Yesterday José António and I worked through what we would do in the storying session as we were travelling to the small town. I'd selected Acts 14, a portion of Paul's first missionary journey. I told through the story, as I had it prepared. He told me that he thought it was pretty long. As we went we reduced the story down to just what happened in the city of Lystra, when Paul and Barnabus were mistaken for gods. (This is a good story for dealing with veneration of saints. It shows, like the story of Peter and Cornelius, that the apostles did not accept worship or reverence)
I mentioned my partner that we would tell the story of the Paul and Silas and the jailor next week, and then the story of John's disciples being baptized again the week after that. He told me that he thought that the jail story would have been better for this week, because these families are dealing with the issue of baptism and have already freed their homes of idols. I agreed with him, but it was too late for me to prepare the other story.
Once we arrived, we discovered that the families on the hill were unable to meet because of a work meeting that night. We took advantage of the time by meeting with two families across the river. They both are anxious to being meeting regularly, just not together.
We then went to the family by the bus station. This time we were able to meet with them and I told the story of Creation. One thing that I wanted to do with this family that I hadn't done with other chronological bible storying opportunities is to call them to obedience to God's word in every story. In this story, they noticed the importance of people in God's creation. Made in the image of God and put in authority over all creation. We drew out an application and comitted to being obedient to God's word by doing good for people and treating all with respect, as they are all our brothers and sisters and are created in the image of God. We also comitted to take good care of the earth and its creatures as stewards of God's creation. Each person will tell how they obeyed God in a new way in the next meeting.
August 15, 2008
August 9, 2008
Arraial (n) - a small village
On Thursday, as José António and I went to the small town, we talked about how the Gospel of Jesus could spread through the rural areas along the road leading to where we are working. In the big city, Christians are a very small minority, but there are a number of evangelical churches in the city. In the country, however, there are many small villages, that have no church bearing witness to Jesus and salvation in his name. We want to begin to focus on systematically reaching these villages by finding, in each one, a person of peace through whom we can reach the village and plant a church. We took a detour on the way to our work and surveyed one of these little villages. We are going to begin mapping these places out so that we can make a plan to reach them. Some of these villages are not recognized as municipalities and don't appear on maps, so we will have to do some research, we will try to map out one new "arraial" per week.
Now, in the small town, we had another very good meeting with the families on the hill. The group was very large and included people who had been missing for a few weeks. The newcomers to the group are also returning. I told, once again, the story of Pedro and Cornelius. This is a long story. I told it well, and I believe I kept the interest of all who heard the story. No one wanted to try and tell it back, however. We decided to act it out in role-play. Each person chose someone in the story to represent. As I narrated through the story again, each person acted out the content of the story. This is the second time we've done this as a group, and it is amazing how well they respond to it. Everyone agreed after acting out the story, that they understood all the difficult parts of the story and could now tell the story to someone else. In the past, I'd thought about trying this, but I'd thought that the idea would not be accepted or would be though of as childish. On the contrary, this has attracted even more people to come hear the stories. Everyone enjoys it and smiles through the whole thing. After dialoging about the story, everyone who came took some time to pray for one person and be prayed for by one person. We are seeing a transforming Christian community being formed before our eyes.
The husband and wife in the family by the bus station were once again in a nearby village, taking care of his mother. We entered the home and prayed for their son and the wife's mother who lives with them. We promised to return next week, ready to tell the story of creation.
We also went to the singer's family. The singer is running for town council and is going out nearly every night trying to get votes. He won't be easy to catch at home until the end of November. We are praying about holding off on our plans to begin storying with those who are running for office. They are not going to make themselves very available until after the elections.
We went to visit one of the families across the river as well. We were well received. This family received Jesus a couple of years ago, and was part of one of our first attempts to start a church. They have been stagnant since that time. As we began to tell them of our continued work, they were encouraged and indicated that they would like to begin again to help form a house church. Pray for this family.
There is much more to say, and I will need to write another blog entry on another day.
August 1, 2008
Stories are concrete, Theology is abstract.
This week we had 3 different opportunities to use storying as a means of evangelizing and training disciples. On Sunday I was invited to preach at a church that was ending its VBS week with the neighborhood kids, inviting their parents for a special service. They were concerned that traditional preaching might not reach these parents, so they asked me to do storying. I told several narratives about Jesus and gave just a little commentary between the clusters of stories. It was well received and I was asked to return again another day.
