Bridges Strategy and Oral Scripture Engagment Impact

Here are a couple testimonials sent to us by our faithful partners showing what happens when the Bridges strategy and oral Scripture tools are used.

Burundi:
Grace is a widow in a Pygmy community. In February, during severe flooding, Grace lost her house, which was destroyed. She and her children had no place to go and spent a week outside, enduring the rain. A local storyteller invited her to stay in his house, where she was welcomed by others in the community. Together, they began learning Scripture stories and growing in their faith.
In May, during the dry season, the team decided to work together to make mud bricks, and they started constructing a new home for Grace and her children. Once the house was completed, many people came to see how the community had come together to help this widow and her children. Scripture stories were shared, leading to the formation of 21 house churches in their region.

Democratic Republic of Congo:
Our young church planter in one territory by the name of Aubin decided to be a storyteller wherever he went from place to place telling The Parable of the Talents. Each time he told this parable the people realized that everyone should work and use their talents. Brother Aubin has planted more than 47 churches in this territory.

These recent testimonies are amazing. We receive hundreds of testimonies and partner reports like these each year, confirming and validating the Bridges Oral Strategy. Our reported numbers are conservative as some of our partners live and work in hostile or very remote places and are unable to provide formal progress reports. Our United States based trainers seek to receive informal and oral reporting from these active partners via phone, text, video call, audio recording, email and in-person conversation. Also, partners leading networks that no longer receive training funds from SIU typically do not continue to submit progress reports. Here is something for your consideration:

On average, it takes approximately $3,200 USD to fund one Bridges training with approximately 30 pastors, leaders, and other believers. One training typically results in 100 new believers and 10 new churches in the following three to six months. This is not an immediate result of the training itself, but the result of the training participants putting into practice the skills and strategy learned in the training.
Therefore, conservatively:
• $32 has the potential of resulting in one new believer
• $320 has the potential of resulting in a new church fellowship (Christ centered community of faith)
• $3,200 will potentially result in 100 new believers and 10 new churches

Obviously, one cannot buy believers or churches, nor do we pretend to guarantee believers or churches. However, a gift in those amounts has this potential, based on historic data gathered from our partners, resulting in incredible impact of lives transformed and new souls brought into God’s Kingdom.

Would You Consider a Year-end Gift to SIU?

We would like to continue providing these training opportunities for our Africa leaders and trainers as they train, teach, and raise up more disciples who train others and see a great Harvest in hard to reach areas of the world.
Please give as the Lord leads you in any amount. Our $3,200 USD per training event cost is only a reference point. We are grateful for your consideration in investing either in an ongoing monthly financial gift or a year-end donation to help us further the support of this Great Commission endeavor. We all have a part in finishing the task of the Great Commission.