Scripture Use in Papua New Guinea

“Scripture Use power will change my people, my community, and PNG as a whole.”

~Papua New Guinean SU worker

 
Why Scripture Use?

What impact does a Bible translation have if it cannot be read or heard? Scripture Use is the work of producing and distributing appropriate Scripture and Scripture related products in a range of formats so that people have access to the Word of God and can understand, learn from, and apply the Word to their lives.  A Scripture Use worker comes alongside individuals and communities to help them encounter God through Scripture in such meaningful ways that they are progressively transformed.

What does a Scripture Use worker do?

1.     Provide resources: The SU office at Ukarumpa  has lots of resources for translators, pastors and communities to use to encourage Scripture use.

2.      Provide consultation: As needs arise, a Scripture Use worker is available to offer help to communities or individuals to assess the current situation and plan strategically for what Scripture Use ideas would best fit the community needs.

3.     Provide Workshops and Seminars: See below for some available workshops.

4.     Provide areas of expertise:  There are many different ways to be involved in SU and a worker often picks one or two areas to become an expert in so they can help others.

5.     Provide up-to-date SU ideas from around the globe

 There are many different avenues to use to help people get more involved in reading the Bible and applying it to their lives. Some examples are:

Children’s Ministry, Music, Drama, Storytelling, Illustrations, Literacy, Visual Arts, Vernacular Media and Bible helps.

 Some Workshops:

 Tok Ples (language) in Ministry (TPiM) course is for Bible schools, seminaries and other Christian training institutions to help Christian leaders better understand the role of tok ples (their own language) in Christian ministry. The course is designed to encourage and equip participants as they learn how to use their tok ples in various areas of ministry.  One participant said

 “Tok Pisin (trade language) is a ‘namel’ language and isn’t good for explaining Biblical things, so I thought I was going to have to learn English in order to explain the Bible. Now because of this week, I realized my own language is good for explaining the Bible. I’m so happy to know that I can use my own language.”

Trauma Healing Workshop applies Scripture to bring healing to those in need.

Scripture Application & Leadership Training (SALT) These workshops are held to encourage the study of God's Word in their own heart languages.

More on SALT:

Scripture Engagement in PNG

Quotes from Scripture Use workshops

Who might be interested in serving in Scripture Use?

-Those who like to apply Scripture to life and want to do so cross-culturally.
-Those who like to be with people and empower others.
-Any age, gender, or nationality.
-Minimum 2 year commitment plus 4 mos. language and culture training time.

Culture Meets Scripture

More information on Scripture Use: http://www.scripture-engagement.org/

Interested in learning more? Contact Wendy