Storytelling

I am very interested in storytelling as a method of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. I suppose that is true because I have sensed the power there is when people tell their own stories - of their life experiences, interests, etc., often intertwined with elements of their faith journey. Unlike our traditional evangelistic efforts (tracts, surveys, crusades, etc.), these tidbits of how their faith has impacted their experiences don’t seem forced or manipulative to me.

And so I was intrigued this morning by a quote I read on the Wanderer of the North blog from Anthony de Mello’s book One Minute Wisdom (I actually found this more complete quote at Patti’s Favorite Storytelling Quotes, but I started with Wanderer of the North):

The master gave his teaching in parables and stories, which his disciples listended to with pleasure - and occasional frustration, for they longed for something deeper. The master was unmoved. To all their objections he would say, You have yet to understand that the shortest distance between a human being and the Truth is a story.

This peaked my interest a bit and so I did a search at Google on “storytelling” and “evangelism”. One of the results was an article entitled Storyvangelism by Dennis Dewey. I think the entire article is worth a read, but here is a thought-provoking excerpt:

The earliest Christians told their stories with passion and conviction. They told of what the Lord had done in their lives. People could see that they were different. People wanted to know more; they wanted to know the story.

When people visit our websites, do they learn what the Lord has done in our lives? Can they see that we are different by reading our stories? Do they want to know more as a result of visiting our websites? Do they want to know more of our story?

The simple act of telling our stories is:

one of the most powerful ways in which our websites can be effectively used to intrigue the lost: and,
unfortunately, one of the most-absent features of Christian websites today.

Do you know of websites that tell the stories of believers? I’m not talking about testimonies here (in which the obvious emphasis is on persuasion), but about life stories in which a person’s faith is inextricably bound with their experiences and interests.

Posted by on 12/20/04 at 09:50 AM

The Collective Voice!

Mark continues the discussion:

Frank: This is a powerful and important point.

Many years ago, I read a book by a father and son team, called, “Inductive Preaching.” It pointed out that Jesus’ characteristic method of teaching and preaching was stories. I figured that if it was good enough for Jesus, it was good enough for me. My development as a storyteller has been fitful, but ultimately rewarding. People love stories. Stories have a way of lodging what would otherwise seem stale and inaccessible propositions in the hearts of listeners.

Even before reading that book on preaching, I was involved in a class called, “Word and Witness,” designed to help people become active witnesses for their faith. It said that witnessing happened at the confluence of three different circles. The first circle represented our story, the second that of the other person, and the third, that of God. I believe that’s true.

Witnessing is a lot more like winemaking than it is like microwaving a frozen dinner. It takes time for all the stories to come together, for the contact between Jesus and unbelievers God empowers us to make to happen. That slow process requires patience. But it is worth it.

Thank you for your blog, Frank.

Have a great Christmas and a happy 2005!

Mark

contributed on 12/21 at 08:48 PM

continues the discussion:

Thanks Mark - I really appreciate your comment, especially the last part about patience. So often when we hear teaching about personal evangelism (or read books, watch videos, etc.), the emphasis seems to be on instantaneous results.

The truth, however, is that there is most often a tapestry of events, comments, experiences, conversations, etc. in an unbeliever’s life which finally bring him/her to conversion. One plants, one waters, etc.

I wonder if it makes sense to look at evangelistic websites in the same way - one website might serve a planting function, while another might serve a watering function, etc.

Thanks again!
Frank

contributed on 12/22 at 07:20 AM

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You may be interested in reading these articles which enumerate core principles of the strategy we advocate:

Effective Church Websites For Emerging Generations
Investigating the various ways in which a church's website can be targeted toward unbelievers in a church's local community.

A Strategy For Local Internet Outreach
How can the internet be used for evangelism and outreach while maintaining an environment of authentic Christian community?

Flawed Follow Up Or A Flawed Philosophy of Evangelism?
The ease with which we can “share the gospel” online can actually short-circuit the God-ordained process by which unbelievers are brought to faith.

Should We Include A Gospel Presentation On Our Websites?
Should conversion be our immediate goal in our internet evangelism efforts?

A Strategic Opportunity For The Church
A proposed strategy in which a church would use short video profiles of members of their congregation to entice unbelievers in their local area to consider the value of a local congregation’s ministry in their own lives.

2 John 12
Is there something incomplete about digital communication?

Fri, October 10, 2008 at 06:19 pm
Frank : savoring the start of a four-day weekend, looking forward to a great Time Out

Tue, October 07, 2008 at 08:13 pm
Frank : wishing that the spin doctors would have an ounce of honesty and integrity.

Sat, October 04, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Frank : winding down after a long Saturday's work on things of eternal value.

Sun, September 28, 2008 at 11:44 am
Frank @GregAtkinson my daughter is a goalkeeper - nothing quite like being a goalkeeper's parent!

Wed, September 24, 2008 at 09:55 pm
Frank : back home after a high school back-to-school night, evaluating high schools for next year

When the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association wanted to use the internet to promote their city festivals, they turned to Strategic Digital Outreach. Read more ....

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We work with several different organizations in exploring ways in which digital means can be used to reach an increasingly digital world. Some of these organizations are more traditional clients. Some are friends. All are our partners in the gospel (1 Corinthians 3:9). Invariably, we learn as much from them as they do from us. Here is a sampling:

David & Linda Arzouni
Assemblies of God missionaries to West Africa, based in Mali (the land of Timbuktu).

Assemblies of God
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India Prayer Drive
A 21-day prayer drive through the nation of India.

IreneDias.com
Although the suffering they face is severe, this is not a story of despair, but of an incredible faith and even more of an incredible God who sustains His followers with lavish grace, extravagant kindness, and unrelenting love.

Luis Palau Evangelistic Association
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Santa Cruz Bible Church
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Wake Up! Santa Cruz
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These are projects which we have initiated (either individually or as members of a team) in our efforts to use digital means to spread the gospel:

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MissionEquip.com was established to provide resources to missionaries and short-term missions teams traveling worldwide.

ChristianCruz
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Prodigal God
ProdigalGod.com, a work in progress, is designed to provide biblical instruction to the wider body of Christ through the use of video teaching segments and written articles.

Christian Screen Savers
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Adventures Of A Web Evangelist
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