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The International Orality Network's vision and mission is to influence the Body of Christ to make disciples of all oral learners. We believe that the foundation of discipleship is the shaping by, and obedience to, the Word of God. We believe it is the inalienable right and privilege of every person, including every oral learner, to have access to the Word of God in their own heart language and in a media format they understand.

We now call upon the Body of Christ to expand the reach of this revolution by making the entire Word of God available to every person who can hear. We call upon the Church today to embrace engagement of the audio Scripture among oral learners with great urgency! We call upon the Church to engage all unengaged, unreached people groups and to place into their hands any and every available audio portion of God’s Word in their heart language.  We call upon the Body of Christ to devote energies, strategies, and resources to provide access for all oral learners to engage the entire Word of God through audio-digital means, so that every tribe, every tongue, and every people group may hear, understand, and have the opportunity to respond!

- See more at: http://orality.net/declaration 

Let us pray: Exploring the felt needs that the network should be serving. Everyone at Pentecost heard the Word proclaimed in their own heart language. Who is still in need of Scripture? How can we empower the movement of more to step into getting Scripture to every heart language? God call us to prayer. God call us to fast and pray. God call us to a new season of awareness and accountability. Allow your workers, your laborers to work together in unprecedented ways. We ask You, O Lord, to make a way where there seems to be now way in some cases to allow Scripture for every people. We ask for the WayMaker to show Himself mighty on behalf of those who still wait to hear. Father help us to recognize our need as a network to connect to each other, to pray for one another and come alongside one another. You are looking for willing vessels, Lord allow us to be ready to be emptied to be filled with the power from on high for such a time as this. Lord, pour out Your Spirit over us. In Jesus Name. Amen

·      The disciples were in the Scriptures. Let us be people of the Word, in the Word.

Pray with us for all our ION Partners and Individuals. This picture is only a small number of those connected to Orality.

[*Please note: This information will be posted in the ION Blog section of the website http://orality.net/blog ]

http://ionprayer.com/2015/04/27/week-4-april-26-may-2-exploring-needs/