On Tuesday, Loaise, Nilson and I went to the home of some church members that want badly to evangelize their neighborhood, but don't know how. They read, but not well, and though they are eager and sincere at the church services, they don't deal well with abstract ideas. After we had dinner with them, I told the story of Jesus resurrecting a widow's only son. I then had them tell the story back to me and coached them through the important parts of telling a story faithfully to the scriptures. They were all excited that they were able to get several verses of the Bible by heart in only a short time. Soon, I will begin teaching one or two stories a week at the church in the big city and helping members to learn and tell these stories. We will call this "The Oral Bible Project."
Yesterday I went into the small town again. This time, I went alone, as my helper was unable to go because of a last-minute problem. I told the story of Peter and Cornelius to the families on the Hill and then went to meet with the family by the bus station. They weren't home. We will start with them next week. (It will be better with my helper anyway).
On Tuesday, Loaise, Nilson and I went to the home of some church members that want badly to evangelize their neighborhood, but don't know how. They read, but not well, and though they are eager and sincere at the church services, they don't deal well with abstract ideas. After we had dinner with them, I told the story of Jesus resurrecting a widow's only son. I then had them tell the story back to me and coached them through the important parts of telling a story faithfully to the scriptures. They were all excited that they were able to get several verses of the Bible by heart in only a short time. Soon, I will begin teaching one or two stories a week at the church in the big city and helping members to learn and tell these stories. We will call this "The Oral Bible Project."
Yesterday I went into the small town again. This time, I went alone, as my helper was unable to go because of a last-minute problem. I told the story of Peter and Cornelius to the families on the Hill and then went to meet with the family by the bus station. They weren't home. We will start with them next week. (It will be better with my helper anyway).
July 26, 2008
Please Leave Comments
If you are a reader of this blog, I want to invite you to leave your comments when you feel led. You can post a thought or a question, anything you like. Just click the where it says "comments" or perhaps "comentários." There you can write what you like. It is kind of like writing a short email. Just remember that what you write is public. So if you know the names of people or places, try not to use the real ones.
July 25, 2008
Three spectacular reports! (a long read)
Report 1
Yesterday José António and I went to the small town by car. We were talking about how God always goes before us and prepares people and places before we go and how we should always pray for more laborers. This reminded me that a man contacted my wife last week, having heard about our ministry. He has some land he has developed as a retreat center and wants to make it available for the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
José said he knew where the land was and could take me there. It is about 20 minutes outside of the small town. It is near a small village of maybe 100 families. We stopped there and the gate was closed, José rang the bell and a few minutes later an older man named Nascimento came to greet us. I told him who I was and he said he already knew of me, and about my deafness and my ministry. He began to share with me about his desire to see his place used as an evangelist training center and a place to train pastors and gospel workers. I shared with him about our work and we prayed together. This place is an incredible place prepared by God for us to use in the coming year. There are dormitories, eating areas, a chapel, and a large recreation area. It is a work in progress and no one is using it right now. This man built this place like Noah built the ark. Pray that we can fill it's halls with lay pastors and house church leaders and missionaries.
Report 2
When we arrived in the small town we went immediately to a family that has not been at home during our trips for the last several weeks. I have wanted to begin storying in this home for over a year. The sun was setting and the family was finishing up their home construction work for the day. They invited us in and I introduced my helper. After catching up on the latest news in the family I talked with them about their construction. I then told them the short story of Jesus about the two builders.
Afterwards I asked the man if we could begin to tell him the stories of the Bible each Thursday at 8:00. He said that he'd love it, but he couldn't promise that he would always be home on Thursdays, as he has to go to a small neighboring village sometimes to take care of his mother. I told him that we would come by each week and when he is home we will enter and tell a story, when he isn't we will say a prayer for his mother and his family and return the next week. He said that he could never understand anything he read in the bible and could never understand anything that was read to him from the bible, but that if I told him the bible in stories, he would learn it all and obey it. We will begin next week! (I will call this family, the family by the bus station)
Report 3
We then went to the families on the hill. After praying for them and reviewing the story of Phillip from two weeks ago, I prepared them for the story of Saul's conversion. This is an odd story that is not often told, unfortunatly. It was my first time telling it. I told it once; they asked me to tell it again. As I began to tell the story a second time, a sister who lives next door entered the house bringing somethings to the kitchen. She tried to hurry out, but somehow the story caught her attention. (She has never participated with us before. She is a very simple woman and very shy)
She stepped one foot out the door and paused, she waited a moment and then stepped back into the house. She listened to the story to the end.
