Global Partners Eager for Bible Study Training
Resonate Global Mission’s Global Coffee Break program is expanding worldwide and shows no signs of slowing down as leaders in the Philippines share that they have already trained 416 leaders and plan to train 500 leaders by 2027 using Global Coffee Break leadership training material.
Leaders and church planters from the Philippines, Korea, Indonesia, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, and another country in South Asia (which cannot be named for security reasons), joined Resonate’s Global Coffee Break team for a video meeting Aug. 21 to connect with and learn from one another. Team members said it was extremely exciting for them to witness the enthusiasm and growth of Global Coffee Break internationally and to hear the hunger these leaders have for leadership training to create small group ministry in their various countries.
Leadership training, Discover Your Bible study guides and leader guides, and the creation of translations of these materials are core components of Global Coffee Break (GCB).
“Many countries use Global Coffee Break as a primary strategy for evangelism,” said Deibi Lapien Kapojos, global partners coordinator for the program. Lapien Kapojos organized the “meet and greet” to connect the Global Coffee Break team with the international leaders. Another meeting is planned to connect with Latin American leaders.
“We are eager to pray and celebrate with our partners as they work around the globe to share God’s love,” said Janis Persenaire, Global Coffee Break program manager. “We want to learn what is working for them and what is challenging so that we can grow alongside them.”
Christine Dykstra, content coordinator, read Isaiah 55:11 as a reminder that God is actively involved in spreading his Word, even through challenges. “God has a purpose and will accomplish that purpose,” she said. Dykstra then went into detail on how GCB studies are created, saying the main goal is to “direct people back to God’s Word to find out what he is revealing about himself.”
Olena Zadoya, translations coordinator, detailed the process of transforming the studies into multiple languages.
Content Creation
A core feature of Global Coffee Break’s Discover Your Bible content is the rigor and fact-checking that starts with employing writers, some with over 30 years’ experience, to create a study based on a theme or book of the Bible. The first draft of a study is reviewed by Dykstra as she discerns how effectively the content directs the reader back to the Bible passage. She then assesses the questions and their effectiveness in generating discussion and a deeper dive into the passage.
The study is then passed along to another reviewer for input before returning to Dykstra to make changes. The study is then given a theological review—usually by a professor from Calvin Theological Seminary chosen for their training and understanding of teaching methods. “We really want to get these studies right,” explained Dykstra.
The study returns again to Dykstra for final revision and publication preparation.
Many recently revised Discover Your Bible studies have already been launched, including studies on Philippians, 1 and 2 Peter, and 1 Corinthians. Currently under revision are studies on 1 and 2 Samuel, Acts, and Romans along with thematic studies on Easter and the Fruit of the Spirit.
Dykstra and her team are also developing new thematic studies and researching which studies have been more impactful and popular. More Old Testament studies are also being developed as part of a goal to offer studies on every book of the Bible.
Translation
Translating Discover Your Bible studies is a complex process as well, said Zadoya, and the system has undergone an overhaul recently to ensure efficiency and accuracy.
Zadoya explained that as requests come in for translation (and as funding allows) she works with global partners to choose people who are qualified for translation and have an excellent command of the English language. Working directly with each translator, Zadoya explains the process and timeframe and explains the details of the contract to ensure the work is done accurately and on time.
The translators receive a template that includes the English content in one column as well as space for the translation in a parallel column. This ensures that each paragraph lines up, which is critical during the formatting phase. The translation is returned to Zadoya (who speaks seven languages!) for review by herself or a selected reviewer.
Corrections are made, formatting is completed, and a draft of the translation is sent to the global partners to check for errors, line breaks, and other issues before the final edit. With all corrections made, a template of the newly translated study is made available for use.
Zadoya notes that this involves quite a process to ensure accuracy and quality, but the goal is to have an efficient system that works globally. Feedback is critical to ensure that improvements can be made. For instance, is the translation intelligent enough for educated learners while also being accessible to all learners?
“Nothing is too small for us to know,” said Zadoya.
Prayers
As the meeting drew to a close, the leaders took time to pray for each other's ministries and for special concerns raised by the global partners. Elaine Lee, Spanish and Korean partners representative, led in prayer, her tears representing how connected the team felt with their global partners in studying God’s Word.
The team wanted to share about this powerful meeting since not everyone in the CRC’s North American churches are aware of the global aspects of Global Coffee Break. Even the team members said it was a revelation to hear how eager leaders from around the world are for Global Coffee Break content, leadership training, and support.
