Prayer Mobilization Line: The following are praise reports and prayer requests from Nazarene Missions International for Wednesday, 30 July 2014 "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you, in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."(Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)) PRAISES:
Protection for the Schmelzenbachs
We praise God for His protection over Harmon and Cindy Schmelzenbach. On July 23, they were involved in a multicar pileup due to a serious accident in front of them. Although their vehicle was severely damaged, they were shaken up but unhurt. Harmon and Cindy reside in Papua New Guinea where Harmon is the Melanesia and South Pacific Field strategy coordinator.
PRAY FOR:
GLOBAL MINISTRY REQUESTS
Netherlands Grieving Losses
The Malaysian Airlines flight that was shot down over Ukraine carried nearly 200 Dutch citizens, some of them who were close to or related to members of Nazarene churches in the Netherlands. One family lost a brother, sister-in-law, and their two children; some teachers lost students; others lost colleagues.
Pray that God’s peace and comfort would be powerfully present among all those who are mourning the loss of these individuals, and for the nations of the Netherlands and Ukraine as they deal with this tragedy. Pray for the Nazarene churches to be a light in this time of darkness.
Learning to ‘Tell THE Story’
During the month of August, Ray and Becki Neu will be traveling throughout the Asia-Pacific Region to train others to “Tell THE Story,” and they will begin the tour in Vanuatu and also offer training in Fiji, Philippines, and Indonesia. The training in Vanuatu will be Friday, August 1, through Sunday afternoon. Please pray and fast with missionaries David and Sylvia Potter for the equipping of Christ's disciples and for God to do His saving and sanctifying work in Vanuatu. Pray for an increased hunger for God's Word and a sincere yearning to share His story with others. Pray for the Lord's blessing on the Neus’ travels and for the Lord to keep them strong and healthy for this month-long tour. The Neus are Nazarene missionaries who served in Belize and now are based in the United States, traveling globally to help people learn to “Tell THE Story.” The Potters are missionaries who serve in Vanuatu. To read more about this, visit the Potters’ blog. To read an Engage magazine story about “Tell THE Story,” click here.
Storytelling catches fire as new discipleship and evangelism strategy by Gina Grate Pottenger on July 15, 2014
What started out as training around a new discipleship method turned into a revival.
More than 100 national leaders and lay people from across Papua New Guinea met earlier this year to train on how to tell Bible stories orally. They were so convicted by the lessons they were gleaning from the stories that they began to confess their sins, repenting one after another. Some apologized to others, and those offered forgiveness for the offenses. Soon, everyone had fallen to their knees, crying and praying together.
“During these training sessions we literally were in the midst of revival type of Spirit, as God … was bringing scripture and the truth of scripture and the reality of scripture alive in the hearts of our leaders,” said Harmon Schmelzenbach, the field strategy coordinator for the South Pacific Field on the Asia-Pacific Region.
Ray Neu, the oral language coordinator for the Church of the Nazarene, led the training around the new Bible storytelling method called Tell THE Story. He also said that same spirit of revival has marked several other trainings conducted in Bangladesh, Singapore, Indonesia, South Africa, Ethiopia and Kenya (photo left).Tell THE Story is set to spread to each of the denomination’s six world regions as part of the Church of the Nazarene’s new global strategy to disciple and equip believers among the 70 percent* of the global population who cannot or do not read, or prefer not to read.
How it started
Neu, formerly a missionary with his wife Becki, in Belize, began exploring storytelling as a form of teaching and discipleship while he was an instructor in Belize, through the extension program from the Nazarene Theological Seminary in Guatemala. He noticed that he had difficulties in translating abstract theological concepts and ideas to the pastors who were in his class. And they weren’t always able to integrate those concepts into their ministry outside the classroom.
“They’re finding around the world that our Western (educational) model is not effective in transferring information,” he said. “For most of us that have gone through our education, a lot of our study is not really internalized. We remember it long enough to take the test, get our grade and move on. Afterwards, we don’t really remember that stuff.”
Before going to Belize, Neu (photo right with Becki) attended a storytelling workshop taught by another organization and afterward decided to try teaching through narrative in his seminary classes. He began telling Bible stories instead of lecturing, followed by discussion questions. The students’ participation level, comprehension and memory of the concepts greatly improved.In 2013, Sunday School Discipleship Ministries International (SDMI) under Nazarene Global Mission was charged with training the church around the world, introducing orality methodologies through “Tell THE Story.” The SDMI coordinator for each region will work with leadership throughout their regions to multiply the training, thereby spreading the method across the church.
