Good Soil E&D is for ESL Ministry–English as a Second Language
as well as many other kinds of ministries.
More than one in five (21.6%) USA residents, ages 5 and older, now speaks a foreign language at home!
The Census Bureau released 2016 data from the 2017 American Community Survey on languages spoken by USA residents five years old or older.
The data reveals that the number of people who speak a language other than English at home has reached an all-time high of 65.5 million, up 5.9 million since 2010.
Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic were three languages with the largest increases. Languages with more than a million speakers were: Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, French, Korean, and Arabic. Haitian was a new category that previously was broken into several types of French Creole.
Of those who speak a foreign language at home, 40% reported that they speak English “less than very well.”
—Center for Immigration Studies.
Teaching ESL – English as a Second Language – is a great ministry opportunity for you and your church!
| Year | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking a language other than English at home | 1980: 23,060,040 | 1990: 31,844,979 | 2000: 46,951,595 | 2010: 59,542,596 | 2013: 61,748,740 |
| Speaks English less than “Very Well” | 1980: 10,181,036 | 1990: 13,982,502 | 2000: 21,320,407 | 2010: 25,223,045 | 2013: 25,125,132 |
| Source: Data for 2000, 2010, and 2013 are from American FactFinder for the American Community Survey and the 2000 Census. Figures for 1990 are from 1990 Census tables. Figures for 1980 are from the 1980 Census. | |||||
- It’s an opportunity for you to show recent immigrants to America that you care for them.
- It’s an opportunity for you to introduce them to Biblical Christianity and your local church.
- It’s an opportunity for you to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them.
The first question many Christians ask, regarding a ministry of ESL, is “What ESL resources can I use that will explain the gospel clearly?”
The Story of Hope
The Story of Hope – Global English
The Story of Hope – Global English is an adaptation of The Story of Hope evangelistic Bible study workbook to a 7th - 9th grade reading level by a professional Global English translator.
It presents the gospel in the way people of non-Christian worldview cultures need to be introduced to the Bible—begins in Genesis 1:1 and unfolds the Bible’s BIG redemptive story all the way through the Old and New Testaments. Thus, it provides the overall Biblical context that makes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ clear and meaningful, even for people who know nothing about the true God, the Bible, and Jesus Christ.
For intermediate or advanced ESL students; not appropriate for beginning English learners.
The Story of Hope – ESL Teacher’s Guide
A FREE download. Eighty-three professionally designed pages. Created by ESL instructors with years of ministry experience and educational preparation for teaching English as a second language. Includes Teacher’s Notes related to key vocabulary terms, Grammar Overview tips, as well as answers and explanations related to the Bible-related questions in the study.
Download it and see for yourself. It’s FREE.
Download FreeAlso, there are many translated editions of The Story of Hope. If an edition is available in the language your ESL student speaks, we recommend that you also provide him/her with a copy of that edition.
Translations“My wife’s weekly Thursday morning English class for China Baptist Theological College students is well into the second semester and going strong. The class of nine students has enjoyed using The Story of Hope as a study tool for learning biblical names and terms in English, so that they can more comfortably use their second language to share their faith with others.”
—Dave, missionary in Asia
Thank you for your work. My neighbor and I are excited to lead a Bible study for some ladies in our community, including unbelievers and young believers. Two women are Chinese, so it will help them tremendously to have the study in their own language. Blessings to you!
—Vicki
We all want to share our faith effectively…but how do we do it?
Additional Resources You Might Be Able to Use in Your ESL Ministry
The Bible's Big Story Teaching Visuals
The Bible's BIG Story Teaching Visuals - Set of 105
Set of 105 laminated, double-sided teaching visuals for teaching the Bible's redemptive story, from Genesis through Revelation.
13.5” x 10.75” laminated printed teaching visuals. Key Bible event content on the back, event image on the front. 100+ teaching visuals, 50 Old Testament and 50 New Testament, plus five others that are of special interest with Muslims. Great for teaching the BIG Story of the Bible, that begins in Genesis and culminates in Revelation, with people who do not speak English or do not speak English well.
Chronological Bible Cards: Genesis — Revelation
ChronoBible Cards: Genesis-Revelation
A complete set of 135 pocket-size cards (4.5" x 3.375") for learning and reviewing the content and chronology of the Bible's Big Story.
Pocket-size cards for learning and reviewing 100 key Bible events as they appear chronologically from Genesis through Revelation. Each Bible event card contains an image from the Good Soil Redemptive Story art collection on the front and key content information on the back. 25 major Bible era cards and 10 Chronological Bridge to Life cards included.
Chronological Bridge to Life
Teach ESL students the BIG Story of the Bible, based upon eight key concepts that emerge chronologically from Genesis through Revelation: God - Man - Sin - Death - Christ - Cross - Faith - Life. Eight English words to help them understand the most important story they will ever need to know.
