Insights from in and around the association
UBA Voices
What is Orality? And Why Does it Matter?
What are oral Bible study methods? And who are they for?
One Effective (and Fun) Way to Start House Churches in Prison
When Sally Hinzie was asked to teach largely illiterate inmates about house churches, she used storying training to gather a group and equip them.
How to Share the Gospel: A Quick Word on Narratives and Themes
There are two ways to consider the gospel which aid in understanding: a thematic approach and a narrative approach. You have probably heard both, but understanding both and why they are important will help you know the gospel better and explain the gospel better.
Ask these four questions to know what someone really believes.
With the remarkable diversity we find around ourselves today, we can no longer assume we understand someone’s religious background. This is obvious when we talk about discovering and engaging unreached people groups around us. Here are four simple questions to get at the heart of what a person believes—because everyone believes something.
Digital Orality: New Signs of Spiritual Opportunities
Almost everyone uses forms or principles of orality—whether or not they recognize it. Experiential education, action learning, guided discovery models, narrative methods, storytelling, and many other oral art forms are a part of the orality domain. With the current global pandemic, it’s necessary to rely more on modern, digital technology for communicating and training for advancing the gospel.
The Role of Orality for Disciple Making and Church Multiplication
Small, simple, reproducible, and economical congregations are where the greatest growth of the Kingdom is taking place, much like the Early Church. When we recognize that a true church can be a small, simple cell group or assembly of believers, it opens up many new possibilities for church growth and multiplication. When addressing the idea of establishing congregations or communities of followers of Jesus everywhere and among all people groups, the methods and strategies of orality become vital.
One Great Tool to Explain the Bible in Real Life
Missionaries working in countries where there is no printed gospel available in the heart language of the people use a method called storying to share their faith. Story sets have been created that create bridges (beliefs and views we share) and address barriers (beliefs that make it difficult for someone to believe) to the gospel. One such example is “Creation to Christ.” It is a crafted presentation that presents the whole gospel story of the Bible beginning with creation and all the way to Christ.
The Art of Bible Storying
Everyone loves a story. Stories are memorable. Stories stick. Stories open doors to deeper conversations. Jesus was a master storyteller and used them frequently. You can learn the art of telling a story that sticks. Sally Hinzie shares how she uses the stories she knows to tell people about the truths of Scripture wherever she is.