The AfriGO team heard about a new kind of discipleship training happening in Africa – based on learning using oral, rather than written, methods!  Shirley Nyasha, Regional coordinator for YWAM’s Discipleship Training School in Southern Africa, brought us up to date on the process.

How did this whole thing get started within the YWAM environment? What were the outside influences? How did it come to Africa?

The Oral DTS initiative started within the Youth With A Mission (YWAM) as a response to the recognition that the traditional Discipleship Training School (DTS) might not be accessible and as effective for all cultural contexts, particularly those with strong oral traditions.  We also recognised that many students we were getting did not have a Bible foundation.  Going through the Bible chronologically would help these students get a grasp of the word from Genesis to Acts and have an overall view of the whole Bible.  We also recognised that some students would go through the DTS and leave without understanding some of the topics they would have been taught.

As the global recognition of the importance of oral learning methods and storytelling in non-literate or semi-literate societies, The International Discipleship Training School Centre (IDTSC) partnered together with YWAM Frontier Missions (YWAM FM) to create an oral learner’s Discipleship Training School (DTS). Through a collaborative effort, we developed a chronological, oral curriculum to produce disciples who can disciple others. This specific model of oral DTS is now called God’s Story DTS (GSDTS). There are no speakers or teachers, no reading, no writing, only stories, discussions and application.

In 2018, the GSDTS Core team responsible for developing the curriculum invited several key DTS leaders for input into the curriculum. Later, the leader from Africa attended the pilot GSDTS in Indonesia. Before long, we started to help train our bases in Africa to run the GSDTS.

What were the African needs which led to the implementation of this strategy on the continent?

These included the high prevalence of oral cultures, the communal nature of African societies, and the desire for a discipleship method that was more accessible and relevant to people who may not have strong literacy skills.  We also needed something that was easily reproducible, led the multiplication, and resulted in discipleship.

Share some stories of how those needs became obvious.

We saw a gap in the application regarding the traditional literacy-based training failing to engage the students effectively. For example, conventional DTS methods did not resonate in regions with low literacy rates, leading to minimal impact and engagement. We would get to the end of the DTS, and some students would still need help understanding some of the concepts of discipleship within some of the topics. It also included a lot of head/mind knowledge and less heart knowledge.

It was also a challenge to get speakers into the more remote places. The costs of bringing speakers to DTS were high, and the students themselves could not afford the DTS tuition fees, making it a challenge to sustain the DTS financially. Our DTS were also more concentrated in the cities, and we wanted to see them in all places. We were asking if it would be possible to run a DTS in a deep, remote village in Africa, making it accessible to everyone in all locations.

How is this strategy uniquely suited to Africans or to those living in community-based societies?

We realised that many unreached people groups are oral learners; they learn and remember things through stories rather than lectures, teaching, or reading. It is estimated that 80 percent of the people unreached with the gospel today are oral learners. Also, when using this vehicle with literate youth, we have found that they love it. We debrief and evaluate every GSDTS school. So far, every debriefing has shown that these literate students felt very empowered by the oral nature of the training.

This strategy is uniquely suited to Africans and community-based societies because it leverages the natural inclination for oral communication and storytelling. It aligns with the way knowledge and values have traditionally been passed down through generations in African communities.

What is DTS, and why does YWAM do it?

DTS, or Discipleship Training School, is a foundational training program by YWAM (Youth With A Mission) designed to equip Christians to live out their faith practically and missional. YWAM does it to prepare individuals to know God and make Him known across diverse cultures and communities.

What is classic DTS?

Classic DTS is a six-month program consisting of a three-month lecture phase followed by a two- to three-month outreach phase. It includes teaching on various topics such as the nature and character of God, hearing God’s voice, intercession, and missions.

How does this strategy differ from Classic DTS?

The classic DTS has weekly speakers/teachers who come in each week and teach different discipleship topics.  Its mode of delivery is linear and topical. Meanwhile, the GSDTS focuses on oral methods of communication and learning. It uses storytelling, songs, and drama to teach Bible stories, biblical principles and discipleship, making it more accessible to those in oral cultures. And stories are learnt chronologically.  Though the delivery strategy differs, all the required non-negotiables from the Classic DTS apply to the GSDTS.

