Communications Awareness & Interest
Ed Weaver & Tom Tatlow

We welcome you to join our team which seeks to communicate the importance of utilizing oral-sensitive strategies to churches and mission agencies around the world. We seek to utilize the web, e-newsletters, print, video and audio as tools to communicate the message effectively to these groups externally, as well to help communication within the network. In our group we will discuss: 1) Methods of gathering stories and case studies on successful oral projects. 2) Ways in which we can communicate effectively using the web site. 3) Other ways to communicate the message. 4) How we can get the word out to other parts of the world where these tools are not as widely used as in North America. (Contact by email-click here)

Field Training: Multiplying Grassroots Leaders for the Task
Alan Lyons

We welcome you to join our team which seeks to communicate the importance of utilizing oral-sensitive strategies to churches and mission agencies around the world. We seek to utilize the web, e-newsletters, print, video and audio as tools to communicate the message effectively to these groups externally, as well to help communication within the network. In our group we will discuss: 1) Methods of gathering stories and case studies on successful oral projects. 2) Ways in which we can communicate effectively using the web site. 3) Other ways to communicate the message. 4) How we can get the word out to other parts of the world where these tools are not as widely used as in North America. (Contact by email-click here)

Research: Delving Deeper into Orality
Harriet Hill

Good practice is based on good theory, and good theory is informed by good practice. This group is devoted to keeping current with research from various disciplines that contribute to our understanding of orality (cognitive studies, sociolinguistics, communication studies, cultural studies, etc.). We also serve as a catalyst for field research on oral ministry strategies presently in use. We identify specific research topics, advertise them to those interested in doing researcher, provide input to research projects, and communicate the findings to the orality movement. The Holy Spirit is always the key player in successful ministry, but we want to do our part in this incarnational mystery as best we can. (Contact by email-click here)

Secondary Orality: The Inside story for how to connect with people's hearts
Paul Konstanski

Bible storying is booming as a powerful movement throughout the world and is on the rise in mainstream America. Storytelling is being touted as the next breakthrough in organizational change. Storytelling associations are gaining in popularity. This task force will look at ways to build on this momentum to creatively use stories in churches and other local ministry settings with the audience of those people who can read, but choose not to ? the secondary oral learner. (Contact by email-click here)

Prayer
Linda Bemis

The Prayer Task Force offers an opportunity for those mission groups, agencies and adoptive churches who serve to engage the Unreached People Groups (UPG's) and Unreached Unengaged People Groups (UUPG's) and who are associated with the International Orality Network (ION) to come together in "united kingdom prayer and support" of the mission work related directly to the oral learners and communicators of the world. Working in direct obedience to God's command in Matthew 9:37-38: "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." SPECIFIC GOALS: 1. Support international efforts to enlist strategic prayer teams for the International Orality Network. 2. Motivate "Kingdom Prayer" among churches and agencies everywhere for the Unreached People Groups (UPG) and the Unreached Unengaged People Groups (UUPG) of the world. 3. Enlist and equip those qualified to serve as intercessors, pray-ers, prayer coordinators, and prayer mobilizers for prayer teams that include "On-site" prayer teams for Executive Meetings, Consultations and Conferences. 4. Serve as a communication center between objectives on the various fields and supportive (adoptive) prayer teams worldwide. 5. Provide an up to date means of "prayer and action" through a weekly conference call that is open to all those in (ION) International Orality Network. We openly rely on the work of the Holy Spirit and ask you to consider joining with others who have a heart to pray for missions. The Prayer Task Force needs: Intercessors, Pray-ers, Prayer coordinators, and Prayer Mobilizers from your group! "Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations..." Psalm 2:8 (Contact by email-click here)

World Consultations
Bob Huhta

Join our task force on World Consultations. Be part of empowering national leaders in regions highly populated by oral communicators. Once nationals hear the message of Orality and gain tools and expertise in oral strategies, their effectiveness to reach their own people rises exponentially. Most places in the world need this message. ION members are already helping link national leaders with those who can train them. You can help. We need mission-minded people with various skills such as, networking, letter writing, organizing, finding resources, mobilizing people skilled in storying and helping arrange supplies of oral tools. We will strategize on ways to help set up world consultations and engage locals who have skills in oral strategies. Most wonderfully ION has been invited to provide information, material and training in 40 world gatherings set for 2008-2010 organized by Call2All. (Contact by email-click here)

Theological Education: Classroom Ideals and Field Implementation

Be a part of a group dedicated to incorporating principles of Orality into theological education. This group will work together to identify barriers that theological educators face and take steps to discover solutions for preparing students to communicate the gospel and make disciples in an oral world. Participants will also assist in developing parallel tracks of theological education for oral learners. This is an opportunity to be a part of an ongoing discussion on issues related to theological education and oral communicators. (Contact by email-click here)

Music and Arts

All the arts (storytelling, singing, dancing, drama, drawing, sculpture, and more) are interrelated ways to tell The Story, especially to oral learners. This task force aims to foster a global movement that will use all the arts in culturally appropriate ways in order to make disciples. Using insights from such disciplines as ethnomusicology, studies of other ethnic arts, missiology, and orality, we promote the arts as important means of expressive communication among oral learners. The task force encourages and equips people who want to use the arts in their ministries by building their vision, by providing practical training, and by linking them with effective resources and tools. Contact the coordinator (Robin Harris) by email (click here) or join our Google group on the web: http://groups.google.com/group/Music-Arts-Task-Force

Funding
Morgan Jackson

We will focus on how God may provide funding to the ION efforts to advocate oral methods to all people groups. The discussion will focus on whom, how and when we should approach about the financial needs of this effort. Any money raised will be to further the promotion of oral methods and the expansion of International Orality Networks into many people groups. Please come and join us if you are gifted in giving or have a heart to see how God might put together the funding of this project. (Contact by email-click here)

Reaching America with Oral Methods
Paul Krueger

How do we more effectively reach the diverse oral learners in America? from the populations in our major cities (over 50% are functionally illiterate) to the halls of college campuses where they prefer not to read. What role do conferences and consultations have in reaching these groups? Participants will identify ways to infect the communication networks with God's word in all forms of expression, give direction to future events, develop strategies to accomplish our defined goals and sign up for significant impact in the process. (Contact by email-click here)