Top Stories

The embodied component of orality deserves fresh consideration, specifically as so many of us gathered in-person in Incheon at the Fourth Lausanne Congress. While thousands participated online thanks to the gift of digital technology, what made the Congress...

Youth show guides viewers through storms and droughts

by SAT7

A new beach-inspired youth program on SAT-7 PARS is helping young viewers to navigate the storms and the droughts of life and faith through dynamic discussions in an eye-catching coastal setting.

The engaging story of the Malila Scriptures

It can be easy to think that once people have the word of God in their own language, the work of Bible translation is done. That could be the case for the Malila community in Tanzania, who celebrated the arrival of their printed and audio New Testament in 2...

The translation can go where the church cannot: Contemporary Wolof translator Paulette knows the Bible can transform lives

Watch Paulette tell her remarkable and inspiring story Paulette Bleck has been praying for this day.She stands at the threshold of her family’s home with her firstborn daughter Mavis in her arms, holding her breath. Paulette is a member ...

Nourishing Hope: Tackling Food Insecurity and Human Trafficking in Rural Paraguay

On the outskirts of rural Paraguay, SIM workers Greg and Yvonne Cameron are spearheading an innovative programme that improves nutrition and aims to prevent human trafficking among indigenous communities. Since 2007, the Camerons have dedicated their lives ...

Where to go in times of Trouble

HOUSTON, TX (ANS) – In the Fall of 2017 Hurricane Harvey hit a large region of Southeast Texas. Millions of lives were impacted by the storm. Many of us were not flooded and had the opportunity to assist and serve others. There was an outpouring of compa...

God’s Word to sign language users

by Whole Word Institute

Learning to read is a very different process if you don’t use sound. Sign languages like ASL are not word-for-word translations of written languages like English – the vocabulary, grammar, and the way you form a sentence are quite different. For this reason...

Maale community hears old testament audio for the first time

The MAALE people in southern Ethiopia are oral learners, and many are illiterate. The audio Bible allows them to hear God’s Word in their home language for a fuller understanding.

From veterinary to preaching the Word

by TWR

Consider how unlikely it was in the first place that Matt Viljoen was even in a position to see that bumper sticker as a 34-year-old in the coastal village of Broadstairs, England.

The Profound Impact of Oral Bible Translation

by FCBH

Through OBT, those who cannot or will never read find hope in the Gospel. The following oral communities whose members have put in the work to ensure their people can hear exemplify the transformation taking place all over the world.

Big Challenges. Bigger Breakthroughs

by FCBH

Faith Comes By Hearing’s Bible recording teams understand hardships build strength. In our 50-year history, we’ve faced trials. Resistance to Scripture in secure regions, unpredictable weather in tropical climates, and a host of other issues weave through o...

A very big, very historic event

The launch of the Kabwa New Testament in Tanzania in March was a historic day for the Kabwa community – and they were going to be there whatever the weather! This was a very big, very historic event for our Kabwa community!’ says John Miriro, one of the Ka...

One country, five months, five New Testament launches

Exciting events in Tanzania in the coming months reflect how the pace of Bible translation is accelerating.

The Power of Curiosity

Children naturally have lots of questions and a healthy curiosity “Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning,” so said William Arthur Ward, one of America’s most quoted writers. Albert Einstein said, “I have no special talents. I am only passionat...

South Carolina church turns ‘trash into cash’ for missions

by IMB

Rodney Howard, center, teaching pastor at Salt and Light Church, Sumter, S.C. gathers bags of metal cans, broken appliances and scrap metal along with the help of Jerry Burke, a retired post office carrier. IMB Photo The 80-year-old man crawls halfway in...

Youth voices in Lebanon

by SAT7

Lebanon, Our Story seeks to tap into the power of storytelling in order to write a new, shared story for Lebanon, one based on openness, transparency, and accountability. The project was formed in response to poor civic engagement and social erosion driven ...

