Lent 2014: NBS Gambia Performs Epic Telling of Mark 14-16
The epic telling of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection according to the Gospel of Mark was held last Sunday [March 30] at 6:00pm. We had to shift the venue from the Trinity Methodist Church to Christ Church Anglican Communion because the Methodist Church informed us late that we couldn’t use their auditorium due to another scheduled event they plan to have there. But glory to God for quick response from the leaders of the Anglican Church who gave us express permission to use their main Church building and we offered to fuel their generator so we can use it for power generation during the program.
The Vicar General (Rev Fr James Odico) himself was in attendance and said the closing prayers. We must also thank the Methodist Church for permitting us to use their Church hall for all meetings and practices since February and one of the Methodist minister (Rev Shaka Ashcroft) said the opening prayer during the storytelling last Sunday.
In all we had about twenty storytellers in participation and we told the passion story from the Gospel of Mark chapter 14 to 16. We have about five new storytellers who participated. We had four relevant congregational songs taken from the Mission Praise list.
The Gambia NBS Leader’s Meeting, 2/8/2014
Excerpts from Minutes
Bro Johannes brought a letter from the National Open Air dramatize Passion of Christ Organisation inviting NBS to tell stories during their upcoming event. It will be on the 14th February at St. Therese’s Church from 7pm onwards. We were asked to tell two Bible stories relating to the Passion. Bro Mamudu and Bro Johannes were selected to represent NBS in telling the two passion stories.
Regarding plans for the epic telling of Mark 14-16:
We agreed that it’s going to be four verses each for the storytelling in order to include more new people to participate in the telling.
We agreed that leaders’ passages will be given to new-comers to expose them even though we will still go ahead to study them in case any of the new members is not able to present their passage. We agreed to hold at least three practices to prepare everyone for the event.
GoTell in The Gambia Blog
http://gotellthegambia.blogspot.com
- Nation-Wide Viewing of Biblical Storytelling
- Gambia Chapter NBS Continues the Mission
- NBS Returns to The Gambia
- Growth of Biblical Storytelling in West Africa
- Guild Formed in The Gambia
- GoTell and the 2008 NBS Trip
Bakau Methodist Church
Nation-Wide Viewing of Biblical Storytelling
Report from Pastor Benjamin Michael
January 2012
The Events of December 11th were a great success!!! Earlier that day, the Bakau Guild beautifully performed in the telling of Acts Chapter 3, captured on video. Later, in the evening was the Gambia Christian Council Annual Carol Singing Festival held at St Theresa School’s ground with all the Bishops, Church leaders and government officials in attendance.
The NBS team of Sis. Bertha, Mamudu, and I (B.Michael) lighted up the event with our thrilling presentation of Luke 1:26-38 & 2:1-20. I first performed Luke 1:26-38, then Bro Mamudu presented from Luke 2:1-7, followed by Sis Bertha with 2:8-14 in Krio and then I returned to end our performance with 2:15-20. It was very well received by the crowd who cheered with strong applause at the end of our presentation.
It was indeed a great moment for NBS as we used that great opportunity effectively to promote the art of Biblical storytelling reaching the whole nation with that single event. It was captured on screen by the Gambia Radio and Television Services and has been aired nationwide for several times already throughout this Christmas Season. I have received calls from many in the country who saw us perform on TV.
A week later on the 18th of DEC, during Bakau Church’s Nine Lesson’s Carol, I also repeated the telling of Luke 1:26-38 and has presented the same story three times in two different schools.
Our next plan is to find time to meet early in the New Year to plan for 2012.
Pastor B. Michael
Bakau, The Gambia
Gambia Chapter NBS Continues the Mission
March 2011
As prompt follow-up to the Unleashing the Power Institute, an executive meeting of the Network of Biblical Storytellers Gambia Chapter was held on March 19, 2011 at the Bakau Methodist Church.