“Orality has been a Global Mission issue for a long time,” said Nazarene Global Mission Director Verne Ward. Nazarene Global Mission has not been the only ministry concerned about reaching those who can’t, don’t or won’t read. For decades, dozens of Christian organizations, such as the International Orality Network, Every Home for Christ, Wycliffe, Mission Aviation Fellowship, and Campus Crusade for Christ (now called Cru),have rallied to disciple and train oral learners. Bible Story Telling is widely represented online with many free, downloadable resources.
For many years the Church of the Nazarene denomination – in different attempts to address the need for oral teaching and training tools – has utilized things such as the JESUS film, or audio Bibles powered by rechargeable solar batteries. Yet, JESUS film equipment sets and audio players cost money.
“All of those require technology,” Ward said. “And as much as we love technology, when it comes to the bush and availability and so on, you run into limits. This storytelling method is only limited by a person’s ability to tell a story and to ask questions, which means almost any person can use this.”
How it works
The trainer is a facilitator, not an instructor. He/she tells a Bible story from memory then asks the group members to take a few moments to re-Tell THE Story to one another. Next, the trainer, Tells THE Story again, making intentional errors, the group corrects the errors. Everyone then has listened to the story at least three times and is able to engage in these five open ended questions:- What did you like about the story?
- What did you not like about the story?
- What hidden truth did you learn from this story?
- If you could be any character, who would you be or not be and why?
- What truth will you apply in your own life this week?
“With 12 people in a room, we might get 12 different expressions from that story,” Ray said. “People get the concept of the story and then they find the truth in the stories and find them much better working together in a group. And they remember because they find it rather than me telling them.”
The process is so simple that once the training is over, every participant should be able to tell a Bible story and ask the five questions in any setting, whether it’s a Sunday School class, a vacation Bible school, a Bible study or a casual encounter with a friend or even a stranger.
Telling Bible stories is easy because 75 percent of the Bible is in narrative format. According to Mark 4:33-34, “Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.” (NIV)
“There’s nothing new, but it’s kind of a refreshing of an old methodology that Jesus used, yet we’ve not been exposed to in the Church of the Nazarene,” said Woodie Stevens, Global SDMI director. “Because of the enormous shifts in our world, we’re finding we need a fresh approach. We need an additional way of teaching the truth so that it will stick in the hearts and minds of people.”
Multiplying exponentially
So far, Tell THE Story is not only sticking, it’s multiplying naturally as enthusiasm spreads.
Schmelzenbach said that after the training in Papua New Guinea, a participant emailed him to say he had been telling Bible stories as part of his evangelistic work.
“He had pictures of two brand new church plants in which they’re incorporating [Tell THE Story] in the process of establishing brand new churches. They are training people from ground zero using [Tell THE Story] and using it first of all to proclaim and explain the gospel. The desire is to ingrain in their DNA as new Christians this is the expectation: This gospel will become alive inside of you in a straightforward manner that you can accurately duplicate using these techniques they’ve been trained in.”
Schmelzenbach said many other districts have been sending back reports that they’re using Tell THE Story for both discipling existing believers and winning new believers.
Marvin Gerbig, a retired Nazarene pastor in the U.S., attended several Tell THE Story trainings, including two held at the denomination’s Global Ministry Center this year. Gerbig began applying what he learned by telling stories and facilitating discussion among his Wednesday night men’s group several months ago and now has trained one of the men to take over. He has also started three other adult groups around Tell THE Story.“A lot of people have not had a chance to talk about what they see in the Bible,” Gerbig said. “They’re encouraged to share these stories and speak the truth they see to others. They’re coming to learn and go speak.”
Laura Mata-Bolandi, who attends the Samuelson Road Church of the Nazarene in Rockford, Illinois, also attended a Tell The Story training in Kansas. She started a ministry for Hispanic mothers and kids in her city, and integrated storytelling into the meetings.
“The Lord had been calling me to do His works, but I said, ‘Lord, I’m not a pastor. I don’t know how to talk to people about you.’”
Tell THE Story was her answer.
After seeing storytelling work so well to disciple the women in her group for moms, her mother in Costa Rica wanted to start a group there. She gathered friends and neighbors and met with Mata-Bolandi over Skype for training. Now her mother has a second storytelling group that has grown from 7 to 18 people over three weeks. Her sister was so impressed that she wants to start another group in another part of Costa Rica. Mata-Bolandi also has a friend in Dominican Republic who also started a group with her through Skype.
Another Tell THE Story training is being held at the Global Ministry Center in Lenexa 22-24 July.
“It is designed to reproduce leaders who will reproduce themselves wherever they are,” said Stevens.
*Statistic provided by the Lausanne Movement. http://www.lausanne.org/en/blog/1779-the-70-orality-and-the-mission-of-t...
Those Who Are Hungry
Nazarene Compassionate Ministries invites us all to join with them in praying for those who experience physical hunger and also that we may be moved to action. Read the prayer here.