Harvest joy among the Yao people

The joy of the Holy Spirit is in rich abundance as many are coming to know Christ among the Yao people group in Eastern Malawi.

A Conference You Won’t Want to Miss!

We are thrilled to invite you to our 2023 KIDStory Conference on February 24th and 25th. This is an event for those with a heart to disciple children and those serving in missions around the world! Between the two days, we have a variety of breakout session...

The Power of Curiosity

One of the things we notice about most young children is that they have a healthy curiosity and ask a lot of questions. They learn fast because of their inquisitiveness and hunger for knowledge.

A Walk of Faith Begins with a Step of Faith

It’s a vivid memory for me the first time, that I know of, that I was responsible for someone else coming to faith in Christ. During my freshman year in college, I made friends with a Japanese foreign exchange student, named Asada. He was a Judo Black Belt...

No Text? No Problem. The Advent of Oral Bible Translation

by FCBH

Everyone needs God’s Word, so Faith Comes By Hearing works hard to expand the audience around Scripture’s life-saving message. How? By recording and freely providing Audio Bibles in the world’s languages.

Timing, common ground, and fruitfulness in witness

Those who abide in Christ will produce much fruit After more than a decade of cultivating a relationship with one of our neighbors, I finally got around to having a conversation with him about spiritual matters. I’ve been thinking, “why didn’t I do this...

A future where everyone has the Bible in their language

More people now have more of the Bible in the language they know best than ever before. In 2020, for the first time, speakers of over 700 languages had access to the complete Bible in their language.

Worth and Value in the Kingdom of God

We hear a lot these days about the need for more fairness and equality. People often get the idea that their worth or value is based on their salary, possessions, title or position in society.

The Tablet of your Heart

Houston, TX (ANS) – A new study reveals how Bible reading has declined greatly in North America over recent years. “Spending time in the Word of God” is a phrase that has been around for some time.

An Answer to Prayer: The Proclaimer

by FCBH

From dial-up to high-speed internet, the world around us constantly transforms as innovations arise. At Faith Comes By Hearing, this need for constant innovation is ever present. More than twenty years ago, Faith Comes By Hearing dedicated our ministry to s...

Fifteen Percent of the Bible is Poetry!

Not only in Kyrgyzstan, but across Central Asia and beyond we often note that poetic recitation inspires deep emotion and cultural identification with the biblical text, largely because it is a part of the still existing, oral tradition. The presence of ...

Losing Everything, Yet Gaining More: Tom and Elly Streeter Celebrate 50th TWR Anniversary

by TWR

TWR missionaries Tom and Elly Streeter spent 33 years serving in Monaco before relocating to TWR's offices in the Netherlands and subsequently Cary, North Carolina. Both their daughters, Jennifer and Rachelle, were born in Monaco. It was the ultimate nig...

Water and the Word, for Life, In Jesus’ name

There is much speculation and there are many theories about the origin and history of water on earth. However, for those of us who believe in the authority and accuracy of the Scriptures, we can accept the fact that God created water, as He is the Creator o...

Leadership for Life

Houston, TX (ANS) – The most important aspect to consider in relation to leadership is leading others to a relationship with Christ. There are many factors to take into consideration when we think of effective leadership, but only a few have eternal benefi...

Access to God’s Word proves life changing among UPG

by IMB

IMB missionaries Andy and Marie Hoffman served more than 11 years without seeing any fruit among their unreached people group (UPG) in North Africa. During those years, the family and their partners built relationships and shared the gospel with these nomad...

How God Transformed a Community

Orality Training for Trainers in Ethiopia HOUSTON, TX (ANS) —Over a period of about five years, Living Water International, in partnership with local churches, conducted Orality Training with more than 1,200 pastors, evangelists, missionaries and church ...

Bringing the Bible to Life in One Thousand Languages

by FCBH

Faith Comes By Hearing exists to share God’s Word in audio. Every month we add more of the world’s languages to our inventory of Bible recordings destined to become freely accessible on a variety of platforms. One of the most effective f...