I asked the family if we could do something different today and try to dramatize the story. The head of the family played the part of Saul. My helper was Ananias. The woman who just had a baby was the high priest. Another woman was Saul's companions and Judas (not Iscariot), the simple woman who had come in was Jesus. I began telling the story slowly. As I told about how Saul was threatnening to kill Christians, the man made a fist and an ugly face, then pretended to choke his wife. He went to get documents from the high priest and began to walk to Damascus. I said "Then he saw a bright light and fell to the ground." The new woman smiled and turned on the bedroom light. I coached them through the dialogue and through the rest of the story, including a scene where Ananias baptized Saul. When it was over they all laughed and said that the story really came alive for them and they could understand.
I then reminded them that we must be careful to put into practice all that we learn from the Bible. They said they like the part where Ananias went and put his hands on Saul. I asked them if we could begin to pray for one another like Jesus wants us to. We agreed that each person would pray for another person. My helper prayed for the head of the family (an excessively long and traditional prayer). This man then said. "Oh, I can't pray. I wouldn't know how. I don't know what to say." We told him that prayer is speaking from the heart to God.
He said "Father. Bless my wife. In Jesus name, amen."
His wife then prayed "Father, bless my sister who came here today. Show her your love. Amen."
The new woman began immediately to cry. She cried hard. Tears of joy. No one in her family had ever prayed for her before, not in 40 years. She then tried it for herself, "God bless my niece and her new baby." The whole family broke down in tears. A new experience had gripped them all, and God's Spirit was felt heavily in the whole house.
They agreed to continue pray for one another regularly from now on.
Yesterday José António and I went to the small town by car. We were talking about how God always goes before us and prepares people and places before we go and how we should always pray for more laborers. This reminded me that a man contacted my wife last week, having heard about our ministry. He has some land he has developed as a retreat center and wants to make it available for the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
José said he knew where the land was and could take me there. It is about 20 minutes outside of the small town. It is near a small village of maybe 100 families. We stopped there and the gate was closed, José rang the bell and a few minutes later an older man named Nascimento came to greet us. I told him who I was and he said he already knew of me, and about my deafness and my ministry. He began to share with me about his desire to see his place used as an evangelist training center and a place to train pastors and gospel workers. I shared with him about our work and we prayed together. This place is an incredible place prepared by God for us to use in the coming year. There are dormitories, eating areas, a chapel, and a large recreation area. It is a work in progress and no one is using it right now. This man built this place like Noah built the ark. Pray that we can fill it's halls with lay pastors and house church leaders and missionaries.
Report 2
When we arrived in the small town we went immediately to a family that has not been at home during our trips for the last several weeks. I have wanted to begin storying in this home for over a year. The sun was setting and the family was finishing up their home construction work for the day. They invited us in and I introduced my helper. After catching up on the latest news in the family I talked with them about their construction. I then told them the short story of Jesus about the two builders.
Afterwards I asked the man if we could begin to tell him the stories of the Bible each Thursday at 8:00. He said that he'd love it, but he couldn't promise that he would always be home on Thursdays, as he has to go to a small neighboring village sometimes to take care of his mother. I told him that we would come by each week and when he is home we will enter and tell a story, when he isn't we will say a prayer for his mother and his family and return the next week. He said that he could never understand anything he read in the bible and could never understand anything that was read to him from the bible, but that if I told him the bible in stories, he would learn it all and obey it. We will begin next week! (I will call this family, the family by the bus station)
Report 3
We then went to the families on the hill. After praying for them and reviewing the story of Phillip from two weeks ago, I prepared them for the story of Saul's conversion. This is an odd story that is not often told, unfortunatly. It was my first time telling it. I told it once; they asked me to tell it again. As I began to tell the story a second time, a sister who lives next door entered the house bringing somethings to the kitchen. She tried to hurry out, but somehow the story caught her attention. (She has never participated with us before. She is a very simple woman and very shy)
She stepped one foot out the door and paused, she waited a moment and then stepped back into the house. She listened to the story to the end.
