WHY BOTHER COMMUNICATING

- Keep audiences from wandering away from what we're saying. (what's the point of knowing alot and having insights if we can't get people to listen)

- Let scriptures come alive to people (you have too much to offer to allow the attention of your audience to wander from what you're saying_

- improve story telling skills to increase your ability to affect people you have not been able to reach before. 

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 Chapter 1: A new world and its story

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-  Story thinkers and men respond especially well to stories. 

- Analytical Thinkers think in facts and figures, best to communicate through outline. Put points in orders, use stories as props to support the theme. 

- Most people born after baby boom are Story Thinkers. Want info, want it straight but wants it in a way that holds their interest. (still need a theme and an outline but don't let them know you have it) Emphasize the story not the points. 

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- The Gospels are written in stories, the Epistles are analytical and appeal to that type of thinker. (Present God's Word in away that is consistent with how people think) 

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Group Exercise

- Give 3-4 aspects that are important about a ministry, tell a story in no more than 2minutes to illustrate each area. 

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Chapter 2: Where do you find your stories

 1) Less is Better (start with a small story. Major on being descriptive if you want the story to be gripping and unforgettable. Make it relevant to the culture and feelings of the audience)

 

2) Source Children's Books (best source for small, well structured stories. Adults books are full of details) 

 

3) Look for 2 qualities (Do I like the story - if I dont like it, I cant excite my audiences with it. Do I like the ending?)

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4) Make appropriate changes 

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5) Red flag of memorizing (it limits flexibility, can't be adapted for different audiences. even if you forget your lines, people might not realize,  

 Memorizing distract from ministry. Focus of storyteller is the message and the response of the audience. Memorizing turns the focus toward words and becomes story centered rather than audience centered. 

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14 Steps to Tell Story

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Step 1 (Select a Story)

- Choose one of these stories to practice 

- Read carefully and understand the stories

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Laughing at God (Gen 18:9-15)     Rebekah and the Camels (Gen 24:10-28)     A distressed Mother (1 Kings 17:17-24)

Wrestling with God (Gen 32:22-32)     Moses and teh Ark (Exo 2:1-10)     Moses at the Well (Exo 2:15-22)     "Read my Lips:(1 Samuel 1:2-19

Hearing the Voice of God (1 Sam 3:1-10)     Bread and Oil (1 Kings 17:8-16)     Hem of the Garment (Luke 8:43-48) 

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Chapter 3: Let them Walk in your Shoes

- tailor stories to relate to people who feel, think, act and talk just like we do. 

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Step 2 (Push through the story) 

- Close the book and talk through it. Take the story from written page to telling form, dont worry about getting the details correct. 

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Step 3 (Envision the scene with present day feelings and concern) 

- Allow the Bible Characters to walk in your shoes. They should think like you and feel what the members of your Bible study feel. This is to show people that scripture is relevant to our lives. Once they are in your shoes, you can watch as they walk in the direction God leads them. Help your listeners see what it is like to follow God. 

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- Imagine you are at the exact scene and ask yourself questions (think of the feelings and concerns present) 

- Most of these questions will not be shared during the story telling but we must see the full picture. 

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Step 4 ( Tell the Story from the View of Someone at the scene 

- where we hear about the story from someone who was there (help me understand the fpp) can be another person, can be an animal or an object. 

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Chapter 4: Make it Unforgettable

- you might only have one opportunity to influence that person or that group (The issue is not right/wrong, acceptable/unacceptable but forgettable/unforgettable) 

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Step 5 (Establish the Story's One central truth) 

-  the story only needs to communicate ONE truth. 

- the theme does not have to be life changing, dont have to vocalize the theme in words but the story can still do its job when we are done.

- After reading the story a few times,  theme becomes obvious, write it down and think how it affects how we tell the story

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Step 6 (Find a Memory Hook)

- Use a hook that is subtle or blatant to get it stucked in people's mind. (relate to a quality trait of the main character, reinforce the underlying plot or emphasize the theme) 

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Step 7 (Tell a story within a story)

- There must be a relationship between the stories, and they must relate to the theme. One story must illustrate a point within the other story 

 

Chapter 5: When to Ramble

- Remember your first line and your last line, ramble in between. 

- When you first stand infront of the audience you have the full attention which only lasts a few seconds, thats why it's important to start well. 

- first sentences need to be smooooth, it holds up the story content. 

 

Step 8 (Plan your first words) 

- Don't start boringly. Start to rouse curiosity. Pull the audience into the heart of the story within the first few sentences. 

eg (did you know Jesus took a vacation? There was a time when I would have to made sure you knew who I was)

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Step 9 (Know how it ends)

- not just about words, but HOW to say them. 

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Creating a Mood
- itvwill stay with the audience after you have finished. 
- good ending protects and enhances the mood. 
- watch for audience cues, don’t take time to share what’s only precious to myself 

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Chapter 6: Finishing Touches 

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Step 10: Research the facts
- study bible customs and times to add reality and depth to our stories 
- get practical applications to apply 

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Step 11: eliminate needless details
- cut to 1/3 of details so that we can add the pauses and facial expressions in for mood 
- evaluate emotional control honestly if not we will lose the audiences if they feel embarrassed and dk how to react or you’re going on too long 

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Step 12: Add descriptions that bring life to the story 
- don’t state a fact if u can bring the fact to life
- description is not factual info but feelings and emotions to help listeners enter the world of the story 
- use humour and deep silence to gauge if audiences are engaged. 
- People don’t make decisions based on facts they hear or know but on what they experienced. (use our story to get to a point where ppl experience the heart of it) 

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Chapter 7: Last Ingredient

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Step 13: Include audience participation 
- repeat song
- repeat phrases
- hand motions 
- use volunteers

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Step 14: Practice

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Useful Tools

1) Imagination (practice actions, mime and using our imagination)

2) Facial Expression (can cut alot of words if we just use our face to show it. Dress to not draw attention away from your face)

3) Body Language (there are emotions that words can't express that face and body can. talk with your hands hanging by your side even if it's awkward. Move them up only when you need to use them (between shoulder and waist. below waist show that it's secretive and above the shoulders is loud and panic, exaggerated emotions) 

4) Voice (loud, quality, tone, high pitch or low pitch. PAUSE. pauses let people imagine and paint the mental picture, it creates anticipation, intensifies the story etc) 

5) Nervousness (helps us to prepare and activates our senses. 1) 

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Retelling Stories for Adults

1) Learn the basic plot (read a few times and re tell it)

2) Reduce number of main characters (three at most, two better)

3) Reduce story to the simplest form (tell a quick version of it to someone. dont revisit the story because you will be undoing what you already did) 

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