Frequently Asked Questions

According to the International Orality Network, an oral learner is "A person whose mental framework is primarily influenced by spoken rather than literate forms of communication and who therefore learns primarily or exclusively by speech, song, etc." Essentially it is someone who relies on speech and listening to learn, grow, and pass along information. Typically, very few things are written down. Just as you need to translate language you also need to translate communication style to meet peoples’ needs.

Storying is a method used to share different stories from the Bible in an effort to communicate the Gospel and disciple new believers. Typically, stories are told in dramatic methods to capture the attention of listeners. Storying is one aspect of orality.

We believe that orality is more than just sharing a story, but a way of thinking and living. Our studies capitalize upon this way of thinking and learning while tackling difficult books of the Bible, formatting them in an easily understandable medium.

To our knowledge, Gospel Joy is the only organization that produces such Bible Studies geared toward oral learners.

Written books are fantastic resources. However, they are written for individuals who have years of experience reading and learning through books. The style and format are designed specifically for those who learn through reading. Just recording it and putting in an audio form doesn’t mean it is now designed for those who learn through hearing. You must design the content to be recorded in a way that mirrors the style of those who learn through hearing and conversation.

Our aim thus far has been to focus on theologically rich books, because this is where there is this largest gap in orality resources.

Our selection process has so far been influenced by end-users requesting various studies on different books. If you want to request a specific book, please fill out our contact form.

All of our audio studies are recorded by Africans and are available in an audio file (mp3). Depending on resources, our partners play the audio file in different ways such as microSD disks, CDs, or computers.

Presently we have studies in English, French, and Bemba. We are actively working on adding Swahili (Kenya) translations to our library of options.

How we wish we could have these studies in more languages! Presently we have no plans to translate and record in other languages. However if you are interested in translating yourself and taking on the majority of the work, Gospel Joy might be able to support you in that endeavor.

We would love to hear from you and support your ministry. Please feel free to fill out the partner application form and someone will be in touch with you.

Currently our material is being used by local churches in Cameroon, Zambia, Kenya, and Togo. We have also worked in South Africa.

We would love to speak to you about a partnership, even if you are in another country from where we currently serve. Please fill out our contact form.

We focus on supporting churches on the continent of Africa. However if you think our materials could be of use for your context please fill out our contact form. We would love to support your ministry.

We strive to support the local church and its pastors. We created this material for pastors to use in teaching and training the members of their congregations.

Both men and women, children, and youth have used our Bible Studies. However, we specifically encourage women to use these audio Bible Studies because they are often (not always) overlooked when it comes to discipleship in the church. Women have immeasurable influence on future generations, so we view the training of women as an investment in the future.

Yes! We are regularly in Africa networking and training leaders to use the material. If you are interested in joining a training or would like to host a training in your city please fill out our contact form.