I asked the family if we could do something different today and try to dramatize the story. The head of the family played the part of Saul. My helper was Ananias. The woman who just had a baby was the high priest. Another woman was Saul's companions and Judas (not Iscariot), the simple woman who had come in was Jesus. I began telling the story slowly. As I told about how Saul was threatnening to kill Christians, the man made a fist and an ugly face, then pretended to choke his wife. He went to get documents from the high priest and began to walk to Damascus. I said "Then he saw a bright light and fell to the ground." The new woman smiled and turned on the bedroom light. I coached them through the dialogue and through the rest of the story, including a scene where Ananias baptized Saul. When it was over they all laughed and said that the story really came alive for them and they could understand.
I then reminded them that we must be careful to put into practice all that we learn from the Bible. They said they like the part where Ananias went and put his hands on Saul. I asked them if we could begin to pray for one another like Jesus wants us to. We agreed that each person would pray for another person. My helper prayed for the head of the family (an excessively long and traditional prayer). This man then said. "Oh, I can't pray. I wouldn't know how. I don't know what to say." We told him that prayer is speaking from the heart to God.
He said "Father. Bless my wife. In Jesus name, amen."
His wife then prayed "Father, bless my sister who came here today. Show her your love. Amen."
The new woman began immediately to cry. She cried hard. Tears of joy. No one in her family had ever prayed for her before, not in 40 years. She then tried it for herself, "God bless my niece and her new baby." The whole family broke down in tears. A new experience had gripped them all, and God's Spirit was felt heavily in the whole house.
They agreed to continue pray for one another regularly from now on.
July 18, 2008
Praying for More Laborers
We often spend so much time looking for precepts in the teachings of Jesus, that we sometimes forget just to take him at his word. Jesus told his followers to pray for more laborers. This was one of the first things he instructed them to do. We recently began to take Jesus at his word and my one new helper for the small town has become 4 new helpers.
We did not go into the small town yesterday because of limited bus tickets. The city was celebrating the festival of Saint Peter. Where they carry a statue of Peter through the town and bow down to him often and pray to him frequently. Had I prepared beforehand I would have brought several people with me, each having learned a story about Peter from the scriptures. It would have been interesting to see what people thought of Peter's oft repeated words in Acts. "I am only human like you. This miracle happed by the power of Jesus, not mine." There is even a story of when Peter commands a household not to bow down before him.
I did lead, recently, two different workshops in the big city to prepare our church to use Biblical narratives to evangelize households and start small churches in their homes. I will be doing more workshops for the next 4 weekends. This will hopefully, lead to many new Chronological Bible Storying opportunities in the big city.
We did not go into the small town yesterday because of limited bus tickets. The city was celebrating the festival of Saint Peter. Where they carry a statue of Peter through the town and bow down to him often and pray to him frequently. Had I prepared beforehand I would have brought several people with me, each having learned a story about Peter from the scriptures. It would have been interesting to see what people thought of Peter's oft repeated words in Acts. "I am only human like you. This miracle happed by the power of Jesus, not mine." There is even a story of when Peter commands a household not to bow down before him.
I did lead, recently, two different workshops in the big city to prepare our church to use Biblical narratives to evangelize households and start small churches in their homes. I will be doing more workshops for the next 4 weekends. This will hopefully, lead to many new Chronological Bible Storying opportunities in the big city.
July 11, 2008
Two by two
Jesus always sent people out in pairs. I've got someone going to the small town with me now. He was a great help and should be a good partner. He has wanted to work in rural areas and learn how to do evangelism, so this was a good start.
We went later than I usually go, so our time was limited. We went to the families on the hill and there I told the story of Phillip and the Etiopian. After I told the story, they asked me to tell it one more time. Following this I asked if they could tell the story back to us. All of them denied that they could do it, but after prodding a little, the head of the family told the story perfectly, maybe even better than I did.
