The Person of Jesus - Jesus as Revealed in Gospel Narratives

The Person of Jesus study, an interactive Bible Study by Paul Miller that coordinates with Miller's Book Love Walked Among Us: Learning To Love Like Jesus.

For those not quite ready to tell Bible Stories but who want an excellent introduction to using Gospel Narratives to reach people who "hate the church" but are "interested in Jesus", this may be the resource you're looking for.

Miller's study guides focus on the Person of Jesus as He reacted to people and situations and what that communicates about the Love of God in action. It emphasizes Jesus as the One who modeled for us life lived in communion with the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit. The theological perspective of the studies is faithfully evangelical.

People are using this resource in a variety of settings including home bible studies, church based studies, church planting, prison ministry and as an adjunct to discipleship based "recovery" ministries. You can read those stories here. It's even used in settings where evangelism and discipleship are taking place in the same group.

On a practical level, it gives you a structure, example, and model for conducting interactive Bible studies that are the goal of methods like "Simply the Story".

If the idea of telling a Bible Story and leading an interactive study frightens you, Miller's work offers a very accessible "path" to get you going in the use of Gospel narratives in evangelism and discipleship. In addition to the print resources, his ministry offers DVDs and live workshops to equip people to use the Person of Jesus curriculum.

Paul Miller's work isn't "Bible Story Telling" per se, but a Bible Story Teller could easily use the outlines and concepts Miller compiles to tell the relevant stories to an audience unable read, resistant to reading or not committed to read at this point. For example, the story that is the basis for the study could be told at a coffee house and then people could be invited to "look deeper" at the story in a setting where they may be able to read the text.

Bible Story Telling and Training for Trainers Merged

Updated 1/13/2009It should go with out saying, I'm recommending this for the strategy... not all the theology or interpretations found in the manual... some are pretty misleading I believe. "Just add confessional theology"!

One of the hot topics in modern missiology is the study of "Church Planting Movements". It's become its own field of study in the last 15 years... the phenomenon of house churches multiplying like "wildfire" in a given mission field. And, of course, it's not just an academic study. It's studied with an eye to "how can we reproduce rapid house church multiplication in this field?

The original "Training for Trainers" concept originated from work in Asia with a largely literate audience who had both the Scriptures in their language and who could read simple materials.

The training operated on the principle that you can't tell in advance who will bear fruit "30, 60, and 100" fold (Mark 4:8)so you give everyone leadership training.

One common denominator of church planting movements is an orientation towards obedience. In other words, when they study a passage that says "Go therefore into all nations", the people realize they are supposed to do that right away...not in 20 years "if the Spirit moves"... or - most often in the Western Church - NEVER! In other words they take Jesus seriously when He says: Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." (Joh 14:21 ESV)

So the process is for each new convert to

1. Develop a list of people to share their faith with
2. Be given basic training as to how to share the faith
3. Then, when those they reach come to faith, the new Christian becomes a "trainer"

"T4T" as it came to be known became a paradigm for others wishing to promote a church planting movement on their own mission field.

There was just one problem... it was for largely literate audiences. What do you do when the people you're seeking to reach can't READ?

That's when Bible Story Telling was merged with "T4T" to develop "Storying T4T". It's evangelistic method is A) You listen to their story, B) you tell your story (about the impact of Jesus Christ on your life) and then C) you tell God's story (about the demon possessed man who Jesus left in his right mind.

At that point the person may wish to hear more Bible Stories which present the overarching message of the Bible from "Creation to Christ".

There is much more (that's why I'll link you to the 68 page download for you to review). But just on the surface this is a very workable method for anybody anywhere.
It's easily adapted as a strategy in the US.

I like the fact because when people come to understand the basic logic behind Chronological Story Telling, they wonder rightly - where do I begin? Do you just go up to people and ask "Got time to hear 35 Bible stories?"

This uses one Bible story to discern interest and then, seeks an opportunity to lay a foundation of more Bible stories. That's just great for those people you meet on the street who won't take time to READ anything you might offer them as evangelistic literature. And, unlike the 1 shot "presentations" this lets you initiate conversations that are followed up by real opportunities to present the overarching message of the Bible in a complete way similar, I suppose, to "Christianity Explained" and much more theologically sound (potentially) than an "Alpha" presentation.

And it works with anyone whether they can read or not. The only issue is - will we learn some simple Bible stories and "do it"? The main problem in the United States is that people will not be used to the expectation of immediate obedience. Of course that's the problem with the Western Church! Obedience? To the Bible? That's fanatical!

Seeing the Western Church transformed into having an "obedience orientation" takes constant prodding and patient instruction as St. Paul says: And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. (2Ti 2:24-26 ESV)

Now that you've been warned - check it out! There's a whole "social networking" group of people sharing this interest and was started by a practitioner of ST4T.

At the very least you'll be able to download a pretty quick-to-implement system for church based evangelism training that focuses on the story of the Bible instead of memorizing a "sales presentation".

To learn more here's the Storying Training For Trainers group. You can download an excellent "Storying Training 4 Trainers Manual".

An Example of Bible Storytelling And Sermon

There's a tension when a pastor in a traditional church wants to incorporate Bible Storytelling into ministry. I find myself in that such a position.

