WHAT THE PROJECT IS ABOUT

Fellowship got involved in Sept. 2009 in a multi-year project with the Dadiya people group, a Bibleless, partially unreached people group in Nigeria. This project will deliver the Scriptures in the Dadiya language by 2013 through an integrated project with The Seed Company (Wycliffe), and other partners like the Jesus Film Project. Of the world’s 2300 languages without even one verse of the Bible available, more than 200 of those languages are in Nigeria. In the last nine months God has brought several unique opportunities together to form this project that can inspire us, leverage experience, and facilitate church planting and biblical growth. By 2013 the entire NT, selected OT portions and Psalms will be translated, tested, checked and available in text and audio format. Associated church planting, growth and literacy initiatives will also have been implemented.

PROJECT DETAILS:

The Dadiya live in the Gombe state, a strategic spiritual area and one often featured in recent news reports pertaining to religious violence. This people group has over 30,000 speakers. One of Chuck Brod’s disciples is from the Dadiya region and the Brods have confirmed the potential and significance of church planting and growth efforts in the Gombe state. With the successful partnership of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA), the Seed Company (Wycliffe) and Jesus Film Project, the pieces were in place by 2008 to start a full scale Scripture translation project with a team of 4 nationals. The churches there have responded enthusiastically and are connecting the Word of God with church planting and strengthening initiatives as evidenced this month by the rollout of the Jesus Film in Dadiya.

COMMUNICATIONS TO DATE:

In spring/summer 2009, Ken Tuttle met with Rosie Stephens to explore potential involvement with unreached people groups and Bible translation efforts. At Paul Chapman’s request David Alexander identified the Dadiya translation project as having the key criteria relevant to FBC (location, time frame, impact, milestones, etc.). Ken Tuttle, David Alexander and Rosie Stephens met with FBC ministries to see if the project would be of use for leveraging interest and connection of members with global missions. Basic briefings about scripture translation, this project and potential ways to connect with it were shared with the Congregational Pastors, with Brandon Barnard (re: FSM), with Jenny Lane and Carolyn Buckner. To leverage the first major milestone in the project since FBC joined, i.e. the rollout of the Jesus Film amongst the Dadiya, a general awareness launch event has been planned. All communication since then have related to this event and to a March trip by key individuals to Nigeria.

PURPOSE OF THE MARCH TRIP:

As part of the criteria for funding established for Paul, a fact finding/connection component is planned. Rosie (and Glenn) Stephens, Ken Tuttle, David Alexander, Will Crawford and Nancy Hamilton will go to Nigeria the first week of March to connect with ECWA leaders, visit the Dadiya region, connect with the translation and field staff teams, witness the ongoing rollout of the Jesus film in Dadiya villages, and gather information and media for use in missions awareness efforts at FBC including FSM’s global village (which will feature this project in April).

WHAT ARE WE ASKING?:

FSK and FSM will be asking their children and students to engage with the project by leveraging tight funding/outcome aspects of the project represented in the opportunity to sponsor the translation of a verse (at $26 per verse). This will be connected to missions giving initiatives and connected with their curricula and teaching to increase the students’ appreciation of the scriptures. In addition, we are encouraging community groups to take a week between now and the end of March to pray for aspects of this project. Beyond that the options are broad and encompass prayer, engagement, involvement and awareness.