The two major themes they picked up on in this story were the actions of Phillip and the actions of the Etiopian. Phillip helped explain to the other man what he wasn't understanding. (This was the first time this family had heard this story and they recognized Jesus in the Isaiah passage, even before hearing Phillip's response) These families agreed that from now on they will help others that need help understanding about Jesus.
The etiopian, of course, was baptized. Everyone in this group is needing to be baptized. They agreed that baptism is the first step of Christian obedience and that everyone who believes in Jesus should be baptized. The head of the family, however, said that he sees his new faith as confirming the baptism they experienced as infants. He said there is no need to have a second baptism. Their position is very logical and sincere, from what they know. I do believe, though that the story from Acts 19 of Christians being baptized a second time will help inform their thinking more.
We made some other visits, but no other storying last night.
We went later than I usually go, so our time was limited. We went to the families on the hill and there I told the story of Phillip and the Etiopian. After I told the story, they asked me to tell it one more time. Following this I asked if they could tell the story back to us. All of them denied that they could do it, but after prodding a little, the head of the family told the story perfectly, maybe even better than I did.
The two major themes they picked up on in this story were the actions of Phillip and the actions of the Etiopian. Phillip helped explain to the other man what he wasn't understanding. (This was the first time this family had heard this story and they recognized Jesus in the Isaiah passage, even before hearing Phillip's response) These families agreed that from now on they will help others that need help understanding about Jesus.
The etiopian, of course, was baptized. Everyone in this group is needing to be baptized. They agreed that baptism is the first step of Christian obedience and that everyone who believes in Jesus should be baptized. The head of the family, however, said that he sees his new faith as confirming the baptism they experienced as infants. He said there is no need to have a second baptism. Their position is very logical and sincere, from what they know. I do believe, though that the story from Acts 19 of Christians being baptized a second time will help inform their thinking more.
We made some other visits, but no other storying last night.
July 5, 2008
Evangelizing with Stories
The more I tell stories and use them to talk about God and to present our Lord Jesus, the more I understand why God wrote 70% of his scriptures as narrative.
Thursday I went into the small town again. I went alone this time, but beginning next week I will accompanied by a man named José António. He participated in a workshop I taught on church planting and evangelizing family networks. His heart has been to do ministry in a rural area. God has placed us together. This is very good news.
In the small town, I first mailed a letter, then went to the barber shop where I got a hair cut and took advantage of the captive audience to tell the story from John 9 of Jesus curing a man who had been blind since birth. This was the first time I told a Bible story in the barber shop. It was well received. I may be getting more frequent haircuts soon.
From there, I went to the families on the hill. De had her baby and named him with a name from the bible. I went to her house and the extended family met there for our storying session. De's mother was present and is staying with her to help with the baby, so she participated for the first time. I told the same story.
The discussion we had about the story strayed from the power of Jesus to heal, to the purpose of God in suffering. We talked through the reasons people suffer and what hope they have. The greatest hope, the group resolved, was not to be healed, but to be resurrected because of Jesus.
After I prayed for God's blessing to be on the baby, I went to meet another family. It turned out they weren't home and I was able to meet with the local baker. He'd told me the other day that his life was better and that he has been trying to learn more about Jesus. I went to his bakery and he served me tea and cookies. As we sat there I told the same story once again, I then used the transition just given to me by the family on the hill, and told the story from John 11 as well. (When Jesus resurrected Lazarus) I was able to begin to call him to repentance and faith through these stories. Once again, I had to cut our conversation short and run to get the last bus out of town.
God is at work.
Thursday I went into the small town again. I went alone this time, but beginning next week I will accompanied by a man named José António. He participated in a workshop I taught on church planting and evangelizing family networks. His heart has been to do ministry in a rural area. God has placed us together. This is very good news.
In the small town, I first mailed a letter, then went to the barber shop where I got a hair cut and took advantage of the captive audience to tell the story from John 9 of Jesus curing a man who had been blind since birth. This was the first time I told a Bible story in the barber shop. It was well received. I may be getting more frequent haircuts soon.
From there, I went to the families on the hill. De had her baby and named him with a name from the bible. I went to her house and the extended family met there for our storying session. De's mother was present and is staying with her to help with the baby, so she participated for the first time. I told the same story.
