Finishing the Task

Churches starting spiritual movements everywhere

Finishing the Task people group faces
  • Korean Site
  • Request Access
  • Login
Skip Navigation Links
Home
Contact Us
About Us
The List
Partners
Videos
Resources Expand Resources
Orality
Statistics
Prayer Link
Web Services
Data Lookup TablesExpand Data Lookup Tables
Scroll up
Scroll down
Countries
People Groups
Languages
Dialects
Scroll up
Scroll down

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 poeple are oral communicators, Finishing the Task 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. Many Finishing the Task partners have proven that Bible storying is effective for evangelism, discipleship, church planting, and even leadership training.

To learn more about orality or storying, visit the Finishing the Task partners or these helpful sites and resources:

  • International Orality Network
  • Making Disciples of Oral Learners audiobook
  • Making Disciples of Oral Learners paperback book
  • ChronologicalBibleStorying.com
  • OralStrategies.com
  • StoryRunners.com
  • Resources from Professor David Sills
  • Missions, Orality, and the Bible By John Piper
  • CUA Orality and Literacy Resources

Are you ready to start using oral strategies for more effective missions, but need more help or training? Contact us and we will be happy to connect you with a partner who can help.

© 2010 Finishing the Task