We are delighted to have recently trained new otLIVE instructors at our Johannesburg office – the Victory Park LifeChange Centre.

One of these new instructors, Nthabiseng, shares with us about why this training was a priority for her…

I want to show children how God showed up for people in the Bible – and how He will show up for them in their lives too.

“I was looking for a way to teach the Bible to children in a fun way – using their imaginations and action. otLIVE does just that! It puts the whole Bible into an easy to remember summary for children to remember. It also personally encourages me to want to get back into the Old Testament for myself. otLIVE has opened up my mind to understand how the stories of the Bible fit together.

I want to show children how God showed up for people in the Bible – and how He will show up for them in their lives too. We still serve the same God. I want them to see from the stories of the Old Testament how God used an eight year old king, and how God used David – even although he was the youngest and small in stature. I want the children to know that ‘I can be like King David. I can also have a whole heart for God and follow and listen to Him.’ They need to know that God doesn’t care about your age or how you look – it’s about what’s in your heart.

And that’s what otLOVE does. It brings the stories to life for the kids and helps them understand how it all fits together. otLIVE gives them a great foundation of the Bible; and it’s so good to do that at a young age when the soil is fertile.

This fits in with one of my personal themes. I love building foundations in young people’s lives. When the foundation is laid well, the building is strong and can stand when storms come. I have been teaching and ministering to children for more than 19 years. This is my passion. There is such a need in our communities. Our kids need Jesus.

May God give many open doors for Nthabiseng and all the other new instructors to share our God and His story with many children!

If you would like to host an otLIVE seminar in your church or school, or be trained as an instructor, please CLICK HERE or email [email protected]

All over the world, children and adults are learning the major people, places and events of the Old Testament in a fun way.

Learning to teach like Jesus

A group of 60 pastors gathered at Umndeni Fellowship Christian Centre in Tsakane on Johannesburg’s East Rand to DISCOVER together how to teach more like Jesus. This being the first Discover Live Event in Southern Africa.

Unique to this event was the focus, not so much on what Jesus taught, but on HOW – how He communicated truth and drew people in. This was a time to take a step back to look at how Jesus, the master teacher, helped both individuals and groups grasp and understand life-changing truths.

Mark Schaaf, Walk Thru the Bible (WTB) International Trainer and Terry Broberg, WTB Global Children’s Director, helped the pastors explore Jesus’ teaching methods and discover a personal path to more effective teaching. The pastors were able to experience some of Jesus’ different teaching methods – as they looked at familiar Bible passages with new eyes.

Time was also spent fellowshipping and discussing together what they could do differently as they preach and teach the Word.

Maybe some of their feedback will encourage you to rethink some of your own approach to teaching…

I loved that Jesus so often sat down with the people. He was humble and authentic.

Jesus really had compassion for the people He was teaching. He knew where the people were at. You can have a good sermon, but unless you have a heart for the people, it doesn’t help.

Sometimes, He was clear and direct. Other times, He allowed people to experience things for themselves, like when He washed the disciples’ feet.

I noticed that Jesus was patient and engaged people with questions – letting them discover the truth for themselves.

I will use more props and drama in my preaching – to let people experience the lesson.

What a privilege to sit at the feet of the Master Teacher and learn from Him.

– with Sharpening Your People Skills

A shout out to the staff at the DEOPR ** Caring Facility for the Aged! What a blessing to serve this high-impact team by recently facilitating a Sharpening Your People Skills Live Event for management, office staff and caregivers at this facility.

The team who serve at this non-profit facility are passionate about looking after the elderly. Together, since taking over the operations, they have not only grown it but also set it on the right path to sustainability.

However, as with any organization, team members are often vastly different. It was with this in mind, that the leadership decided to host a Sharpening Your People Skills Live Event – in order to maximize cooperation and understanding amongst staff members.

According to Hennie Els, CEO of the caring facility:
“Sharpening Your People Skills was value for the mind and soul. This will really assist in managing our staff teams.”

Team members were challenged as they learnt about their own behavioural style and that of their colleagues. Significant progress was made towards adapting and accepting the behavioural styles of others – and ultimately towards streamlining working relationships between various sectors of the organization.

If you have a heart to help grow teams with Sharpening Your People Skills, click here for more information about being trained to present this live Event.

** Directorate Enforcing Older Persons Rights