The following leaders attended: Pastor Benjamin Michael (Acting Coordinator), Bro. Mamudu S.A.T. Mansaray, Pastor Felix Immah, Bro. Johannes Bami John, Sis. Bertha Bobson-Sesay (Acting Secretary). Biblical stories were told, plans were made, ideas were shared, and a team was formed to lead the mission of scripture by heart in The Gambia. We give thanks for the detailed notes from the meeting as well as this expression of appreciation and commitment by the group from Pastor Michael:
“Once again, many thanks for your timely visit and for sharing your wealth of knowledge and experience with us. Your visit revived our spirit and encouraged us to move on with this noble work and we are grateful. We are becoming better equipped to effectively take the work of Biblical Storytelling forward in this country and by God’s grace we shall make good progress.
As scheduled, the group who volunteered to be part of the new team to move the work of Biblical storytelling forward here in the Gambia met at Bakau Methodist Church for our first Executive session after your departure and the outcome was positive.”
The Group, 2011
NBS Returns to The Gambia
March 2011
March 6-11, 2011 Tom and Amelia travelled to The Gambia with five other members of the Network of Biblical Storytellers to teach, tell, and provide organizational support for the development of biblical storytelling in West Africa. With daily news reaching us of violence in Côte d’Ivoire, the need is painfully obvious in this part of the world for internalization of Jesus’ teachings about love for enemies and his ministry of reconciliation.
The Gambia, thankfully, is a politically stable and peaceful country with a faithful Christian community working together through the Gambia Christian Council to witness to God’s redemptive work through Jesus Christ in this predominantly Muslim country. We and the other members of our team led a five-day Institute called “Unleashing the Power of Biblical Storytelling in Worship and Ministry.” It was held at the Gambia Pastoral Institute in Serrekunda, near the capital city of Banjul.
We also told scriptures in local churches, had an epic telling of the Gospel of Mark, told and taught a class of seniors at Brikama College, and went “up river” to introduce biblical storytelling in a large Catholic mission school. We enjoyed fellowship with members of the Gambia Christian Council and were once again humbled by the gracious hospitality of Church leadership. There wasn’t time or opportunity to create a blog while in The Gambia, but you can follow Amelia’s post-trip blog…
Growth of Biblical Storytelling in West Africa
Janet Younger reports on developments in The Gambia…
On Saturday evening NBS Gambia introduced members of the group and gave an extremely impressive telling of The Birth of Jesus Christ in English, Wollof and Krio. It was well put together and the delivery of the story was exceptional. There are some very talented young people in the group. So they off to a good start and so we continue to motivate them. Donald Davies and Henry Akapo were the force behind the programme. I must say the EPIC telling in Atlanta made an impact on Donald and Matilda. Father Pius has been sent to work in Soma, quite a distance from Banjul. I saw a member of the group he had started and she assured me that they were continuing with the work.
Guild Formed in The Gambia
November 2008
Coordinator Donald Davies participated in the Institute at Banjul led by Tom Boomershine and Juliana Rowe in March 2008. Subsequently he attended the 2008 Festival Gathering of the Network of Biblical Storytellers along with Guild members Matilda Johnson and Father Pius.
I am pleased to inform you that we have formed a guild in The Gambia. The name of the guild is Gamnobs. It consists of the following members: Donald Davies (coordinator), Ben Richards (Treasurer), Augustina Akomiah (Secretary), Henry Akapo (Public Relations Officer), Ms Matilda Johnson (member), Father Pius (member). We will be coming up with a storytelling evening on the 21st of December 2008. The Telling will include Matthew’s and Mark’s Gospel, with the main Telling for the evening taken from Luke 2 (The birth of Jesus Christ). We would need your support in whatever way you can help, as we want to hold a training workshop in January 2009. The work has begun, and it is just the beginning. Our address is Dippa kunda, Banjul, The Gambia. Telephone Numbers are +2207705367/ +2206605367, our email address is Gamnobs@yahoo.com Blessings, Donald Davies, Coordinator.
Tom getting a lesson on the drums upon arrival in Banjul
GoTell and the Network of Biblical Storytellers Trip
March 2008
GoTell’s Amelia and Tom Boomershine traveled with ten other people from the Network of Bibilical Storytellers to The Gambia in March of 2008.
Click here to read a story about the trip.