I can hear you

Yohannes, Addis, Teunis and Joseph (L-R). (Credit Teunis van Woudenbergh.) Addis, Yohannes, and Joseph had normal childhoods in rural Ethiopia. They enjoyed going to school with friends and playing sports. But that was interrupted when they fell ill one da...

Seeing God’s glory in business

Kibir is an SIM Ethiopia ministry that uses missional business to make a kingdom impact, primarily through consultation and training. With Ethiopia’s high unemployment rates and pressure in the marketplace, they’re equipping Christians who are professionals...

Giving gifts in Japan

by ion.office

Recently, my wife and I were invited for brunch with friends who live on the other side of Tokyo. While walking from the station to their apartment, we searched for a shop where we could buy them a gift—something interesting, tasty, and not too expensive. W...

BIJAN’S PRAYER: AN IRANIAN BOY’S STORY OF FAITH

by SAT7

Thirteen-year-old Bijan from Iran recently got in touch with Persian children’s show Hashtag, asking to give his life to Jesus. Here, he shares his story of faith – ending with a beautiful prayer that blessed the whole team. I am thirteen years old, and ...

The Water that Satisfies the Deepest Thirst

Clean Water Saves Lives HOUSTON, TX (ANS) — “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But the Lord will answer them,” (Isaiah 41:17). Jesus said, in John 7:37-38, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come t...

Equipping nomadic believers

Representative image used. © Andrew Strong In 2008, SIM helped sponsor a regional conference to bring together believers from a pastoral people group in West Africa. At the conference, believers voiced their concern over the lack of trained pastors to te...

Orality, Memory and Disciple Making

The Power of Personal, Relational Evangelism and Disciple Making Houston, TX (ANS) – After more than three decades of using orality-based methods and strategies with several churches, ministries and mission organizations, we’ve made some amazing d...

The Value of Vision

by FCBH

Faith Comes By Hearing has aligned itself with hundreds of churches, Bible Societies, and translation organizations to fulfill the Great Commission and make God's Word accessible to everyone who needs it by 2033. Like the Body of Christ, these ministries wo...

SAT-7 BRINGS CHRISTMAS HOPE TO BELIEVERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

by SAT7

SAT-7 viewers will enjoy a hope-filled slate of Christmas programs in Arabic, Turkish, and Persian this week. From programs sharing gifts and Bibles with isolated villagers, children in an orphanage, and impoverished families, to live church services and sp...

Surprised by the Work of God

While visiting with a friend who owns a car dealership in the Washington DC area, I had a phone conversation and shared the gospel with a young man I had never met before. He was receptive and open to the Lord, so we had prayer together and he received Chr...

Thirsting for Living Water

Clean Water and the Living Water of Jesus brings Joy and Transformation HOUSTON, TX (ANS) – A few years ago I visited a region in Kenya where there had been several years of severe drought. Most of the water wells in the region were dry. Living Water Int...

Rethinking Church Life, Disciple Making and THE WORD

There are many valuable traditions and spiritual disciplines that can enhance our relationship and walk with God. However, our life in Christ and our walk with Him is not sustained by what we do, our spiritual disciplines.

Recordings reach where we can’t go

The Tamajaq (or Tuareg as they are often called in the West) travel across a vast area of the Sahara Desert, stretching from far southwestern Libya, to southern Algeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, where the biggest group is found.

Waves of Hope flood Loja on FM radio once more

After five years of silence, Waves of Hope radio is now back on 94.1 FM radio in Ecuador’s Loja province. Several of us on the SIM Ecuador ministry team witnessed the change in the antennae on the mountains of Loja and the technician yell, “We are on the ai...

7 things you might not know about sign languages

Did you know? There are at least 392 sign languages worldwide (and counting!) Sign languages have their own grammatical structures that are different from the spoken languages in the same areas. Those who use sign languages often also h...

