The TELL Network leverages the internet to deliver Bible teaching to students all over the world
In 2018 WELS World Mission’s Multi-Language Publications had a vision to reach the world with the Gospel in a new way. Their vision was to equip people with the truth of God’s word using digital resources in English. Like the Latin America mission field’s Spanish Academia Cristo, TELL would use English to reach people through social media, self-led Bible lessons and live video classrooms.
Three years later, God has blessed that vision. The TELL Network has 1.2 million followers and likes on its main Facebook page. Across the globe there are 7,000 active users doing self-led Bible lessons on the TELL app and website. Currently there is one full-time TELL missionary who meets several times a week with students from Africa, India, and Philippines.
One student, Samuel, is from Guinea, Africa. He is a school teacher with a wife and children. “My greatest desire is to be well-equipped for mission work,” says Samuel, “I won’t miss this opportunity by God’s grace.”
Like thousands of others, Samuel found TELL on Facebook. TELL’s Facebook team posts daily Bible passages and short devotional videos by national pastors called #TELLtalks. The team answers questions online and invites people to start free Bible training on the TELL app or website.
Samuel Kalivogui and his family
Samuel downloaded the TELL app and within seconds began the first self-learning course. He completed three self-learning courses: Spiritual Healing, Truth Brings Peace, and Introduction to the Bible. Each course has nine lessons that include a Bible reading, teaching video, and quiz.
When Samuel completed the self-learning courses (“TELL Tier 1”) he received his first certificate. Then a TELL missionary contacted Samuel. He congratulated him and invited Samuel to join him in the live online classes (“TELL Tier 2”).
Today Samuel is meeting twice a week in a video classroom with a TELL instructor and other students. Students go in-depth learning about the work of Jesus, Old and New Testament history, and Law and Gospel. Each course takes about a month. There are eleven courses in TELL tier 2.
TELL tier 3 are live courses too. They focus on how to share the Gospel in your community: gathering, teaching and discipling. God-willing someday the TELL instructor along with a local missionary will visit Samuel to grow the relationship and support Samuel as he starts a small group.
Samuel recording a Gospel message for a radio broadcast in Guinea
When Samuel began TELL he had been praying for just that: an opportunity to share the Gospel. Since then God opened a door! A friend gave Samuel air-time on the local radio station. Every Sunday evening Samuel takes the Bible lesson he has learned with TELL and reuses them on-air to an audience of up to half-a-million. Many of whom haven’t heard the Gospel.
By God’s grace Samuel has found a place where he receives real Gospel training right from God’s word. “I used to believe in a Gospel that was preaching prosperity and miracles mostly,” Samuel says, “But I discovered this misleads believers. It focuses on earthly things and makes us forget heavenly things. Now I’m mission-minded.”
Daniel Laitinen is Multi-Language Production’s TELL Missionary and lives in Austin, TX
Please pray for those working in fields that are ripe for harvest. Share their story, engage with future news and receive updates. Learn more about our mission fields in Africa and how the Holy Spirit is working faith in people’s hearts at https://wels.net/serving-others/missions/africa
Lunch News Here is the first lunch menu for the 2018-2019 school year! Please make sure your lunch account is funded for the school year to begin. Checks can be dropped off in the school office and should be made out to Salem Food Service on your child's first day of school. TADS can also be set up to automatically withdraw from your checking, savings, or credit card if you have tuition set up to do the same. Stop into the school office for more information or email school.office@salemlutheran.org. This year we will be using TADS Educate to allow you to check your lunch balance. We will be sending out more information on how to log into this as the school year begins and we have everything in place to get this information accessible to you. This will be a great resource for you this year for lunch as well as for other school information. We will keep you posted as we work to get this ready. Please stop in the school office if you have not already set up a TADS withdrawal to f...
Hello Salem Families, Here is a link to a letter that has some important updates for the upcoming school year, including Salem's COVID Plan. Please read the document below, and the links in it as well. https://docs.google.com/document/d/11zfM7B1KUmG_TxNVO5bdDGufQOPGY7jf-Xv9Ur9pHWo/edit?usp=sharing More information about the start of the school year will be coming out from Mrs. Light later this week. God's blessings on your week!
We have been notified that the MDE Covid Lunch Program we are participating in has been extended beyond December 31st. However, cold lunch milk, extra milks, and snack milks will continue to be charged .40 per milk. One milk is included with the free hot lunch. We will keep you informed of the date this program may end. We are grateful we can continue to offer this blessing to our families!
