Simply The Story
Experiencing Scripture
Through Discussion
Timothy Church
Planter Training
INDIA:Responses to Simply the Story
Total Change!
"We have totally changed over to STS method of sharing from God's word. This has given us excellent results. I am writing to you some of the stories and testimonies of what God is doing in our midst through STS. All glory to Jesus. We thank God for you and your team, for your dedication.
E. and J. S." (leaders over 6,100 churches)
1) Given Up "One of our leaders Sister C. T., was ministering in one House Church for past 4 years, a family of 8 people. The lady of the house and her married daughter would attend the House Church meetings every week along with others from the neighbourhood. But her son-in-law A. would never attend nor had anything to do with Jesus, on the contrary would drink and trouble the family all along these 4 years.
"After STS training Sister C.T., told the story of the Richman and Lazarus and by God's providence the drunken son-in-law happened to be around in the house and heard the story as if God the Holy Spirit kept him there immoblised. At the end of the story telling he enquired about the reality of Heaven and Hell and got convicted with fear and trembling. Now is part of the House Church going on in their home and also attends the Sunday service and has given up drinks."
2) Just a Five Verse Story "Our leader brother R. M., has been conducting a house church and a Gujrathi boy from a Hindu family heard the story of "Martha and Mary" the STS way. He went home and told his unbelieving Hindu father the story. Now his father along with 10 members of their family is now regular members of that House Church and also attending Sunday Service locally."
3) Overcame The Social Pressure "H S. is one of our leaders coming from a staunch Hindu family. His own parents, uncles and aunts about 35 people from one big family had given their lives to Jesus and were part of some church 12 years ago. All 35 people back-slid and went back to Hinduism due to pressure from their own community. Our leader HS after STS training told the story of Martha and Mary to his uncle N. who was the controlling figure for the whole clan. When he heard about Jesus telling Martha that Mary has chosen the right thing, he got convicted. He was one of the 35 of the family who followed Jesus 12 years back and back-slid on his insistence due to social pressure. Now he has come back to Jesus, attends Sunday meetings regularly along with many of those who went back. We are sure that all 35 and even many more will join them soon. All glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus, STS is doing wonders for us.
4) A Vital Tool "Two of our pastors went to a remote district in Maharashtra and trained about 200 local leaders through STS, the impact was very good. 70% of the 200 leaders are illiterate tribal people and many among them are women. We will hear great stories from them very soon. The STS method has given them a very vital tool in their hands."
5) Given Up His Business "Sister L. P. from our leadership team in Mumbai—was ministering to one family for more than a year. The man of the house was involved in "Lottery" business. In spite of telling him to change his profession he would not listen. After STS our sister Lata shared in the House Church the story of Matthew the Tax collector and how he gave up everything and just followed Jesus straight from the desk of the tax collection. During STS as the story was shared the person literally heard
Jesus calling out to him as Matthew was called, he has now given up his business of "Lottery" and Lord honored him by giving him a good business in catering line."
6) Visible Miracle, From 2,000 Yearl Old Story "Sister L. P. —One of the sisters from the church brought one lady for the House Church meeting. This Hindu lady had a big gland in her ear, it was infected and fluid was oozing out with unbearable pain. She is married for 6 years and has no children. This lady with gland in her one ear was reluctant to come for the House Church meeting. The doctor's dispensary was near the house where the House Church was being conducted. Since the doctor had not yet arrived this lady agreed to wait in this house where the House Church was being conducted till he would come.
Meanwhile during the House Church service our leader shared the story of the woman who was bent over for 18 years and how Jesus healed her of her deformed back. At the end of the meeting when the lady with a big gland in one of her ear wanted to get prayed over, she started looking for the ear with pain and could not trace because the big gland had just vanished after she heard the story of Jesus healing the woman with a hunch back. That was a very notable miracle and her ear pain had completely gone, no more fluid was oozing out, and she had absolutely no pain. This built her faith and asked
for prayer for her barrenness of 6 years, now she is pregnant and her husband a Hindu Cobbler by profession is also attending the church. STS way of ministering is truly great."
7) Modern Day Prodical Son S. D., one of our leaders, was ministering to a Hindu family for more than a year in where only the mother and the daughter would attend. Father was a drunkard and was in heavy debts and villagers would insult him for all that. After STS on the "Prodigal Son" the father gave up drinking completely. Now regularly attends the church, we are sure that the Lord will
help him to come out of his debts soon."
8) A Changed Cheater S. P., our leader shared the story of Jacob and how the Lord made him Israel through STS way. There was a Hindu man who was just 2 months old in the Lord, he would still cheat people and do so many wrong things, but this story from the life of Jacob and his subsequent change touched him so much that he gave up all his bad habits and attitude. Now he is bringing
rest of his family of 5 to the church as well as he has brought one more family to the Lord.
