Entries by Kent Kiefer

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

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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

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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

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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.

Seeking Peace?

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If you listen to the news this month, you will hear about certain festivals, feasts or celebrations happening around the world. Some of these last for weeks, or even an entire month, and are dedicated to worship and sacrificial practices in the pursuit of peace. In these times of increasing conflict within and across the Nations – increasing natural disasters, failing economies and financial difficulties, increasing pestilence with global viruses, wars and rumors of wars and other civil unrest – can peace be found? There is one who spoke much about this topic…

Watching and Waiting

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When Jesus walked this earth, He often used parables and stories to reveal truth and to illustrate moral or spiritual lessons, and even future events. Our Bridges 1 equipping and training curricula includes a “Parable Collection” listing parables our partners might use in the field when discipling others. “The Watchful Servant” is a favorite. Let me share the story and some thoughts that come to mind

An Opportunity to experience Storytelling training

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Have you ever thought, “I’ve heard about these Storytelling trainings, and I would really like the chance to experience one?” Have heard about “Bridges” and wondered, “What is a Bridges to Oral Cultures Training?” Do you know someone who might like to join an SIU training? Through our partnership with TRAIN International and their TELL division, we have an upcoming opportunity for you or an associate of yours.

Expecting the Miraculous! Join Us in Reaching the Unreached

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With this final post of 2022, we are featuring the last two of the seven unreached people groups our proven partners have brought to us recently. God has providentially provided great opportunities to introduce His story through the stories of Scripture among these people groups. You can help this effort through your prayers and your financial support toward funding Bridges training events. As we have stated before, this presents an incredible year-end giving opportunity for those with significant Kingdom growth and effective ministry stewardship mindsets.

You Can Make a Difference with the Unreached!

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This month we are featuring three of the seven unreached people groups who, by the Lord’s providential timing, our partners have shared unique opportunities to minister among. You can help in this effort through your prayers and your financial support for Bridges training events. Here is an incredible year-end giving opportunity for those with significant Kingdom growth and effective ministry stewardship mindsets.

Unreached People Groups: Join Us!

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Recently a handful of our active, proven SIU partners in Africa and Asia have shared some incredible opportunities and their vision to reach more unreached oral culture people groups living in their regions. Over the next few months, we will introduce you to seven of these people groups as we share a special year-end giving opportunity, inviting you to join SIU and our international partners as we follow the Lord’s leading in reaching the unreached.

A Gathering of Believers; Ekklesia

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When our team members travel to spend time with our Indigenous SIU partners, quite often we are shown some incredible ways that “gatherings of believers” happen without having to meet in a physical building. We like to refer to it as “church at the water well,” “church under a tree,” “church on the back of a camel” (that’s a fun image to picture ????) or “house church.” The Greek word “ekklesia” is the word often translated as “church” in our modern, English Bibles. In the language of today, the word “church” often means a building where Christians meet for their regular services. The original meaning of the word “ekklesia” refers to an assembly or gathering of believers, not a building where people gather. A basic definition of the New Testament word “ekklesia,” is “those who are called out and assembled together.”