lost art of storytelling

Want your message remembered?Tell a Story

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. Matthew 13:34 (NIV)

Follow the LeaderAs Lived, Remembered, &Retold byCraig McCourt

Keys to telling a good story.

• Figure out your controlling idea • the point for the story

• Set the mood• Keep it short

• but long enough to pass on your idea

• Share details• Be open – real stories work best• Practice, Practice, Practice

How to kill a good story.

• Tell them the point • or “moral of the story”

• Drop it in out of the blue – no context• To many words

• We rarely get paid by the word

• Failure to paint a picture• Use someone else’s stories as yours• Running with a random story that just

popped into your mind.

Keys to telling a GREAT story.

• Use it to show people God• Tie faith to everyday life• Keep the focus on the change• Use Scripture– real stories work best• Pray, Practice, Pray some more

Podcast’s Worth Listening to…

Pondering God with Craig McCourthttp://craigmccourt.com/podcast/

News From Lake Wobegonhttp://www.npr.org/podcasts/381444601/a-prairie-home-

companion-news-from-lake-wobegon

Unlocking the Bible with Colin Smithhttps://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/unlocking-bible-daily-broadcast/id335342417?mt=2

Storyteller Challenge

There are many ways to use the storyteller challenge. It began for me as something my students would ask me – they would come up with a one or two word topic and would challenge me to come up with a true story about it. I would try to relate in a Bible principal each time.

Using the Challenge to help people grow in their storytelling….

Ask a series of questions (the same question to several people) having them respond.• Think of a time that something funny happened in church…• Share an early family memory you have of summer vacation…• Share a time you were afraid as a child and how someone comforted you…• What is your favorite memory of elementary school?• Tell of a time God was especially close to you…• Share an embarrassing moment from your last 5 years that you can laugh at today…

Storyteller Challenge

Using the Challenge to help people grow in their storytelling….

Have a series of “odd photos” and ask them to tell a story inserting them into the events shown.

Other Variations…

You can start with just having them come up with a caption.

Collect the captions, and pass them out to different people, who have to use the caption as the premise for their story.

Storyteller Challenge

Using the Challenge to help people grow in their storytelling….

Storyteller Challenge

Using the Challenge to help people grow in their storytelling….

Storyteller Challenge

Using the Challenge to help people grow in their storytelling….

Storyteller Challenge

Using the Challenge to help people grow in their storytelling….

This is a collection of thirty “stories” as I Ponder God. Each one comes with a scripture and a question to get people talking.

To purchase visit:www.godponderspublishing.com

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Amazon . com

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