Worldview-based Storying: The Integration of Symbol, Story, and Ritual in the Orality Movement

This book is dedicated to the present global generation of Bible storytellers. It will challenge you to learn from the rich history of the Orality Movement, do your cultural homework related to the integration of symbol, story and ritual, and tell the great...

Prayers and Conversations that Ignite Movements

Increasing numbers of mission and ministry leaders, pastors and church leaders, business professionals and ordinary followers of Jesus are now paying attention to the Orality Movement. There are a number of global mission leaders who are saying that it cou...

The Power of Community – Sharing Life Together

So often over the years when I’ve had conversations with people about the Lord, I discover that someone else has already had some spiritual influence on them. They have had some exposure to the gospel.

Life on Life: What I Learned From Refugees During My Internship

Nearly three years ago, I set out on an 11-month journey as an MTW intern, teaching English and ministering to refugee women in a city in Southeast Asia. The experience changed my perspective, faith, and sense of calling in ways that impact me to this day w...

An Orality Learning Journey – Getting back to the Basics

Houston, TX (ANS) – What may have been a seemingly insignificant and obscure conversation among a few church/mission leaders about orality, oral cultures and oral learners back in the 1970s and ‘80s, has become an important movement in the global mission wo...

An Afghan pastor’s prayer for his country

by SAT7

Faced with heartbreaking events such as those in Afghanistan, it is easy to wonder just how we can pray. To help guide your prayers, we hand over to Afghan church leader Shoaib, and he in turn prays the way our Father taught us: through the Lord’s prayer. P...

Missionaries use trading pins as bridge to gospel conversations

by IMB

Standing outside train stations, on street corners, and in neighborhood squares, IMB missionaries hold signs advertising “Free Pins.” When people stop, missionaries use the “bridge” trading pins to talk about grace, hope, love, community, and faith. With...

Behind the Lens: How Bible storying changed Seni’s life

by IMB

IMB photographers share stories from their photo collections For several years I have been documenting the work of West Africans and IMB missionaries using oral methods to evangelize the lost, disciple believers, and plant churches. Orality strateg...

Prayers and Conversations that Ignite Movements

The Power of Praying the Word of God, and Claiming His Promises Houston, TX (ANS) – In 1806, Samuel J. Mills, Jr., a student at Williams College was one of five participants in what became known as the famous “haystack prayer meeting.” It was a catalyst...

Missionaries use trading pins as bridge to gospel conversations

Standing outside train stations, on street corners and in neighborhood squares, IMB missionaries hold signs advertising “Free Pins.” When people stop, missionaries use the “bridge” trading pins to talk about grace, hope, love, community and faith. With i...

Setting Iranian children on the right path

by SAT7

Speaking to how important it is for children to have access to God’s Word in Iran, Zohreh says: “We didn’t hear stories of Jesus and the Bible on TV or at school. These kids are the future of this country, and they have to find God’s way – not the wrong way...

Praying for Bibleless people

Incredibly, some Bibleless people are already Christians, like the Vures people of Papua New Guinea – 95% of them identify as Christian, but they don’t have any Scripture in the language that speaks to them best.

Winning Souls With Bible Storytelling

by e3 Partners

I’m Jenanna Cook, a member of our e3 Oral Strategy Team with e3 Partners Ministry. Over six years ago, I participated in an e3 Story Training for Trainers workshop where I learned how to share God’s Word through Bible storytelling—a method that is powerful ...

Young adult becomes first known believer in Southeast Asian unreached people group

by IMB

When an individual from an unengaged, unreached people group comes to faith, many rejoice: the missionaries who’ve dedicated their lives to reaching the people group, the believers and churches in the United States who’ve spent time praying for and investin...

Isolated believers: North Africa

by SAT7

"As Christians, we always felt few and lonely. Now, as part of the SAT-7 family, we are excited to support the growth of the Church and its ability to witness to Christ," shares Samia Kessai, SAT-7 Producer and Presenter in Algeria. Samia joined Open Studio...

