The Power of
Storytelling and
Discovery Learning

Does a person need to be literate to be a mature follower of Jesus?

WHAT IS AN ORAL CULTURE

Oral cultures are those who learn and pass on their history, heritage, faith and culture through oral communication.  This comes through the oral arts:

Storytelling

Drama

Dance

Music And Song

Did you know that an estimated 80% of the world’s population live in oral cultures? Many oral learners cannot read or write while others simply prefer non-print
forms of communication.

SIU is reaching unreached people groups from oral cultures through Bible storytelling and Oral Bible strategies. God is using this strategy to help launch movements of disciples making disciples and churches planting churches.

Our Approach

For over 30 years Scriptures In Use (SIU) has equipped local and indigenous believers and leaders around the world to reach their communities with the Gospel.

By encouraging believers to use oral communication strategies in their heart language, SIU has empowered national leaders to reach the unreached in more than 70 countries. God continues to do amazing work through local believers with over 90,000 Oral Bible Churches planted.

Check out our FREE 10-hour course:
"Bridges Online: An Introduction to Orality"

The Bridges Method

Train

SIU uses three to five day trainings to equip indigenous ministries and networks with orality tools to reach their own people and neighboring people, guiding them in the use of scripture storytelling for disciple making and church planting movements.

COACH

SIU continues the relationship by mentoring and guiding our partners as they wrestle with the questions and challenges they face as they implement the strategy and tools, and lead their networks.

MULTIPLY

SIU has trained leaders in more than 60 countries, and has helped launch many indigenous led movements. These movements are not dependent on SIU as they take root and grow around the world. SIU’s partners train their own workers as well as other ministries that are reaching unreached people groups.

The impact of this approach is new movements of Oral Bible Churches with disciples making disciples and churches planting churches. Organic movements are happening!

The Jesus Model of
the 1st Century

Jesus told stories and parables. He pulled spiritual truth from everyday life. Jesus told stories and chose symbols from the local culture, such as sheep, sowing, harvesting, and fishing, to convey his message. Jesus’ stories and the questions he asked revealed deep truths to his audience. Jesus often repeated important themes.The stories Jesus told and the life and actions of Jesus himself were told and retold.

Does a person need to be literate to be a mature follower of Jesus?

Jesus never seemed to expect his followers to become literate. He understood the Oral Culture in which he lived and gave us an example to follow. Jesus was a master storyteller!

Matthew 13:34 Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables.