otLIVE: Unlocking the Bible in rural Bible schools

otLIVE: Unlocking the Bible in rural Bible schools

We praise God for the impact that otLIVE is having in rural Bible Schools
in Limpopo
– so well summed up in this testimony:

 

otLIVE has been such a help to me. With excitement, I can now easily explain the Bible to someone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hear from Ishmael Mutumwa,

who teaches otLIVE at the Bible schools in villages and on farms

– to pastors, church leaders, and church members:

When I think about why I like teaching otLIVE, I first need to reflect on what otLIVE has done for me personally! 

It has literally opened my eyes and unlocked the Bible! Before otLIVE, I was studying the Bible haphazardly. I have been a pastor since 2012 but I couldn’t understand how the stories all fit together. So, it also affected my interpretation and preaching – which can then easily be out of context.

OtLIVE really helped the Bible come alive to me. Now I read and study the Bible with understanding – for the first time knowing how it all fits together. In fact, otLIVE has opened my mind and now, it’s stuck in my head and heart – and I love studying the Word. I can understand what happened chronologically and even visualize a map of the area.

We really need this in our context, with many untrained pastors, it can be difficult for pastors and many of them don’t understand the Word. In fact, otLIVE is a necessity for churches so that pastors can equip their people with this knowledge. This what we need to do for everyone. Now that I am teaching otLIVE at the Bible Schools, pastors, and church leaders are bringing testimonies about it. It’s so important, even to teach in schools because kids need this.

I love that the Bible was unlocked for me. Now, by teaching otLIVE, I unlock it for others. I love seeing people’s eyes light up as they start to understand the Word that was given to us. We will know Him fully in eternity, but we can know Him through His Word now. I want this for people. I want to dispel the confusion that comes from not understanding. 

Feedback from some of the attendees at the Bible Schools

 

 

 

Leonard (farm foreman in Moeketsi)

I loved that otLIVE helped me learn in action form.This is now helping me to remember all the events in the Bible in their order. It has given me a vision of what happened where and helped me to understand so much about the Bible!

 

 

 

Lebogang

otLIVE drew such a clear picture of the Bible for me, it feels liberating! It feels like previously I was reading the Bible from a blind point of view. Now, I see the major people and events in the Bible clearly. This is so important in our rural churches. People really need an understanding of what the Bible is all about!

 

 

 

Zondi (from GA-Sekgopo village)

otLIVE has inspired me to read the BIble daily – because now I understand it with ease. It has simplified the Bible for me and helped me to understand how events unfolded. As a retired teacher, I can say that we really need otLIVE in our public schools.

 

 

 

Pauline

otLIVE really broadened my view of the Old Testament. Now the structure of the books of the Bible are easy to understand. I recommend it for every church and family. This is also such an important tool for schools.

                               otLIVE is Walk Thru the Bible’s Old Testament overview live event
– helping people to learn the big picture of the Bible, and the major people, places and events in just a few hours. 

 

For more information about otLIVE, please click here

 

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“Such fun – and just amazing to see how enthusiastic the kids were about doing otLIVE”

“Such fun – and just amazing to see how enthusiastic the kids were about doing otLIVE”

Hugenoot NGK in Bloemfontein recently hosted a Children’s Holiday Program which included otLIVE. What a great opportunity, for children, at a young age, to learn the big picture of the Bible. 

 

This was also a great time to reach out to children from different cultures and language groups. Crafts and drama added to the fun.

 

 

 

 

 

Feedback received

from one of the children

For more information about otLIVE, please click here

 

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First training of otLIVE instructors from Scripture Union

First training of otLIVE instructors from Scripture Union

We are delighted to have trained the first instructors from Scripture Union who will be taking otLIVE into the schools where they work.

Through this, we pray that many young people will come to understand the big picture of God’s story – and His gift to us in Christ.

