When a new programme starts it's often tempting to set it up as a Bible translation programme. Sometimes that's appropriate. In many cases, for a variety of reasons, it's not. This is because: It's a minority language People tend to be bi- or multi-lingual (at least if they live in towns, or have been educated) They're oral preference They're illiterate or semi-literate, or literate only in the language of wider communication They aren't yet Christian believers etc. If any or all of the above are true, then it's good to start with language development and Scripture engagement rather than full-blown Bible translation, where you translate whole books of the Bible, and aim for a full Bible or New Testament + Psalms or Panoramic Bible. Sometimes the only reason for doing the latter is the kudos of the team, which is not a good reason. We're aiming for transformed communities, not team kudos! The above flowchart shows the various stages. Note that the pro
Discussing issues to do with Scripture (Bible) engagement, mission, and Bible translation.