The discussion we had about the story strayed from the power of Jesus to heal, to the purpose of God in suffering. We talked through the reasons people suffer and what hope they have. The greatest hope, the group resolved, was not to be healed, but to be resurrected because of Jesus.
After I prayed for God's blessing to be on the baby, I went to meet another family. It turned out they weren't home and I was able to meet with the local baker. He'd told me the other day that his life was better and that he has been trying to learn more about Jesus. I went to his bakery and he served me tea and cookies. As we sat there I told the same story once again, I then used the transition just given to me by the family on the hill, and told the story from John 11 as well. (When Jesus resurrected Lazarus) I was able to begin to call him to repentance and faith through these stories. Once again, I had to cut our conversation short and run to get the last bus out of town.
God is at work.
June 27, 2008
Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!
I am walking evidence of God working miracles, and I still struggle to see it and believe it when it happens. There are people in the small town that told me yesterday that they never expected to be talking to me again. For them, a miracle is a miracle.
Yesterday I went to the families on the hill. A few weeks ago, a one more relative attended a storying session. She came because she wanted prayer. She had been suffering a strange heart condition for a long time. I was telling about Jesus being crucified and she began laughing and crying at the same time, grabbing her heart in pain. After this happened a few times she went to lay down in the bedroom. They told me that she needed heart surgery and would be going to specialists to do many tests to know exactly what to do. After I told the story, my helper and I prayed for her complete healing in Jesus name.
Yesterday, she rejoined the group. Smiling, she had a stack of papers in her hand. EKG, stress tests, MRI, everything. The results were that her heart is healthy and functioning perfectly normal. She says that our prayers made her well. It was the first time she has participated with us from start to finish.
I told the story of the sower from Mark 4. We thought through and talked through what effect God's message has on people. It was one of our most dynamic and helpful times together. As we finished we agreed to allow God's message to produce in our lives every time we hear a portion of it. This group is committing to action, to live out what they have learned. This is what we've been praying for and waiting for.
Maybe we just needed a miracle.
We have several invitations to share the gospel through storying to many families. We are unable to do it yet, but we trust God to make it possible.
Yesterday I went to the families on the hill. A few weeks ago, a one more relative attended a storying session. She came because she wanted prayer. She had been suffering a strange heart condition for a long time. I was telling about Jesus being crucified and she began laughing and crying at the same time, grabbing her heart in pain. After this happened a few times she went to lay down in the bedroom. They told me that she needed heart surgery and would be going to specialists to do many tests to know exactly what to do. After I told the story, my helper and I prayed for her complete healing in Jesus name.
Yesterday, she rejoined the group. Smiling, she had a stack of papers in her hand. EKG, stress tests, MRI, everything. The results were that her heart is healthy and functioning perfectly normal. She says that our prayers made her well. It was the first time she has participated with us from start to finish.
I told the story of the sower from Mark 4. We thought through and talked through what effect God's message has on people. It was one of our most dynamic and helpful times together. As we finished we agreed to allow God's message to produce in our lives every time we hear a portion of it. This group is committing to action, to live out what they have learned. This is what we've been praying for and waiting for.
Maybe we just needed a miracle.
We have several invitations to share the gospel through storying to many families. We are unable to do it yet, but we trust God to make it possible.
June 20, 2008
The wise man builds his house upon the rock.
Yesterday I returned to the small town and met again with the families on the hill. I told the story of Pentecost from Acts 2. This is the second time I've told this story in a story sessions. Last year, when I told it to the family in the big city, it took about 15 minutes to tell and was not retained very well by the listeners.
This time I did not use the quotes of Joel and David in Peter's sermon, but rather referenced them in passing. This gave the sermon and the overall story a better flow. This time it took about 5 minutes to tell. Retention was much better and after going through it together three times, the families on the hill could retell the story well. I do see a need, however to make recordings of these stories on CD so the families can listen to them and have them for themselves.
Our discussion was fair. I try to ask questions that will lead them to see the truthes in the scripture, but I don't want to do it in a way that is manipulative. Even so, we came across the question of baptism in this story. Peter said "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." I had hoped a simple recognition of this would be all it took to begin talking about when and where our group could be baptized. Instead, they all agreed that this didn't apply to them, since they were already baptized as babies and went through confirmation as children.
