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Let the Bible Speak: The Utumishi wa Neno course book is out




Ministering the Word, whether it is to a congregation, to unbelievers, to children, patients or prisoners, is at the same time a wonderful privilege and an awesome responsibility. We are entrusted with the Words of eternal life and we want to minister them in such a way that they bring that life. We are entrusted with the living and active Word of God and we want to speak as those speaking the very oracles of God.

At iServe Africa we believe that when God’s Word is taught faithfully as the testimony of Christ, the living God speaks, eternities are changed and lives and churches transformed. At the same time we are not ignorant of the massive pressures of our culture, of the vast amount of false teaching in our context and of our own deceitful hearts that would lead us away from a confidence in the pure Word of God.

This book is a rather brief introduction to preaching the Word. As it has grown out of a course run by iServe Africa and may be used to accompany group sessions you will find worksheets with practical exercises at the back. Some of these may be useful for individual study too.

Ministry of the Word is in one sense very simple.  It is not the preserve of professors and ‘super-apostles’ but for anyone who would open the Word, listen humbly and let it speak for itself. But at the same time it is a lifelong pursuit. We will always need ‘Learner’ signs. We will never arrive. We will always need to keep sharpening each other in these things. So wherever you are in the journey, welcome. Let’s go back to the Word together and fix our eyes afresh on Jesus and be encouraged to preach Him.

[Let the Bible Speak is available from iServe Africa Bookstore for KES 500 or it is given to participants as part of the Utumishi wa Neno course (details pdf)]

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