The alternative DTS classroom curriculum operates in a straightforward format. There are a set of 24 Bible narratives and 12 Discovery Bible Studies (DBS). One of the main principles of the GSDTS is “Disciples that make disciples” The model we use to train is the same model we use to minister to or share with others. Within the first couple of days of the training, the students (and staff) are sent out into the community to share the stories they have learned. In this way, every God’s Story DTS has started several seeker groups in the community in the first month of each classroom phase. Disciples are making disciples from the very start, usually the first week of the school.

The God’s Story Discipleship Training School is not meant to replace the excellent Classic Discipleship Training School. It is, however, an International Discipleship Training School Centre-approved alternative vehicle for Discipleship Training Schools, designed intentionally for oral learners. Each location can decide if it is appropriate for their students.

Practically, how does it work?

God Story Oral DTS works by using stories, the whole training is facilitated using the simple Church format.

One of the staff will share a Bible story, maybe three or four times. Then the students will start learning the story word-by-word. Usually, learning the story takes about 45 minutes to an hour.  The story learning helps to get the story from the mind and internalise it – into the heart.  When the students have learnt the story, they are split into smaller groups for discussions focusing on the four questions:

• What do you learn about God?
• What do you learn About man?
• What do you like or find confusing about the story?
• How can you apply what you learned?

The discussions lead the students to explore and interact with the story; they can then ask other exploration questions.  The heart is to lead the students to discover truths on their own.  When they discover truths on their own, there is more ownership with the discovery.

Story learning is done through different methods: drama, repetition, drawings, or any creative way to get the students to learn. It has to be something that can be easily reproduced in any context.

Another positive result of training in this way is that group discussions can easily be conducted in local languages. The story or DBS can be told first in a shared or trade language, then repeated in local languages or dialects.

Discussion groups can be based on ethnicity, mother tongue, first language, or dialect the students speak. The students’ level of understanding and comprehension goes much deeper if we can use the language of their hearts.

These students are then equipped, once they complete the school, to multiply the training or start it in other locations using other languages.

As it has been put into practice around Africa, what changes has it needed to be more applicable and useful? What parts of it are now unique to Africa or certain parts of Africa?

As the Oral DTS has been practised around Africa, it has adapted to incorporate local languages, cultural stories, and relevant examples that resonate with specific communities. Unique elements include the integration of local proverbs, traditional music, and dance to reinforce the teachings. When using signs to learn the story, I often ask the students or staff to come up with their own signs, and usually the signs are different for each country or tribe. People come up with what resonates with them in their context.  We are seeing communities examine their worldviews in line with the word of God (the stories) and develop alternatives that would work in their cultures.  As we have been training in different countries, we also see the churches showing interest in the training as a ministry tool.

How is this strategy related to the storytelling movement?

This strategy is closely related to the storytelling movement as it uses the power of narrative to convey important truths and principles. It aligns with the broader recognition of storytelling as a potent tool for communication and education, especially in oral cultures.

How is this strategy related to the Discovery Bible Study movement?

We have taken the concept of DBS and put it into a 5 to 6-month training.

The Oral DTS strategy is related to the Discovery Bible Study movement in that both emphasise communal learning and the use of questions to draw out insights from the participants. Both methods encourage active participation and personal discovery of biblical truths.

Share some stories of how students using this method have impacted those around them.

We are seeing more students equipped with the skills and confidence to initiate conversations with non-believers.  Some, upon returning home, are continuing to engage with storytelling in their communities, leading groups in their villages.

One day, we had been learning the story of Creation, that man and woman are created in the image of God, in a culture where women are looked down upon and would not speak before a man speaks. We struggled to get a particular lady to share her thoughts and discoveries.  For her application, the next day, she would be the first to speak.  The next day, we started doing friendly accountability, where the students shared how they did their applications.  This lady started by saying “God showed me I am valuable and have something worth sharing.”  She explained that speaking first was her application, and she felt such freedom to speak first. As she shared this, she also ministered to the men in the room, as they realised they had been suppressing the worth and value of the ladies in the community.  After her application, it was great to see how she was glowing through the class as she openly shared her discoveries in the word.