9) Changed Child Reaches Famlies Sister N. N., one of our leaders ministering in one House Church, young daughter of the house would not attend as well as, not study well. During the teachings through STS our leader asked this young girl to repeat the story of Richman and Lazarus, she felt so important that some one gave her an opportunity to share the story, she is a totally changed person now. This young girl has now brought 4 new families and 2 young boys to the Lord, and is growing in the Lord. .
AMAZING MULTIPLICATION
A pastor in South India reported, "I have had 11 years of theological education. In 16 years we planted 29 churches in the villages among the uneducated and baptized 820 people. After I received STS training, in nine months we baptized 434 people and planted 19 new churches! new believers came from when the uneducated of our church told the Bible story they learned at church! and the 29 churches have more people and they all know more the Gods word."
"FIRE IN THE FOREST"
One year ago on our extended Asia trip to train God's Story leaders in Simply the Story, this pastor attended our training.
"I can give Wonderful living testimonies with photo proof that how the story telling method is useful in our present situation and condition, not only that by the guidance of the Holy Spirit the way you have prepared the methods step by step is very much useful.
"As our pastors and church planters are witnessing previousely they use to go to villages with carrying so many Tracts, New Testaments, and other spiritual books to distribute and share the Gospel by that time opposition people come and persicute and burn tracts, books,and then beat and send them out of the village they were not able to win the single soul It was happened so many times.
"But now they are telling by using this story telling method, step by step the Holy Spirit convincing every ones heart of those who are hearing the story.This story telling method is like fire, previousely religious people use to burn Tracts and Spiritual books but now time has been changed the method what we are using in the story telling it is burning their evil hearts and purify it not only that it will spread like fire in the forrest, through out the village the story will spread and convincing their hearts and now volunterly they are comming to us for prayer.
"These testimonies i am getting from all pastors and church planters. still there are otheR literates and illiterates people, and Childrens tesimonies are there if Gods will i will be sharing with you."
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Within two months of being trained, our Director Dr. Mark Muniyappa led workshops in numerous states including Orissa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Manipuri. Here are first responses from two of those hands-on workshops.
South India: Wedding Miracles Live On!
"Yesterday I shared two stories at Sunday worship services in our local Churches in two different places (now I stopped my old way of preaching (after STS reached us rather I tell the stories from the Bible). Then at 3 pm our Risen Lord has given me an opportunity to tell the story of the first miracle (Marriage at Cana) that our Lord did in His ministry. (They have invited me to pray for bride and bridegroom) to 30 people who came to attend this engagement in one village (Roopanagar).
"After praying and sharing the Bible truths about Marriage to both of them, I came out (it is very small house about 8 feet by 10 feet and more people came) and started to tell a story of first miracle our Lord Jesus did at Cana to people who are sitting out side the house. Most of them are non-believers and they listened story very carefully and responded very nicely while we are finding the spiritual insights. It led 10 people to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. It was amazing to see how our Lord speaks to these non-believers through this story. I praise God for His Word, it speaks to every heart and it changes lives."
Orissa State, India: "When I teach they usually sleep and not many are saved."
"God gave us the opportunity visit R... jail and minister among 200 prisoners. I shared the story of Prodigal son, after the story many were started to cry and started to worship God and many were confessed their sin before God and when we gave the invitation more than 30 prisoners received Christ as their Saviour. The pastor there was surprised. He said, "When I teach they usually sleep and not many are saved."
"It is joy to write this report from the Orissa field. Many people leaders testified that (STS) is very useful in their ministry. Two ladies attended the 2 days Workshop in R.... These two ladies are in charge of that building and this institution belong to RC.
"These 2 women attended full sessions and they have learned some stories and in one story the personal application people brought saying that we must know the Lord in order to taste His miracle in our lives and in the Lords ministry we are involve.
"They both accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. One of our team leaders led them to Christ on Dec 19th. One Sister called me last night and told that she led 6 other people to Christ through using Bible Stories. Our diocese bishop is very happy, invited us to his house increase our salary. We are praying to visit his home on next Sunday, if there is chance I wanted to tell my faith on Christ to bishop, so we need your prayers. Now we know the real Saviour who always cares and loves.
"Many senior Pastors told that this is the first workshop that we have attended to know the value of using STS from the Bible to win India for Christ. One pastor told that through STS the ministry among prisoners is increasing and they have learned to share Bible stories to their neighbors and some new souls are adding to His kingdom. [In a report 6 month later we discoverd that there are now 10 cell group churches meeing INSIDE that prison and 200 of the 400 prisons attend. The prision warden, who is not yet a believer, said, "Now I sleep without tension because of the peaceful change in the prisioners."]