A walk through the Chronological Bridge to Life
The Bible's BIG Story PowerPoint CD
The Bible's BIG Story PowerPoint CD contains three PowerPoint presentations of the Bible's story of redemption, from Genesis through Revelation:
20 Events - to use with short presentations and The Story of Hope Condensed.
40 Events - to use with medium-length presentations and The Story of Hope.
100 Events - to use with more extended presentations of the Bible's BIG Story.
Each Bible event is beautifully illustrated with an image from the Good Soil Redemptive Art Series. Also, included in each presentation are slides of Bible maps and the Chronological Bridge to Life. Great way to present the Bible’s story of creation, fall, salvation, and total restoration to ESL students. Highly recommended for ESL ministries.
Sample Old Testament Images
Eve and serpent in Eden
Abraham & Isaac
Sacrifice of lamb at altar in front of tabernacle
Sample New Testament Images
John the Baptist
Resurrection of Jesus
Believers in heaven - around Jesus - the rapture scene
For Bible Study Ministry with Muslims
Although not specifically for ESL ministry, The Message of Hope is a workbook specifically developed to introduce Muslims to the Bible’s redemptive story, culminating with Jesus Christ, God’s Son and our Savior. Begins in Genesis 1:1 and moves chronologically through the Bible.
The Leader’s Guide for The Message of Hope includes nearly 200 pages and was written by people who have lived for many years in Islamic cultures.
Evangelism and Discipleship Training for ESL Ministries
Learn to share the gospel, God’s story of hope, in a way that people will clearly understand it, sincerely embrace it, and hold fast to it.
The top ten takeaways from Good Soil Evangelism and Discipleship training:
- Learn how to initiate conversations that open up to unobtrusive opportunities to share the gospel.
- Learn how to determine where a person is on his/her level of understanding of the gospel and receptivity to knowing more about salvation through Jesus Christ.
- Learn how to present the truth of the gospel in a way that it isn't misunderstood by the person with whom you are sharing, regardless of his/her religious worldview.
- Learn how to share God's story of redemption, from Genesis through Revelation, so that the recipient will understand the Biblical context for the good news of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.
- Learn how to present the gospel, using the Chronological Bridge to Life.
- Learn how to share the gospel, using your own faith story.
- Learn a variety of ways to use The Story of Hope, in evangelism, with confidence.
- Learn how to use The Way to Joy, in discipling believers who are still weak in their faith.
- Learn about a wide variety of evangelism and discipleship resources that you may find to be helpful in your ministry.
- Learn to teach others what you have learned about evangelism and discipleship, and train them to do what you have learned to do through the training you have received.
Always, engaging, interactive, and FUN learning.
FREE Book for ESL Ministry Leaders
Gaining Ground with Good Soil is an evangelism and discipleship training narrative—a scaled-down version of the Good Soil Evangelism and Discipleship seminar in a narrative format. The principles gained from this book are applicable for anyone wishing to serve God through Biblical evangelism and discipleship, but is especially instructive and helpful for ministry leaders, such as leaders of ESL ministries.
The realistic, but fictional narrative, around which the book is developed, tells the story of a couple of missionaries who were frustrated and discouraged—to the point of almost giving up—because of their lack of success in evangelism and discipleship on their field. But, the “Good Soil” principles they learned from Bible study revolutionized their ministries. It will help you think through a theology of evangelism and discipleship and help you to present the gospel so that men and women will clearly understand it, sincerely embrace it, and firmly hold on to it.
Free instructional resources for individual and group study are also available for download. www.GoodSoil.com/FREE
If you are a leader of an ESL ministry, with a USA shipping address, and will commit to reading this book, we will send you a FREE (and postage-free) copy of Gaining Ground with Good Soil.
More Good Soil Resources for Evangelism and Discipleship
Good Soil provides an entire toolbox of resources for ESL and other ministries.
For a complete overview of our Good Soil resources:
More Good Soil E&D Stories from ESL Ministries
TSOH has been a very useful tool in our ministry to internationals.
—Dorothy, ENABLE Learning Center, Newfield, NY
Thank you for your work. My neighbor and I are excited to lead a Bible study for some ladies in our community, including unbelievers and young believers. Two women are Chinese, so it will help them tremendously to have the study in their own language. Blessings to you!
—Vicki
Good Soil Stories from ESL Ministries
Stories
The Story of Hope ESL Classes with Chinese Moms
Chris and Rose Duryee are ABWE missionaries in Spain. While on pre-field in the Pacific Northwest, they sought out a church life group to be involved with to expand their contacts and partnership opportunities. They joined one that met together for fellowship and Bible study three Tuesdays each month and on the fourth Tuesday helped serve meals at the local community center. Shortly after joining, the group began to pray and search for a way to serve in their community that would better fit their growing families. One of the wives mentioned that she had met several Chinese moms at a park near her home, and another said she had a Chinese neighbor who was expecting her first baby.
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Teaching and Training
Sharing God’s Story of Hope as You Teach ESL
This article is intended for two groups of ESL facilitators/teachers. Group one is composed of the teachers of ESL who would like to use various features of The Story of Hope – Global English (TSOH-GE) in their ESL instruction. The second group is composed of the facilitators/teachers who plan to also use the “Teacher’s Guide for Use in Intermediate to Advanced ESL Classes for The Story of Hope Bible Study (TGUESL).” This ESL Teacher’s Guide is available as a FREE download.
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