We want to help people learn easy ways to share the hope and love of Christ with their neighbors in the midst of this crisis. People are searching for hope right now, and as Christians, we have an opportunity to share the one true source of hope with them. This series is meant to do just that — to share the hope of Jesus through looking at specific stories in the Bible.
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” — 1 Peter 3:15
The Content:
The Bible Stories of Hope series is a discovery Bible study on Jesus’ authority over all. Each week we’ll go through a story from the book of Luke highlighting Jesus, His love, His power, and ultimately the hope He gives us. We’ll discuss what the story teaches us, and how we should apply the lesson to our lives.
The Format:
Each session starts with a time of care, allowing each person to briefly share how they are doing. Then we move into a time of accountability where we follow up on the actions we challenged ourselves to do at the end of the previous week’s session (e.g. share the Bible story with someone else).
From there, we move into a time of studying — reading through a new Bible story and discussing the meaning and importance of the story. We answer questions from the text and then practice retelling the story so that we can build confidence in sharing it with others. Lastly, we close by thinking of someone in our sphere of influence we can share the story with in the coming days, and then we pray together.
The Series Leader:
e3 Partners’ own Troy Cooper will be leading us through the Bible Stories of Hope series.
Troy is the VP of Global City Strategy for e3. He and his family have a passion for spreading the gospel and equipping local believers to make disciples and plant churches. They live on mission among the 93% unchurched communities in southern California and serve in various other parts all over the world as well.
Recordings from Previous Weeks
Bruce Williams' Staff Support Fundraiser
Several years ago, while working in gypsy villages in Ukraine, we discovered that many of the people we were working with were repeating decisions that they had made at an earlier date. As we began to try to understand what was happening we discovered that we were not communicating in the same way that they communicate with each other.
We came back to the United States and began to research how to reach oral learners. We discovered that oral learners learn, store, and pass on information differently than print communicators. Through a workshop at Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary, and several key individuals within the orality movement we began to understand how to be more effective in working in oral cultures. We also learned that oral learners are in every country, and every social and educational strata.
Since then we have had opportunities to work with oral learners, and train leaders in Ethiopia, Panama, the Middle East and even here in the United States.
One project in Ethiopia has reproduced over 1600 Bible storying groups with some groups reproducing to the seventh generation.
Your continuing support will allow us to continue to move into new areas, including the Middle East, Indochina, Russia, Zambia and God willing back to Ukraine.
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God at work.
Posted a week ago
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This was a theology class
Posted a week ago
Last month we were invited to train a group of young people, for another organization, who are preparing to leave for an area hostile to the Gospel. After the five day training, the participants asked if they could tell us what the training had meant to them. We are always happy to hear from our participants, and determine how we can better serve them in future trainings.
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One trainee told us: "I have many things I am trying to figure out how to incorporate into our ministry. Then you come with the oral strategy, and suddenly I can see all the pieces, like islands, being connected by the orality river. This is one of the best trainings that we have had for the field.
Another said, "I thought we were just going to learn some stories, but you have taught a theology class through story"
After this course I have the expectation of lots of rich times with others, one on one. I just feel the newness of the Scriptures, and the newness of my relationship with the Lord. The Lord’s relationship with me is refreshed, and I am anticipating more of the same.
Many people think that teaching the Bible through story is something for children. We know that teaching the Bible through story allows oral people to meditate on God's Word, to share with their friends and family, and allows the establishment of reproducing churches in many unreached areas of the world.
Please keep these young people in your prayers as they are even now leaving for their respective fields of ministry. -
Arts for a Better Future
Posted a week ago
The entire e3 Orality Team was privileged to participate in Arts for a Better Future conference in Ft. Worth. This workshop will allow us to integrate the arts of our select people groups into their evangelism, discipleship, worship, leadership development and church planting activities. Using the specific arts that speak to a people group, helps make the Gospel more understandable to those we are trying to reach.
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We are excited by the response to the Gospel that we have seen in Africa, and are looking forward to begin working in Siberia in November. -
Good news from the Middle East:
Posted a week ago
We have recently learned that the group we were able to train in April/May have been successfully using oral methods to reach out to Syrian refugee families. Praise God for the needs that are being met.
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- Steve Sims
- Faith Baptist Church
- Jolene Balazs
- Kenneth Kandefer
- John Cranmer
- William Hawkins
- David Raymond
- Thomas Johnson
- Dixon Baptist Church
- Karl Berquist
- Wilfred Pi
- Jireh Bible Church
- Thomas & Barbara Johnson
- Faith Baptist Church
- Faith Community Church
- THOMAS A. JOHNSON
- Rita C. Wren
- Kristen Williams
- John Lopardo
- Sherri Counterman
- Ray Walker
- KEVIN M STONE
- Ellen W Hawkins
Days to Go