Why this emphasis on accuracy?

Is it really so important that the retelling of the story is exact, word for word? We believe it is! What if someone is telling this story to a group of traditional, oral learners? They may be accustomed to the recitations of the dervish, the griot or the s...

The DMM Platform

At The DMM Platform, we are experiencing the Kingdom breakthroughs that come when those who have never heard of Jesus hear Him speaking in their heart language. Simple, reproducible churches emerge as people in some of the most difficult and hard-to-reach p...

Connecting, Caring and Changing Lives

I met a man in Nashville while passing through a revolving door at an entrance to a downtown hotel. I smiled and greeted the man as he was exiting, and I was entering the hotel. Immediately the man turned around and followed me into the lobby to ask me a q...

Thru the Bible Gives Suicidal Man a Reason to Live

by TWR

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the lives of billions of people around the world. Some have lost friends and loved ones, while others have lost their livelihood. Satan has used the pandemic to spread loneliness, isolation and hopelessness. But th...

Exiled Mexican Believers Keep Gospel Legacy Alive

by TWR

That’s Sebastian Perez’s blunt yet understated explanation of how he comes to be writing on behalf of his community of Mayan evangelicals in southern Mexico. For most readers, it’s startling to hear about the forced deconversions, beatings, sexual abuse and...

Proclaimers: packing a powerful message

Proclaimers – not the well-known Scottish band, but solar-powered digital audio players – are bringing the word of God to oral-based communities, and lives are being transformed as people hear the good news of Jesus in the language that speaks to them best....

Celebrating Our First Audio Bible in Peru

June 2021 marks the completion of our first audio bible recording for the Quechua people of Peru and our first recording in South America. 7.3 million Quechua people are indigenous to the rural mountainous region located in southern and central Peru and s...

6 Ways God Used the Pandemic to Open Doors for Gospel Ministry in Senegal

In Senegal, Muslim-majority country in West Africa, MTW missionary Jim has partnered with a local Senegalese pastor to train four budding Christian leaders to be pastors and church planters

Celebrating Our First Audio Bible in Peru

First Audio Bible in Peru June 2021 marks the completion of our first audio bible recording for the Quechua people of Peru and our first recording in South America. 7.3 million1 Quechua people are indigenous to the rural mountainous region located in sout...

Audio and Video Tools for Oral People

by FCBH

From the time our smartphone alarms wake us in the morning until our heads hit our pillows at night, we are immersed in the ever-expanding world of technology. We benefit from technology in many ways, and without it, many of us would find it impossible to f...

Where can I find a Bible in my language?

‘I can understand French with my ear and Swahili with my mind, but my own language I understand with my heart.’ – a pastor from the Democratic Republic of the Congo Some Scripture – the whole Bible, the New Testament, or portions and stories – exists in ov...

Reaching Oral People with the Gospel

by FCBH

Oral people come from all walks of life: Perhaps you can read, but prefer to hear. Audio is how you best take in information. You would rather have a recording of a sermon or a school lesson than take notes because you absorb the points better that way.

Developing a Prayer, Care, Share Lifestyle

In the summer of 1982, while on a road trip across the state of Kansas, I came upon a roadblock at a construction project. A flagman approached my car and explained that there would be about a 10-minute delay. After a brief exchange, I asked the worker, “...

Social Media Ministry Made Easy

Not since Gutenberg developed the printing press has there been such a revolutionary means of spreading the gospel to people around the world. The Internet has eclipsed the influence of print, radio and television by putting the power to publish and broadca...

Violence Against Christians in Africa Is Increasing

by TWR

How do you see persecution? According to Open Doors, 1 in 8 Christians worldwide experience persecution for their faith. That’s 1 in 8 of us whose faith can come at great cost — in some cases, even at the cost of life itself.