I asked them to keep thinking about the story and to be open to what God might show them. I may need to tell tell the story of Apollos in Acts 19. Apollos was already baptized by John the Baptist, but was still urged to be baptized in the name of Jesus. This might be a good story to show that believer's baptism is the ultimate baptism that takes the place of all other baptisms. Whatever direction we take with the stories, it's obvious that this is something that will be resolved only with prayer.
After coming down the hill I met with a businessman of the city. He and I have had a friendship for a while, but he is not often open to spiritual truth. He asked me if I'd was winning any souls for Jesus on the hill. I went to his home and told him honestly. "Some people like to hear the stories of God in the scriptures, but they don't put let it change their lives." His wife asked for an example and so I told Acts one and two as a narrative. I then asked them what they thought of the things the early Christians were doing at the end of the story. They replied "We wish there were a church like that one." The conversation got cut short as I nearly missed the bus and had to run.
This time I did not use the quotes of Joel and David in Peter's sermon, but rather referenced them in passing. This gave the sermon and the overall story a better flow. This time it took about 5 minutes to tell. Retention was much better and after going through it together three times, the families on the hill could retell the story well. I do see a need, however to make recordings of these stories on CD so the families can listen to them and have them for themselves.
Our discussion was fair. I try to ask questions that will lead them to see the truthes in the scripture, but I don't want to do it in a way that is manipulative. Even so, we came across the question of baptism in this story. Peter said "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." I had hoped a simple recognition of this would be all it took to begin talking about when and where our group could be baptized. Instead, they all agreed that this didn't apply to them, since they were already baptized as babies and went through confirmation as children.
I asked them to keep thinking about the story and to be open to what God might show them. I may need to tell tell the story of Apollos in Acts 19. Apollos was already baptized by John the Baptist, but was still urged to be baptized in the name of Jesus. This might be a good story to show that believer's baptism is the ultimate baptism that takes the place of all other baptisms. Whatever direction we take with the stories, it's obvious that this is something that will be resolved only with prayer.
After coming down the hill I met with a businessman of the city. He and I have had a friendship for a while, but he is not often open to spiritual truth. He asked me if I'd was winning any souls for Jesus on the hill. I went to his home and told him honestly. "Some people like to hear the stories of God in the scriptures, but they don't put let it change their lives." His wife asked for an example and so I told Acts one and two as a narrative. I then asked them what they thought of the things the early Christians were doing at the end of the story. They replied "We wish there were a church like that one." The conversation got cut short as I nearly missed the bus and had to run.
June 13, 2008
I love telling God's Story.
Yesterday, my sister-in-law loaned us her car so I could take Loaise and Nilson to the small town. It is the first time I've gone by car since going deaf in Jauary. We didn't take our car because it is needing a little maintenence work before we take it out of the city.
We went to see the families on the hill. I told the story of Christ's ascention to heaven from Acts chapter 1. I've gone back to telling shorter stories in order to ensure that they will be completely remembered. It also enables us to go a little deeper in our conversations about the text. The families enjoyed imagining what it might have been like seeing Jesus taken up into heaven and imagining what it might be like when he returns.
We also took two large bags of Nilson's old baby clothes (he's grown a lot) and gave them to De, one of the women in this family group who is expecting in a few weeks. We visited the singer and his family and expect to start storying with he and some of his neighbors sometime next month.
It is becoming obvious that we need more help from our city church and that we need to be in the small town at least twice a week. I will be training new workers at the church and we will be praying for God to make it possible for us to go to the town more often.
We went to see the families on the hill. I told the story of Christ's ascention to heaven from Acts chapter 1. I've gone back to telling shorter stories in order to ensure that they will be completely remembered. It also enables us to go a little deeper in our conversations about the text. The families enjoyed imagining what it might have been like seeing Jesus taken up into heaven and imagining what it might be like when he returns.
We also took two large bags of Nilson's old baby clothes (he's grown a lot) and gave them to De, one of the women in this family group who is expecting in a few weeks. We visited the singer and his family and expect to start storying with he and some of his neighbors sometime next month.
It is becoming obvious that we need more help from our city church and that we need to be in the small town at least twice a week. I will be training new workers at the church and we will be praying for God to make it possible for us to go to the town more often.
