Could you be the catalyst to develop this website in your language?

Do you have a burden to be a catalyst to see other languages having sets of Bible overview stories & resources to train storytellers?

A friend of mine is accompanying her husband on a two year contract to Italy. She learned about storytelling in Australia and has keenly learned stories herself and used them with those around her. However, she has also become a catalyst to set up an Italian section of our website even though she herself can’t do the translations or tell the stories fluently in Italian. Instead, she has looked for people capable of doing those things and she has shared the vision with them so they want to be involved. As a result we have launched an Italian section of the site.

Could you be such a catalyst? What is required?

In order to have another language on our website we need:

1) Written translations of the welcome/about page and various world stories.

But which world stories? I suggest you start with ones that have impacted you and are close to your culture and then gradually include cross-cultural ones to increase people view of God’s world mission.

Some of the more important stories can be found under the ‘Training’ menu.

2) Story videos/audio files with or without subtitles depending on your context and whether these are regularly used – also useful for hearing impaired.

We’d like you to start with Bible Overview Set and follow the model of introduction + story (with this visually differentiated).

Where security is an issue please use audio files instead.

Even where video can be done, a separate audio file allows audio downloads for CD’s and phones – see our website for this.

*** Suggestions for videoing***

* Use High Definition and a tripod
* Save a separate audio file after making the video
* You might like to start with easier stories e.g Genesis 3 or 16:2-10 or one of Jesus miracle stories
* A group can learn the stories together and then film several people and choose the best
* If you can only find one storyteller – preference for a man because many cultures consider Christianity is just for women and children
* Choose a storyteller that the culture will respect
* If you have multiple storytellers try to find different ages/genders as that also communicates that Jesus is for everyone

There are now nine in the Bible Overview Set. If you think nine is too many and want to start with 8 here is a suggested set which is open to discussion.
1.  Rebellion Genesis 3: 1-15 (introduction from chapter 1)
2.  Abraham & Hagar Genesis 16: 2-10 (introduction of 12:1-7)
3.  Plague of Hail Exodus 9:13-28
4.  Passover Exodus 12: 29-33
5. Christmas Luke 2:6-18
6.  Authority over sickness & sin Mark 2:1-12
7.  Lazarus John 11: 32-44 or Authority over Demons Mark 1:21-28
8.  Crucifixion Luke 23:32-47
9.  Resurrection Luke 24:36-51 or 24:1-12

3) Start looking for other storytelling resources that can be linked with the website. I will make sure that the Jesus film and related films are linked in.

4) Later we will ask you (or someone else) to be an administrator of your language page. We will provide training. I am a non-technological kind of person but have learned to post a story and add a photo. We have the same photo on all stories that are the same no matter what language they’re in. This allows people who don’t speak other languages to still be able to use Facebook and email to send links to their contacts that speak those languages.

5) Develop an evangelistic card to point people to your stories/website.

Could God use you to be part of a storytelling movement within your language group? He delights to use the weak to achieve his purposes (1 Corinthians 1:27-29) and bring himself glory. So I think he can use all of us if we’re willing.

Who knows what could happen if your language group had a Bible Overview Set of stories being sent from phone to phone and via Facebook?