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Mission Strategies

Mission work is built on the biblical essentials of faithful gospel preaching, persistent prayer and practical love.

We also spend a lot of time considering how we do these things in a cross cultural context and the methods we use.

Chronological Bible Storying and Indigenous Biblical Church Movements are two of our key strategies.

So what do we mean by these terms?

Chronological Bible Storying (CBS)

CBS draws together two key elements as a way of sharing the gospel and teaching God's word.

1. Oral Communication

Many people prefer to communicate and learn through oral communication rather than through the written word. This includes many who are literate but do not enjoy reading. These people learn best through stories, song, and proverbs, rather than through abstract logic and ideas. Most working class people in Taiwan fall into this category.

CBS relies on telling the stories of the Bible rather than demanding that people read or attend a Bible "study" or "class" in order to hear the gospel.

2. Biblical Theology

CBS tells the big story of the Bible from creation through God's plan of salvation to its climax in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Step by step people learn about the unique, true and living God of the Bible and His plan for His world.

This approach is especially important for people from an animistic background with no understanding of the biblical worldview. Taking time to tell the story of the creation and fall helps people to know why the God of the Bible is different from the many gods they already worship and why they need to know Jesus.

Using CBS

Missionaries select key passages of scripture that help tell the story of God's plan of salvation, at the same time keeping in mind key worldview questions that need to be addressed in the culture where they serve.

They then practice communicating these passages in oral form, adding illustrations and explanations where needed but seeking to stay close to the text of scripture as much as possible. The stories are also linked together so that one flows into the next telling the "big story" of our need and God's provision of salvation.

They pray for opportunities to share these stories with their contacts. Often stories will be told one at a time over an extended period of time. But often, having heard one story, people will ask for more, or will bring friends to hear the story. In some cases they will even then pass on what they have heard to others.

In some contexts evangelism may involve just a handful of stories (e.g. creation, fall, one or two stories from Israel's history, Jesus' life, death and resurrection). In other situations, dozens of stories working through the OT will be used. Currently most OMF missionaries in Taiwan use a set of about 6 stories for evangelism.

CBS is also used for discipleship. The stories are retold to those who believe along with further stories to help believers build up a biblical worldview and also to help train them to pass on the stories to others.

In telling the stories it is pointed out that these are recorded in the Bible. Storying is coupled with introducing the written Word to believers at a level they are able to read and digest so that it is clear that the Scriptures are the ultimate authority in the lives and church.

Learning More
CBS is not a package but an approach to evangelism and discipleship drawing on these two principles. CBS is learned by taking these principles and practicing them in your particular context. So unfortunately we are not able to recommend a particular book or course that will teach you CBS. But here are a few resources that will give you more information about what CBS is and how it can be used.

Chronological Bible Storying - this website is a good starting point with a wealth of information about the why and how of CBS. Follwo the many links to find out more about CBS and other oral strategies.

Firm Foundations - this is the book that started the move towards chronological teaching in missions. Although the focus is more on teaching than storying, this is a valuable resource book with lots of examples and ideas for communciating the "big picture" of the Bible.

Indigenous Biblical Church Movements (IBCM)

IBCM is at the heart of OMF's vision statement . We long to see an IBCM in each of the people groups amongst whom we work. Indigenous Biblical Church Movements are our goal and prayer and this influences every aspect of our approach to ministry. So what is an IBCM?

Church

The building of Christ's church is at the heart of God's purposes and so it is also at the heart of our all our ministries.

We do not just work towards the conversion of individuals, or to the transformation of society. Rather, we work to see the establishment of churches - communities of believers who grow together in Christ, who serve the society in which they live and who reach out with the gospel to their own people and beyond.

Indigenous

Our goal is churches that belong in the culture and do not look foreign or imported. They are churches that use the local language and customs, and are led by local people who take responsibility for their funding, thinking and planning.

We work hard at understanding the langauge and culture. We use methods and resources that are easily reproducible by the local people. We make it a priority to develop and train indigenous leadership and seek to avoid importing our own denominational or cultural baggage. We are missionaries facilitating the growth of the church rather than pastors leading from the front.

Biblical

We want to see churches that have the Bible in their heart language such that ordinary Christians can understand it. They are focused on the Bible; it is read, studied and obeyed and is the ultimate authority for church life.

We point to the Bible, not the missionary as the authority of the church and teach people to understand it for themselves. We also focus on biblical essentials for healthy churches and downplay secondary issues that may be part of our own church backgrounds.

Movements

We do not want to plant a few churches, but rather see churches planting churches planting churches... That is, "viral churches". There will never be enough missionaries or church planters for the scope and urgency of the task. Only if there is a grassroots movement of churches growing and multiplying will the unreached hear the gospel.

We will seek to pass on our mission calling, model reproducible methods of ministry, and empower local leadership. We will focus on establishing simple churches can be led by lay Christians and can multiply rapidly with limited resources and training.

IBCM & CPM

Church Planting Movements is a similar approach to IBCM which has been researched and promoted by the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. You can read more about Church Planting Movements on their website.

IBCM, OMF and God

An Indigenous Biblical Church Movement is beyond the power of OMF to create or control. The development of an IBCM depends upon the gracious work of God through the power of his Spirit. So we do not present IBCM as a technique for successful mission but a set of values that we follow as we seek to work with God according to His purposes.

It is our prayer that as we put these principles in practice, by God's grace, we will see the gospel spread amongst the Taiwanese working class through faithful churches rooted in the culture and growing and multiplying throughout their communities.