Pray With Us Written by: Beth Clayton Luthye
Jesus, You are the Bread of Life, the One who satisfies our deepest hungers and quenches our deepest thirsts. May our words and actions point others toward You. And as we point, may we not ignore the very real physical hunger that too many people in our world are facing.
May we see You in “the least of these.” May we see You in those who are hungry and thirsty and cold and lonely—brothers and sisters, neighbors, strangers—and may we be moved to meet their needs.
May we see You in children and families who won’t have enough food on their tables at dinner tonight.
May we see You in the fathers and mothers who aren’t able to fully provide for their children, even after working long hours.
May we see You in the children affected by war and hunger and fear in places like Syria and South Sudan.
May we see You in the women and children who have to walk hours just to find water to drink in places like Mozambique and Bangladesh.
And may we be moved to action.
Lord, we confess that sometimes it is easier to close our eyes to the hurt in our world, so we ask that you would open our eyes to the needs of others. Open our eyes to Your healing work in the world, and move us to become part of that work.
Our Father who is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and help us seek ways to share it with those in need.
May Your Kingdom of Enough come, and may Your will be done on earth—even in the forgotten corners—as it is in heaven.
Learn how churches are living this prayer with their communities in NCM’s latest magazine: Rooting Out Hunger
Photo courtesy of Jill Fothergill“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. … Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”(Matthew 25:35)
District Superintendents
Over the next several months, NMI will publish the names and place of ministry for Nazarene district superintendents. Please join us in praying for these individuals who God has called to shepherd pastors and churches around the world.
Today’s district superintendents are from countries on the Asia-Pacific Region:
Peniperite Fakaua, Papua New Guinea Middle Ramu
Gabriel Kaulo, Papua New Guinea North Coast
Timothy Kiandu, Papua New Guinea Sandaun
Enok Thomas, Papua New Guinea Simbu/Eastern High
Yambe Sike, Papua New Guinea South Coastal
Joseph Yapasi, Papua New Guinea Southern Highlands
Andrew Akus, Papua New Guinea Western Highlands
Sulpicio “Jun” Detalo, Philippines Bicol
Nilo Rosende, Philippines Central Visayas
Edgardo Longcop, Philippines Eastern Visayas
Marcelino Ochoco, Philippines Luzon
Arnel Piliin, Philippines Metro Manila
Angelito Agbuya, Philippines Metropolitan Luzon
May the Lord add His blessing to the work of these district superintendents.
Board of General Superintendents
Please pray for the ministry and safety of the general superintendents as they travel this month:
Jerry D. Porter
J. K. Warrick
Eugénio Duarte
David W.Graves
David A. Busic
Gustavo A. Crocker
HEALTH-RELATED REQUESTS
Angela Ketchum
Please pray for Angie Ketchum as she recovers from cancer treatment. Angie, her husband, Ryan, and their four girls, are Global Serve workers, teaching at a school in Cambodia. Click here to learn more about Ryan and Angie’s work in Cambodia.
David Heaps
On July 22, David Heaps began chemo treatments for multiple myeloma (bone cancer). At approximately the same time he was diagnosed with cancer, it was discovered that David needed mitral valve repair and bypass surgery. The heart surgery was needed for David to withstand the chemo treatments. Please keep David and his wife, Kathy, in your prayers. They were Nazarene missionaries to South Africa and Swaziland, and Kathy serves as North Carolina District LINKS coordinator. Their daughter, Miriam Irons, writes, “We know the power of prayer, especially our praying Nazarene family!”
BEREAVEMENT
Family of Dean Loon
Please pray for God’s comfort for the family of Dean Loon. Dean and his wife, Carol, celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary on July 21. He died on the evening of July 25. Evie Gardner, his daughter and missionary in Kenya, wrote, “I will miss him, but I’m happy to know he’s with Jesus and I’ll see him again someday.”
Family of Miguel Mejia
Miguel Mejia, a former missionary to Costa Rica and Guatemala, passed away July 22. He was 87. Miguel, a Salvadoran, began his ministry at Seminario Nazarene Centroamericano (now SENDAS) in Costa Rica in 1974. He became a missionary in 1980, served in Costa Rica for seven years, and in Guatemala for five years. He then moved back to Costa Rica, where he resided until his death. During his service, he was the former Mexico and Central America Regional Office manager and also manager at Nazarene Seminary of the Americas (SENDAS). He is survived by his wife, Celia, two sons, and a daughter. Funeral information will be posted as it is made available. To read more about Miguel, click here.
Thank you for praying.
"Nothing tends more to cement the hearts of Christians than praying together Never do they love one another so well as when they witness the outpouring of each other's hearts in prayer."(Charles Finney, American Presbyterian minister and leader in the Second Great Awakening in the United States)
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