We had one student who, during the application, was challenged to help his wife with the children.  He started helping and spending time with his children, but he was ridiculed at first by the other men in the community.  After some time, when he continued to help, the ridicule changed to curiosity, and the men started asking him why he was helping his wife.  He could share his testimony of how God spoke to him about being involved with his family.  This led to him starting a men’s group.

We had a Muslim brother who heard about the GSDTS and asked if he could join to preserve his language. The student said that storytelling would be the best way to preserve his language. Halfway through the DTS, he became born again as he encountered God in the stories. This was a very unusual request; the staff had to hear from God to allow this guy into the class, and he had to participate in every aspect of the GSDTS.

Share some stories of how this method has impacted the students using it.

Students using the Oral DTS method often report a deeper understanding of biblical stories and principles because they can engage with the material in a natural way. Many find their faith strengthened and their ability to share their faith with others enhanced.

Using orality has helped the students understand and know God more in a different way. One student struggled to speak and share because he felt he had nothing to share, but during and after the GSDTS, he found out it was possible and found it simple to share and lead others in the discussions.  He found the method simple and easy to reproduce.

Another student, Stanley, was struggling with forgiveness, and during the DBS times on Matthew 6:9-15, the verse about forgiveness really stuck in his heart, and God challenged him to forgive for his application.  There are many testimonies of how God really spoke to the students in the application times, and the applications were life-changing.

Esther is a lady from South Sudan.  Because of the war in her village, she only did 7 years of schooling. She can’t read and write well.  Being a refugee in Uganda, she couldn’t finish her school.  I saw this lady blossom throughout the week of staff training. From the first day, she was filled with fear, doubts and a lot of negative self-talk about how she is not educated and will not be able to teach others and having the confidence to volunteer to take the first week of storytelling.  Later, long after the GSDTS, she would share how she had the boldness and courage to share in front of many people at a funeral.  She shared the stories she had learnt during the GSDTS.

How can people learn this “curriculum”? How can they get it? Who is it appropriate for (age, ministry role, gender, type of church)?

The training is available to anyone interested in using GSDTS as a discipleship and movement starter ministry tool.  We have a training team in Africa that can travel to different locations to train teams on the ground.  We see that illiterate and literate people love engaging with stories and life-giving exploration discussions.  We currently have a GSDTS running in South Africa with a mix of Western and African Gen Z, and they are loving the discussions, time in the word and the community aspect of the GSDTS.

As an African, what are you happy about concerning this strategy?

As an African, the most exciting aspect of this strategy is its cultural relevance and effectiveness in engaging people who may not connect with traditional, literacy-based discipleship methods. It honours and leverages the rich oral traditions of African societies, making the gospel accessible and impactful. The implementation of the Oral DTS strategy in Africa presents a powerful example of culturally relevant and effective ministry.

The success of the Oral DTS strategy highlights the significance of community and relationships in the discipleship process. Transformation begins within the context of Christian community, where individuals can grow together, support one another, and hold each other accountable.  The adaptability of the Oral DTS strategy has been modified and contextualised for different African regions. This adaptability ensures that the message and methods remain relevant and impactful. The God’s Story Oral Discipleship Training School (GSDTS) strategy’s emphasis on the priesthood of all believers and the inclusion of all individuals, regardless of literacy levels.

Some testimonies from those who have taken the training:

Cote de’ Ivoire

“This is exactly what my church needs. With storytelling and discussions, we can see more people discipled and discovering the word on their own.”

YWAM Cote de’Ivoire “As we went to share the stories, we found that for most Muslims who wanted to enter into debates with us, as soon as we shared the stories, they were interested, and we could get into life-giving discussions and not into arguments. The stories are a door opener and people welcome us more with the stories.”

 Testimony among the Yao people in Malawi: “During our ministry time we came across this lady who was unable to walk due to her sickness and whenever she wants to go to the toilet they used to carry her, as she was unable to do anything on her own. We shared the word of God with her by telling the Bible narrative we learned that morning in the classroom, and asked if we could pray for her she said yes. The team prayed for her and after praying she immediately stood up and started walking on her own.” [Note: This was a Muslim lady who did not yet know the love of God.]

Representative photo by AIM Stories