Some of these new otLIVE instructors share their feedback…

 

It is amazing that you can learn and understand the whole Old Testament in just a few hours! And you never get bored. I love how it shows one story connecting to another. The hand signs also make it easy to understand and remember. I highly recommend otLIVE – even to parents who want to teach the Word of God to their children.   ~ Jeffery

 

otLIVE will be an amazing tool for us as we engage with kids. This can be easily taught to children to help them understand the Bible in a real way and see how it all fits together. The hand signs also help them to really catch on quickly. This will really have an impact in the schools that we are in and add value to what we are doing. Actually, it’s mind-shifting to be able to visualize the Old Testament coming together – and to see where all the bits slot into the big picture!         ~ Warren

 

What I loved about otLIVE, is that I now understand the flow and fit of stories in the Bible. It’s great that by teaching otLIVE to kids, they can understand the big story of the Bible – and if you understand the big story, then you really appreciate what Christ did for us. Also, personally, otLIVE helped me develop an appetite for the Word of God – to really dive deep into the stories. The Word is alive and always speaks to us! ~ Stacey

 

otLIVE simplified the Old Testament for me to understand. I needed this training! This is an amazing tool to reach young people. otLIVE will change lives.

 

otLIVE will be so helpful in getting the kids in the schools to understand the Bible better. But actually, it’s not just for kids – otLIVE ignites passion for everyone to read the Bible. I’ll be teaching more young people (and old) to know the Bible with this tool.

 

otLIVE unpacks the big picture of the Old Testament in an engaging way – helping people to learn and undertand the major people and palces of the Old Testament in just a few hours. For more about otLIVE, please click here.

 

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Walk Thru the Bible PostCards August 2023

Walk Thru the Bible PostCards August 2023

 A harvest in Kenya / Come back / The big picture / Provider / Behind the scenes

A harvest in Kenya. Never underestimate the impact of one well-equipped Bible teacher!

Learn how Walk Thru the Bible’s Old Testament overview event (otLIVE) is making a difference to undertrained pastors. “People are being grounded in the Word. This is helping pastors teach the Bible in an easy-to-understand way”.

“Come back! Come inside! Enjoy the wonders of My realm.”

Repentance. It’s not primarily about avoiding something. It’s about entering into something. An invitation. A welcome. And who doesn’t want a new start? Who doesn’t want to sit at His feet in the throne room of ultimate power?

The big picture. Helping people understand the big picture of God’s Grand Story through the Old Testament.

After doing otLIVE, young people recognize Christ as their Passover Lamb and give their lives to Him.

Provider. We worry about our lives. But God promises that if we trust in Him, He will take care of us.

God is Jehovah Jireh – the God who provides! Not only has He provided for our salvation, but Philippians also reminds us: “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory”.

A peep behind the scenes. Meet Sally, one of our team who help to make it all happen in the background.

“I help to ensure efficiency and track systems – so that we can better focus on the vision of igniting a passion for God’s Word.”

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Who we are.

God’s Word is hope to our communities. For more than 30 years, Walk Thru the Bible Southern Africa has been committed to helping people everywhere live God’s Word. We have partnered with people, like you, who are passionate about making the Bible known, people who know what it’s like to live a life forever transformed by the Word, and people who want to change the world and make an eternal impact. That’s why we exist. We help ignite a passion for God’s Word in people’s hearts through innovative live events and transformational resources. And every day we offer God’s truth to a broken world with this certainty: The Bible changes everything. Now, step into the story…

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A harvest in Kenya

A harvest in Kenya

Never underestimate the impact of one well-equipped Bible teacher!

 

Every year, Walk Thru the Bible trains and equips thousands of pastors and Bible teachers in some of the world’s most under-resourced regions. In Africa, Asia, and Latin America, more than 80 percent of these pastors have never received any formal training in leadership or theology. Some, in their congregations, may not even have a Bible. A severe shortage of training opportunities and resources, coupled with the exponential growth of Christianity in the Global South, has created an urgent and growing need.

