Adult Reading & Writing Literacy

Ministry Overview

Nearly one-third of adults in the United States have difficulty reading and writing at a function level. Life is difficult in a number of ways for struggling readers.

  • Job prospects are limited
  • Family relationships suffer
  • Medical instructions are often difficult to follow
  • The Bible is inaccessible.

Learn more about the effects of adult illiteracy in this article published by On Mission Magazine.

Equip your ministry volunteers to share Jesus.

The Adult Reading and Writing Basic Workshop equips local church volunteers to intentionally share the Gospel with adult low-level readers. It addresses:

  • Adult Reading and Writing Ministry as a missions outreach of the church
  • Organizing an Adult Reading and Writing Ministry
  • Understanding adult low-level readers
  • Definition of reading
  • Choosing reading material
  • Using the Bible to teach an adult to read
  • Creating lesson plans from any reading material
  • Introduction to high school equivalency
  • Helping students who learn differently
  • Sharing Jesus with students

Adult Reading and Writing Basic Workshops are led by trainers who have been certified through the National Literacy Missions Partnership (NLMP) using North American Mission Board/Send Relief materials. Contact the NLMP for more information. Workshop leaders are also involved in adult literacy ministries.

Adult Reading and Writing Hybrid (online/live) Basic Workshop

The NLMP now offers an online/live hybrid Adult Reading and Writing Basic Workshop. Participants learn much of the workshop content through reading the manual and going through the interactive online lessons. After the online component, participants attend a five-hour live session in which they learn practical skills needed for the ministry. During the live portion of the workshop, participants learn practical skills of teaching an adult to read.

Before registering for the online workshop consider this information:

  • Participants must have basic computer literacy skills and be self-motivated. The online portion is at the student’s own pace within the time limit of the course. Though the work is equivalent to a live workshop, the amount of time the student invests may be more or less.
  • Assignments are required. They include creating a ministry organizational plan, a lesson plan, a fluency interview, and a personal salvation testimony. Assignments are checked by a course facilitator. Other checks for understanding are built into the online course. Please do not skip screens. The program will not record work you do unless you go screen-by-screen.
  • State Conventions and associations are encouraged to schedule hybrid workshop. It is helpful for groups (rather than individuals) take the course at the same time and schedule a five-hour live session for the ministry. Churches may request a class just for their ministry.
  • The four-hour live session is required to receive a certificate. This portion is scheduled after the online portion is completed. Contact the coordinator for questions.
  • Registration fees are set by the sponsoring entity, are non-refundable and apply only to the online portion of the course.
  • Participants who do not complete the online portion of the course before the closing date will have to pay the registration fee to take the course in another month.

Contact the NLMP for more information.

Adult Reading & Writing Ministry

“The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message.”

“The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message.”

ACTS 15:31