June 10, 2008
Opportunities, commitments, and wishes
Last week I went back to the small town for the first time since recovering my hearing. The last real storying meeting we had was in January. Now we are getting back to business. Thursday Loaise and I will go and begin telling Acts 1 to the families on the hill. We will visit 3 other families.
There are currently 4 opportunities waiting for us: The singer's family, the families on new street, the families across the river, and the family near the bus station. There are 4 other possibilites. The problems are time money and help. I need to go to Tabuleiro twice a week (time and money). I also need to bring some helpers from the city church.
I have already advised the church that I will be doing a training workshop in a few weeks. We plan to introduce 15 or so people to chronological Bible storying and church planting. Most of them will work in the high city (the part of the big city that is on the moutain).
People are also asking for recordings of the stories. This is something else we need to get going.
Pray for all of this to come together soon.
Oh, my hearing is still improving. Keep praying for that too.
There are currently 4 opportunities waiting for us: The singer's family, the families on new street, the families across the river, and the family near the bus station. There are 4 other possibilites. The problems are time money and help. I need to go to Tabuleiro twice a week (time and money). I also need to bring some helpers from the city church.
I have already advised the church that I will be doing a training workshop in a few weeks. We plan to introduce 15 or so people to chronological Bible storying and church planting. Most of them will work in the high city (the part of the big city that is on the moutain).
People are also asking for recordings of the stories. This is something else we need to get going.
Pray for all of this to come together soon.
Oh, my hearing is still improving. Keep praying for that too.
May 25, 2008
Back to Church-Planting
When I was busy storying through the Bible with various groups I was updating this journal twice a week or better. My deafness has severely limited me this year. I am now hearing well enough to resume the work.
I only have one ear functioning, and it only has 10% of normal hearing. You can see the challenge. Please continue to pray for me to hear things louder and clearer. Even with my powerful hearing aid, I can't hear people from across the room.
I will be contacting several people from our city church and looking for an assistant for our continuing work in the small town. Depending on how things work out at the city church, I will be starting a bible-storying/pastor training program. More on that later.
God bless,
Steve
I only have one ear functioning, and it only has 10% of normal hearing. You can see the challenge. Please continue to pray for me to hear things louder and clearer. Even with my powerful hearing aid, I can't hear people from across the room.
I will be contacting several people from our city church and looking for an assistant for our continuing work in the small town. Depending on how things work out at the city church, I will be starting a bible-storying/pastor training program. More on that later.
God bless,
Steve
April 9, 2008
Returning
I began to hear my first words this week, since going deaf in January. I've still got a long way to go, but it is amazingly good to hear recognizable words again. Thank you heavenly father.
Yesterday I went into the small town again with a helper from the church. We visited the singer's family and discovered that he still hasn't been able to move back into the small town. It is dependant upon his closing of a second-hand store he has in the city and finding someone who can freely haul his things to the small town. Money is tight for them. We still have not begun storying in this family, but need to. Pray for the singer. We visitied a few homes and simply prayed for the sick. In two homes, the families on the hill and a family near the bus station, I told the story of Christ's death and resurrection. I have not been dialoging the story with the families while deaf, just telling the stories. Still, it's obvious the power in God's word.
I should return again to the small town within a week.
April 5, 2008
Waiting and waiting
I had planned to go to the small town 3 times this week. When plans to go on Tuesday fell through, Loaise offered to go with me on Wednesday. We'd been staying with her mother this week, so we had to take the city bus into town to catch the bus to the small town. We missed it by 2 minutes. Loaise called a member of our church and asked him to go with me on Thursday. That morning we found out that a friend of mine (the first man I baptized here, 5 years ago) lost his dad. We went to the funeral instead of the small town. Hopefully I can go twice next week.
My hearing is still improving. I've been praying more earnestly lately. Probably because of impatience. I can hear things, lots of things, but I am not hearing sound purely. In other words. I can hear when someone is talking, but I can't hear that there are words. Sound is choppy, garbled, odd. Still, it's improvement.
Keep praying.
My hearing is still improving. I've been praying more earnestly lately. Probably because of impatience. I can hear things, lots of things, but I am not hearing sound purely. In other words. I can hear when someone is talking, but I can't hear that there are words. Sound is choppy, garbled, odd. Still, it's improvement.
Keep praying.
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