As Walk Thru the Bible seeks to address this need through providing equipping and resourcing opportunities, we witness how God can use a single life to ignite passion for His Word in an entire region.

In rural Kenya, Pastor Christopher Bera is an individual who is making an enormous impact.
Kenya is home to more than 52 million people, and is the 48th largest country in the world by land area. As Pastor Bera travels to his churches, in rural areas and in places like Mombasa, he teaches Walk Thru the Bible’s Old and New Testament overview events (otLIVE and ntLIVE) to his people.

 

“When I was trained by Walk Thru the Bible, I learned so much. I began implementing what I learned from the training in my churches and in my ministry,” he said. “Walk Thru the Bible’s training has been a wonderful resource. otLIVE and ntLIVE have simplified the study of the Bible and all of our leaders understand it better. Many of these are pastors who have never received any formal biblical training. Now they can teach it to their people.”

He explains that by using Walk Thru the Bible training and materials, he has grown the leadership team in one area to more than 50 leaders, and about 30 of those leaders are actively involved in teaching in the churches and schools in their community. “This team is reaching more than 10 000 students and others every term,” he said.

He and his team have also planted a church in Kamasielo, a rural area in western Kenya. “This church started as a weekly meeting to discuss otLIVE and ntLIVE,” said Chris. “After a little while, the meeting attracted so many people from the area that they formed a church. By using Walk Thru the Bible teaching, that church has grown to 60 members.”

In Pastor Bera’s experience, Walk Thru the Bible offers a unique opportunity.
He recently traveled to Mombasa to visit his churches there. He introduced otLIVE to some of these small, home churches, which are also located in an area with many from another faith. “Walk Thru is an easy way to introduce people to the Bible, to open the church to people of other faiths,” he said. “We aren’t allowed to do a crusade or a revival in Mombasa, but we can teach this material. Just in that one area, we can reach 2 000 people a year.”

People are being grounded in the Word of God
By equipping Pastor Bera with high-quality biblical resources, Walk Thru the Bible is directly making a difference in countless lives in Kenya. He has a dream that in ten years, his team can reach at least 100 000 people in Kenya with Walk Thru the Bible. “When you teach Walk Thru the Bible’s materials,” he said, “it is like pouring oil into the Indian Ocean because it just goes, very quickly, to reach other places. Kenya will be different because of Walk Thru resources. People are being taught the Bible with true doctrine and in a very easy-to-understand way. They are becoming grounded in the Word of God.”

When one person has the resources they need to teach the Bible and to teach others to do the same, there’s no limit to the harvest their ministry will yield!

For more information on otLIVE, please click here.

 

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“We arrived to the sound of cheering children…”

“We arrived to the sound of cheering children…”

my experience of seeing otLIVE taught in a school in Malawi

 

“As we were entering the grounds of the primary school, I suddenly heard a cheering. Soon I realized that it was coming from a class of children who had seen that their otLIVE instructor, Tionge, had arrived. They were so excited!

The children, all 168 of them, gathered under a tree for their weekly otLIVE lesson. As I watched the lesson, I was astounded to see how the instructor had the children in the palm of her hand. Not one child was looking around or disrupting the class. They were so engaged in what they were learning.

Towards the end, when the time for questioning came, I was also amazed by how much the children had learnt. They had not only enjoyed the lesson, but also taken it in and made it their own. Now I know why the children are so excited to see their otLIVE instructor each time they come! She has such a way with those children and teaches them so well.

I am thrilled to see how the Malawian otLIVE instructors have grown – and how they are helping children not just to understand the big picture of the Bible, but also to know and love the God of the Bible.

The video clip below captures some of their singing together and gives such a great feeling of ‘also being there’ – as I wish you could have been, to experience it with me!”

~Lynnette Stander, Walk Thru the Bible Regional Trainer

 

Pictured above: The group of otLIVE Malawian instructors

Pictured below: Some of the schools that the instructors cycle to on a weekly basis

 

For more information on otLIVE, please click here

 

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