"They are 6 old pastors (75 Years) also attended these 2 days workshop. One pastor became a good friend of our Police officer (Samuel) and he had lot of problem physically and in his family. They have spent much time in prayer during those 2 days. That pastor called to Samuel and told that STS is helped me to solve problems in my family (He has 6 sons with 28 grand children, every evening they fight a lot because of these children fight their parents also fight but now every evening I tell a story from the Bible to these children.
"Now there is no fight they enjoy and started to tell the same story to their friends in tribal area (He lives in tribal village). His sons and their families are not growing in the Lord. It makes this pastor to worry but now they all learning stories from the Bible and they have family prayer everyday and they tell the story to the people where they work everyday. Praise God for this great testimony from the field after TCPT (STS) workshop in R... (Orissa).
"Our Risen Lord is doing many more miracles like this through TGSP ministry in India. All honor and glory to Him and thanks to TGSP.
Tamil Nadu State, India: "265 People Came to the Lord Through STS Method."
"Our Leader called me and told that Yesterday there are 265 people came to the Lord through STS method, the team who attended STS workshop at Irula/Badaga mission field. This is the result from STS workshop from that area, I pray and believe that God is going to use each one of them to win more souls for His kingdom."
"In this tribal area people having forest Godesses Sammakka, Saralamma and Mutyalmma. They won't accept other God, even they won't allow to hear about another gods. If we present the gospel directly they will oppose severely, in this critical situation Gods Story Project make it easy to share the word of God among tribal people in their own language. While they are in the fields and doing cultivation or doing their daily labour work in the forest our pastors playing these mega voice players.
"With surprise those people are hearing the God Story in their own language and responding to the gospel. Praise God for this effective tool for the evangilism. We training 77 pastors and church elders from our congrigation and 23 other independent pastors in Chronological Story telling method, "
Karnataka State, India: Second & Third Generation Harvesters in Few Month's Time
Below are reports from Naveen, just one pastor who attended who attended the training in in Hyderabad and who is now using STS in his ministry. This Free Methodist pastor leads a number of village churches.
A month after the training I spoke at length on the phone to Naveen. He is now part of the Kannada language team recording 84 Old Testament stories in preparation for TCPT. They will use OT stories, Gog's Story and the recorded NT, all in Kannada on the players.
The day after completing the two-day seminar, this pastor told a Bible story to people gathered in Sunday morning service. He storytold Exodus 17:1-6 and afterwards asked the people questions. He said, "The ladies were crying and 14 people were saved. When he told me this, I asked him if this was usual for his church. Soberly he said, "Never have I seen such a response."
Within a month Naveentodl me, "I am able to tell 24 stories by heart, my churches are growing in size and in understanding of the word of god. i trained seven evangelists who now go out and tell stories and ask the questions that lead to the treasures. They go to villages and rice fields to reach people and see many responses."
This man, who graduated from Bible school and has who has been pastoring for 14 years, was hosted at a major city 10 hours away so he could teach STS to 62 pastors. This happened after a visiting Methodist bishop heard the pastor tell a Bible story and saw the peoples' responses.
Most wonderfully this pastor is encouraging his church members, who are largely non-literate, to learn the stories and to go out during the week and share them. "This week," he told me on the phone, "One uneducated older lady from our church told a story to the ladies she works for as a house cleaner. Sunday the uneducated lady brought three ladies to church who had many questions. They had been saved during the week after hearing the house cleaner tell them a Bible story. I told her, 'You are now an evangelist!'"
Then a month later he wrote...
"Dear Mum, Greetings to you in the powerful name of Saviour Jesus Christ. Mum how is your and uncle health. Regularly we are praying for you. Thank you very much for your prayer concern towards ministry in India, specially this story telling method is very useful at present situation in India.
"Now I am not only telling stories at church services and field, I am also started to teach stories to 20 regular leaders (evangelists some of them educated and some of them uneducated, but committed for Lord ministry) to help them to learn stories and use them at their village ministry and church services. I made two groups weekly two days. I spend with them and tell three stories and ask them to tell this stories in their field. I made 20 people in two groups. I spend one full day with one group. Really it is very useful all coming with good and successful report and result at end of the week.
"Mum, really I am very grateful for your valuable training to me I also spend more time in Bible study with these people. Now we all together reaching 42 villages each two villages next this number will increase by end of year 2010 each four churches there will be 84 churches in Mysore area through this story telling method ministry."
Generations
South India
Great Great Great Grandchildren
in Nine Months!
STS
TCPT
2. Africa (soon)
The God's Story Project
PO Box 187,
Hemet, CA 92546, USA
1.951.658.1619
This STS site already full of information. The site is currently being redesigned to include a lot more story samples in various languages and added training helps. Thank you for your patience.