What Next?
When you have worked through the various factors, you will know enough about your situation to begin thinking about what you want to do. Below are a number of steps designed to help you decide how to begin fostering a greater level of Scripture engagement in your community.
1 – Evaluate hindrances to Scripture engagement in your context.
You were probably able to identify several issues or problems that need to be addressed to improve Scripture engagement in the community. Begin by listing all of those issues or problems.
Once you have listed them look at how important each one is and how easy it might be to tackle it.
2 – Identify the assets that are available to you for addressing those hindrances.
Think about the resources you have readily available to you. These can include people who can help, funds that can be used, people who have special expertise you can draw on (local or outside), and how much time you have available to work on Scripture engagement.
3 – Decide which issues you want to focus on first.
Look at the list you developed in Step 1 in light of the assets you identified in Step 2.
Which items on the list do you have the capacity to address with your existing assets? Which ones will require finding additional assets, either from within or outside the community? Which ones will be easier to deal with? Which ones will take time, but will need to be addressed sometime.
Based on your evaluation, decide which issue(s) from Step 1 that you want to focus on first. There may be several quick and easy things you can do that will make a difference. Bigger projects will take much longer and require more resources, but could still be worth it.
Identify what can or should be done now, and what can be done over time.
Remember to keep a list of your discussions and decisions, including those issues you want to tackle later.
4 – Identify your plan for addressing the issues.
Make a plan based on the issues you want to address in the next year or two and the ideas you have for these.
Consider
– What you want to do,
– how you will create new materials or activities
– who should be involved,
– how long it might take,
– where you will try the new ideas and when.
Also, think about how you will assess whether your chosen solutions are acceptable and whether they are achieving the aims you have for them.
5 – Identify additional resources to help you
There are people and organisations available who can help with a variety of resources and skills you may need as you implement your plan.
As well as the local churches and other mission agencies working in the community, Scripture Engagement Consultants can help as you think about your situation and the many possible activities and Scripture-based resources you might want to develop or adapt, and those already available for use.
To find a Scripture Engagement Consultant please email: emdc.guide@gmail.com
Examples of different Scripture Engagement Activities
● Preaching and Teaching
● Small group Bible Studies
● Audio listening groups
● Audio dramas
● Public reading of Scripture
● Community video screenings
● Oral storying and oral Bible studies
● Meditation and Memorisation
● Liturgy
● Singing, dancing, drama, visual arts
● Testimonies
● Conversations
● Teaching Podcasts where Scripture is explained
● Teaching why and how to study the Bible (good exegesis)
● Creation of background materials that help to make sense of Scripture
● Application of Scripture to local social and spiritual needs e.g. Trauma Healing, Culture meets Scripture, Faith and Farming, Kande’s story, Good News Encounters, Weavers
● Pastors Workshops e.g. key terms, the translation process, interpreting well, Biblical timelines,
● Bible-based literacy
● Children and youth Sunday school
● Family devotions
● Copying out Scriptures
● Social media campaigns, Messaging, Media to Movements
● Distribution strategies
● Working with seminaries to promote and teach about vernacular Scripture use/benefits, exegesis, worldview beliefs and values, leading group Bible studies
Examples of different Scripture Products
● Printed passages, books, testaments, lectionaries
● Oral translation passages, books, testaments
● Audio passages, books, Testaments
● Scripture Apps e.g. Scripture App Builder, Story Producer App
● Videos of stories, books e.g. Jesus Film, Genesis Video, Lumo Gospels
● Diglots (printed and in Apps such as Scripture App Builder)
● Panoramas, Creation to Christ Scripture selections e.g. God’s Story, Bible Ramp
● Storying sets
● Scripture in Songs
● Children’s Bible stories e.g. Bloom books and App, Reading App Builder
● Radio dramas, visual dramas
● Scripture shared through Messaging Apps e.g. WhatsApp