Orality

About two-thirds of the world’s population are oral communicators. That is, they prefer or need a non-literate approach to learning.

Oral cultures tend to preserve and transmit their culture through stories, proverbs, poems, songs, dance and such. Primary oral societies pass along everything that matters from one generation to another without putting anything into a written format.

Yet, the vast majority of Christian mission work today is conducted through literate means that oral communicators simply do not understand. Since the vast majority of unreached people are oral communicators, Rhema for the Nations  recognizes the importance of reaching these groups with oral strategies. As communicators of the gospel, it is our responsibility to present the message in a way oral learners can understand.

A highly effective way to reach oral cultures is by telling the stories of the Bible. Oral people love to hear the stories over and over again, memorizing them word-for-word. Since story telling is highly relational and social, Bible stories can spread rapidly within a people group. Rhema for the nations and many of our partners have proved that Bible storying is effective for evangelism, discipleship, church planting, and even leadership training.