SAT-7 Airs all-day life agape film festival on day of PENTECOST

by SAT7

SAT-7 marked the day of Pentecost this year with an international festival of Christian film aired in collaboration with partner Life Agape. A slate of impactful Christian movies in Arabic, Turkish, and Farsi were broadcast across three channels on Sunday 2...

Journalist hears the gospel in prison

by IMB

James, a pastor in a war-torn country, went to prison for two years. His crime: sharing his faith. But even imprisonment couldn’t stop him from telling the story that had changed his life.

Celebrating Our First Audio Bible in South Sudan

March 2021 marks the completion of our first audio Bible recordings for the people of South Sudan. Of the nearly 12.6 million people, 73% of the population is illiterate, and half live below the poverty line. Educational attainment is extremely poor due to ...

Little ‘Trimtabs’ that have Big Impact for God’s Kingdom

There are many African proverbs about mosquitos. One of those says, “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito.” Anyone who has done much international travel in the more tropical regions of the wor...

Literacy training in prisons using Bible storytelling

For those desiring to use literacy or English teaching to reach others for Christ, here is some inexpensive, effective and easy-to use material based on 30 Bible stories. It was designed for prison use, and is being used in four or five states to get indivi...

Upping Their Game – the Bible.is App

by Keith Williams

It’s not uncommon to go back to a ministry app and find that it hasn’t been updated in years or, even worse, that it is no longer available. Thankfully, that’s not the story of Faith Comes by Hearing’s Bible.is app, which has gone through significant change...

A Word from the Deaf of ION

The Deaf constitute a people unlike any other on earth. Mission scholars define them as a people group composed of profoundly Deaf men and women, usually Deaf at birth or before the acquisition of language, who use sign language as their preferred language ...

Delivering the Word of God to the Hausa People

In partnership with YWAM, over 300 Davar Hausa audio Bibles were distributed to tribes in Nigeria. This was the first time many had the opportunity to experience the fullness of scripture in a language they could understand.

Trying something new

During this global pandemic, I am attending many video conferences and webinars. A clear message of “be creative” and “try something new” keeps surfacing. We were founded on the principle of being creative and trying new things.

Proclaiming the Good News through Story in Oral Cultures

God’s Word, shared through stories and the Oral Arts (storytelling and dialogue, drama, poetry, song and dance), continues to touch hearts and minds of oral preference learners around the world, even during this global pandemic. See how local leaders are pr...

https://vimeo.com/436939802

Reaching across language barriers

One challenge that many Bible college graduates have is forgetting their mother tongue. Perhaps they were identified as intelligent and talented from as young as twelve years of age so they were sent to boarding school for the sake of their education. This ...

Digital Orality: New Signs of Spiritual Opportunities

Orality-based methods and strategies are the most effective ways people have learned and communicated from the beginning of time. Digital Orality is about combining modern technological resources with the most ancient forms of communicating and learning. ...

Transformed Lives

by Global Frontier Missions

Earlier this year, Charlotte and another member of our staff were introduced to a family from the Middle East through a mutual friend. They were invited to visit the mother and her adult daughter in their home.

Gospel Spreads Among Truck Drivers in West Africa

by IMB

In West Africa, truck driving is a dangerous and stressful job. Drivers face job insecurity, the threat of being robbed, extortion from corrupt policemen, and cultural and linguistic barriers as they cross through borders taking imports from the coast to la...

How to Prepare Your First Bible Story

Bible storytelling is a skill that most of us are not born with. It’s hard the first time but will get easier the more stories you learn. Here is the basic process.

Listening to the Gospel in North Korea

by TWR

TWR broadcasts the truth of the gospel over radio waves into some of the most closed countries in the world--including North Korea. Occasionally, our staff in South Korea receives letters from from listeners in the North thanking TWR for ministering to them.

https://vimeo.com/164714210

The Importance of Asking the Right Questions

“Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning." “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” Unfortunately, many people lose that curiosity and thirst for knowledge as they grow older.

We fit together well!