Entries by Kent Kiefer

The Coming of the Kingdom

One of our favorite Story Collections used in our “Bridges” orality equipping training events that our partners and team members often talk about is the “The Kingdom of God” series. We are bringing it up here in this month’s blog as Jesus talked so much about the Kingdom of God during His ministry while walking this earth 2,000 years ago. It is also especially relevant during the significant unrest and conflicts around the world that we are now seeing. Jesus spoke 126 times about the Kingdom of God in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and another 34 times in the rest of the New Testament. It is clear from what Jesus said about the Kingdom of God that we are now seeing the signs He predicted unfolding right before our eyes

You mean there’s a chance?

Many people come to us each year requesting to participate and experience one of our orality equipping and training events, known as “Bridges”. Unfortunately for those who ask, most of these training events are held overseas in difficult to reach, remote regions with one of our proven Asia or Africa partners. However, …drum roll please… we are holding a stateside training event in Joplin, MO in February! Here’s your chance to explore an interactive, knowledge-building, experience with the active living Word of God through oral Scripture engagement. Learn to tell stories the way Jesus, the Master Storyteller, did…

How Can We Get Resources to the Unreached, Those Who Need it Most?

Have you heard that less than one dollar of every $10,000 of charitable giving each year goes to the hardest to reach places around the world, places with people who have NEVER heard about Jesus and His gift of salvation? This sad financial fact means the vast majority of resources are NOT making a difference in the lives of the least reached people groups, those who need Jesus and the transforming message of the Gospel the most. How can this be changed? YOU can play a key role in changing this trend by supporting our proven partners in Asia and Africa with a year-end financial gift to SIU…

Will you help us to reach the hard places of the world?

Each year, our proven partners in Asia and Africa tell us about opportunities to reach into areas that many people or organizations don’t have access to. These are places where cultural and linguistic barriers have isolated people from the transforming message of Jesus Christ, places where the message of Jesus has never been heard in the local heart language and cultural styles. Because of our Partners’ locations and close proximity to these hard-to-reach places of the world, they have access while others do not. Will you join us in reaching the least reached?

Accelerating the task of the Great Commission, Will You Join us?

Each year, our SIU partners present to us some truly incredible opportunities in reaching people in areas that have never been reached before. This represents a timely year-end giving opportunity for those with significant Kingdom growth and effective ministry stewardship mindsets.

Connecting, Collaborating and Sharing with Kingdom Minded Ministries

The Lord loves to grab our attention and has an interesting way of bringing things to us when we least expect them. We seek the Lord and ask for His clear wisdom, discernment and direction and He gives us opportunities that sometimes seem out of the blue. Recently one of those out of the blue opportunities came my way. A key leader from one of our supporting churches introduced me to Art Brooks from the “Rescuers” Radio Show. Art has a passion for sharing what he calls “the untold stories of society’s unsung heroes.” Art’s radio show tells those untold stories and shares what God is doing through some amazing people.

What will be better? …the “The Kingdom of God”!

Are you disappointed, discouraged or disheartened by the events and circumstances around the world today: Wars, rumors of wars, illicit deals, insatiable greed, threats of nuclear war, devastating poverty, and overwhelming homelessness? This earthly realm and it’s roughly 200 nations leave us wanting more for humanity. Don’t be fooled, “AI” (Artificial Intelligence) is not going to resolve these issues. Only the King and his Kingdom of righteousness, justice, and holiness, filled with love, mercy, grace and truth will solve our problems. His Kingdom will last forever. Jesus spoke often of the Kingdom of God. Our partners speak with much passion and hope about the “Kingdom of God” and those in their networks tell the stories of the Kingdom in their communities.

“What Kind of Soil Am I?” A Parable For You

Our Bridges for Women training events are transforming and it is so exciting to be a part of them! Last year, in 2022, we had over 108 Bridges for Women training events with 1,475 women in attendance. Overall, in the 15 years since this training curriculum was launched, we have had 2,237 Bridges for Women training events and over 50,982 women attendees! Amazing transformations and changed lives come from these three-day trainings that are highly interactive, with engagement in the Word of God in the content of every lesson plan and in every small group exercise. The women share and dialogue God’s stories using the Oral Arts (Storytelling, Drama, Dance, Music, Song & Poetry) in their mother-tongue, heart language. These women of God are some of the best storytellers and disciple-makers. Many of them become Master Trainers, equipped to pass the training on to other faithful women. The training and equipping curriculum includes over 120 Stories from the Word of God. A few of the Stories quickly become favorites. Let me share with you more about this training.

The Stories Are Powerful, The Stories Change Lives, The Stories Are For ALL People

We thank God for another tremendous year of ministry in 2022! Thank you for partnering with us as we see the Great Commission being fulfilled among oral culture communities around the world. Our trusted partners across Asia and Africa reported more than 8,000 new churches planted. This brings our cumulative total of reported churches planted among oral cultures through oral Scripture engagement, 1997 through 2022, past the 100,000 mark! Praise the Lord! All for His glory! Read on for a story and other highlights from 2022.

Partnership for Kingdom Growth: Matching Grant Challenge

Recently a foundation that has granted training funds to SIU in the past requested a conference call with the SIU leadership and field leads. With our team back to full travel and training schedules, it can be difficult to get this group together. After one cancellation and rescheduling, we were able to get the SIU team and the foundation board together on a Zoom call. God used this interaction to set a wonderful challenge and opportunity before us. Read on for the wonderful news and challenge which could significantly impact our network’s ability to reach the unreached.