Oral Bible Translation

Help a people group receive the Word of God in their heart language

about the course

Imagine how it would feel if you couldn’t access your Bible or even reference a specific verse because there is no single translation in your language. Today, this is the reality of over 1,300 bibleless languages. We want to change that reality and you can be part of it. Nearly all of the remaining bibleless languages are oral cultures. This means that their heart language is heard rather than read. Today, this is the reality of over 1,300 bibleless languages. Oral Bible translation, or OBT, is an effective method for translating the Bible into languages without a written format. OBT methods reduce the time needed to see God’s Word available to a people group, while affirming the value of oral cultures and the impact of God’s Word on His people.

Training Phase (12 weeks)

Create a brighter future for a specific people group

Bringing the Bible to every mother tongue The OBT School will equip you to find and serve mother tongue translators, as well as facilitate a OBT project. It will give you a greater understanding of the Word of God and the diversity of cultures. You will gain more awareness of orality and the influence of the Bible in communities. Joining the OBT school will impact your life and the lives of many others through Bible translation!

Holistic Oral Bible Translation Process

Community and Facilitator Preparation

Internalizing Stories

Principles of Bible Translation

Inter-cultural Friendships

Impact of Orality

Conversational Discovery of Scripture

Recording, Checking, and Producing Drafts

Publication and Management

Course Information

Oral Bible Translation

Dates

Arrival Day:

April 2, 2025

Departure Day:

June 27, 2025

Cost

Training Phase:

4,200

Outreach Phase:

TBD

Details

Email:

[email protected]

Prequisites:

Completed DTS

Want to know more?

FAQS

All of these schools are bible courses that will give you an understanding of God’s redemptive plan through the study of the bible, but they vary in length, focus, and intensity.

SBS is a 9-month school that focuses on deep study of all 66 books of the bible using the inductive approach, with a focus on interpreting and applying the bible to your life, then teaching others. It is the most intense.
BCC is a 3-month school that focuses on using the inductive approach to study 13-15 books of the bible, with the goal of giving you a really good biblical overview and the tools to continue studying the bible for yourself. You will have opportunities to study biblical themes and characters, and then learn how to teach others. Think condensed version of SBS.
DBS is a 3-month school that focuses on gaining a broad overview of God’s redemptive plan. You will read the entire bible together, identify biblical action principles, and apply it to your life; then you will learn to share with others. It is less intense.

We start the week by reading the book(s) that we will be studying in a group setting. Occasionally we will do that in some of the beautiful places around this island. We have guest speakers come in every week to teach us about the books that we are studying. In the afternoons there is plenty of time to work on weekly assignments. You should be expecting to spend 3-4 hours doing homework each day, to get the most out of the books that we study. On the last day of the week we take some time to share in small groups what God has been speaking to us through our study and the teachings. There are also corporate times of worship and prayer with our greater YWAM community here in Kona.