Steve Bassett reports on SGM Lifewords’ Visible Story programme in action.
Indonesia is home to planet Earth’s fourth biggest population group. Timor, Java, Sumatra and Bali are well known travel destinations – but in all there are 17,500 islands in this beautiful corner of South East Asia. The nation’s mega-city is Jakarta, all well-heeled business areas and slick consumer malls, jostling with urban slums huddled around railway tracks and rubbish dumps. Outside its cities, the nation’s rural communities are facing serious economic and educational challenges. In Indonesia’s mainly Muslim context, sharing the Bible’s life words is a challenging task.
The Visible Story is a simple yet profound tool to help evangelists share the gospel in their communities. Recognising the high levels of illiteracy that exist, a colourful flipchart of pictures depicts four of Jesus’ parables – all carefully selected for their resonance with Indonesian culture. In the hands of Bible students who have a burning heart to reach their home communities, The Visible Story opens the Bible’s message in a fresh and natural way.
Reaching unreached people
Gunar Sahari heads up SGM Lifewords’ ministry in Indonesia. As well as leading the Moriah church and Bible college, Gunar applies SGM Lifewords literature and Transform projects in urban and rural contexts, always aiming to ‘reach unreached peoples’. He is excited to see The Visible Story ready for use after three years of testing: “In Indonesia many people don’t know how to read or write. The Visible Story material really fits with the people here, because through the pictures we can tell the story. Indonesian people like to hear stories; but if it’s just a story, it doesn’t change their lives. But behind The Visible Story there is the Bible Story – and I believe that through the Bible Story, people can change.”
This summer, The Visible Story will be rolled out as 3rd year students from Moriah, who are trained to use this new resource, return to their home communities all over Indonesia and share their faith with their neighbours and friends.
Vera
Vera, is 21-year-old woman who has been at Moriah Bible College for two years; she has a great heart for mission and for reaching her home community with the message of Jesus. She lives in Dumpit, a semi-rural farming community, where people struggle to make ends meet, and where poverty and lack of education – especially illiteracy – blight future opportunities for countless young people and adults. Vera longs to make an impact here, but lack of confidence has held her back from being able to start ‘God conversations’ or present the gospel.
However, attending a training session for The Visible Story made a big difference for Vera. As she held the flipchart and flicked through the colourful images that retell Jesus’ parables, she began to imagine how this could work back in Dumpit: “I’m very happy I joined the training; I believe that The Visible Story material is really useful for me, especially with the Dumpit situation. I believe many children and a lot of parents will receive many blessings through this material. I want to apply what I learned … especially to reach unreached people.”
The story in action
Just a few days later, we followed Vera as she went home and started to use The Visible Story with her friends and neighbours. In a beautiful moment, children gathered round her and she began telling the story of the lost son: the children were engaged with what she was saying, laughing and guessing what was coming up next – and drinking in this story of Jesus. It was the first time Vera had been able to connect the Scriptures in such a natural way – and she is thrilled to have discovered a tool that gives her confidence and clarity as she shares the gospel.
You can see the delight on Vera’s face as she uses The Visible Story for the first time right here in our short film. You can also meet others who are taking The Visible Story to Indonesia’s rural villages, urban slums, and busy city streets. Watch Yos as he shares the gospel in a teeming railway slum, as part of a ministry that includes counselling, care, a food programme, and starting a church right next to the railway tracks. Then there’s Anton, who steps out in poverty-stricken rural and urban contexts, with a heart to see God change people’s lives – and their environment. And, you can also hear from Gunar as he shares his heart for ministry.
“I believe it is God’s purpose for my life and also for my ministry to reach unreached people – especially the [poor] people,” says Gunar. “Through SGM Lifewords we use booklets . . . we have Pavement Project . . . we have The Visible Story . . . this really helps me to focus on these kinds of people.”
The Visible Story was created for Vera, Yos, Anton, Gunar and many others like them. They are all people who have a passion to share Jesus and to make the gospel story visible in their home communities.