Don't get me wrong, I love the traditional liturgy and I'm not complaining about it...it is biblical and theologically sound. As it stands you might say our worship is very oriented to the literate because we follow a "Bulletin". I would say though that there are enough fixed elements that an orally oriented person could learn the vast majority of it by heart and participate without being able to read. Can you say as much for your church? I suppose this would be an argument for the superiority of the Book of Common Prayer! By having mostly fixed liturgies, the orally oriented can learn to participate through memorization instead of have to read new content weekly. "Freestyle" worship does not favor them in that way - especially if the instructions are all on a power point shown up front. In fact freestyle worship can leave them "out in the cold".

But I digress.

In my audience on a given Lord's Day there are people who love the fact that I print out my sermons notes. They reread them during the week. Some people download them from all over the world and use them in their ministry. So for them a strictly oral presentation would be a let down... they might even think "The Preacher's just being lazy." When I tried repeating stories over several weeks, this segment found that very tiresome and too repetitive. It just proved that they're not "secondarily oral". So to reach them I print my notes and preach a more traditional sermon.

But on a given week I have work release inmates in the audience and others I don't know whom I suspect aren't great readers. And, Lord knows, I'd love to have more.

How do you reach BOTH in one setting?

Here's how I am TRYING to do that...and I'd love to hear what you're doing. Instead of commenting, would you join us here and tell us what you're doing?

You can see how this attempt went today as I am preaching through Matthew's Gospel and am starting the Lord's Prayer. I began by preaching on the meaning of "Our Father".

I've incorporated a Bible Story near the front of the sermon and allude to it throughout to attempt to "bridge the gap" between audiences.

Our Father

I'm not saying this is the perfect approach, but it's the one I can try to "manage".

Also on Wednesday nights I'm teaching through the stories of Genesis. Here are some sermons on Chronological Bible Stories

Frankly, I'm seeking improvement on them. I would like to add more oral elements while not being perceived as "falling down on the job" and reaching both audiences. But that's a matter for growth on my part.

Michael Novelli - Shaped By The Story

Michael Novelli who wrote Shaped by the Story: Helping Students Encounter God in a New Way emailed me after reading the blog.

His website is Echo the Story with lots of good Storying information available there.

You might also be interested in the blurb about his book... He's been doing Bible Storying for 5 years and started after, in a sense, "hitting bottom" as a youth minister with 10 years experience. He wondered if he could ever get his kids to connect with the scriptures.

This book is about his pilgrimage. A missionary told him about Bible Storytelling the blurb says, and "God used this process to completely transform his youth group as they found themselves experiencing God in a whole new way."

If you're a youth minister who wants to escape the "entertainment" paradigm and move to a Biblical Transformation paradigm,maybe this book will be helpful to you.

Historic Church Storytellers

If you are in a "historic church" - one that goes by the name "Reformed, Lutheran, Anglican, Presbyterian" and adheres to a historic confession - you might be interested in this group:

Historic Church Storytellers

It's where people serving historic churches can get together to discuss the use of Bible Storytelling in our contexts.

Here's how it's described:

We are Christians who love the Historic Church - some of us are called "Reformed" or "Anglican", "Presbyterian" or "Lutheran". We are often called "Confessional" because we believe that Holy Scripture is not only worth believing but confessing. By the call and grace of God we find ourselves confessing the faith of a historic church.

Is this group for you? It might be. How can I describe who we are? Each member of this group adheres to a historic confession such as the Heidelberg Catechism, the 39 Articles, the Westminster Confession, etc. Each of us usually has liturgical convictions which find today's so called worship far too silly and "performance" oriented. People sit as spectators instead of giving God praise. Give us a Bible based liturgy where God's people sing, speak, confess sin and confess Christ any day! (Isn't doing so pretty "oral" after all?)

But we are also people with a burden on our heart for the Great Commission.

We are called to renew, expand and plant new churches in our historic tradition.

Bible Storying is a method of communicating afresh the Scriptures which birthed our historic churches. We seek to use it in a way we find faithful to God Himself, His Word, and the historic church in which He has called us to serve.

If that describes you (or you'd like it to!) we'd love to have you! Just ask.


Join Historic Church Storytellers

Storying Suggestions Please!

I'm creating a site dedicated to using the Heidelberg Catechism a precious confessional document of my church.

The site is Heidelberg Catechism Project.

It is compiling free resources for anyone wanting to use the Catechism in discipleship and church planting.

The catechism has 129 Questions and answers but it is normally divided into 52 sections - one for each Lord's Day of the year.

I am seeking suggestions on the most appropriate story or stories for each "Lord's Day".

If your suggestion(s) is(are) selected, I would be happy to link to you/your ministry on my links page to help support your ministry.

You can see the Heidelberg Catechism here. It is divided up into the appropriate Lord's Day segments.

Have a suggestion? Contact me through this form!

THANK YOU in advance for your help!

A Reformed Resource for Bible Story Telling

This online book is a Reformed resource for Bible Storytelling aimed at OLDER Children instead of the very young.

This book is no longer in print, but is available online at Spindleworks.com

Anne DeVries Story Bible for Older Children

It contains wonderful illustrations that capture the imagination!

Free Audio Bible Downloads - Faith Comes By Hearing

Free Audio Bible Downloads from the "worlds largest catalog of audio bibles" are no available through Faith Come By Hearing.

I've posted a link on the side bar, but you can also see the many available translations here... all available quickly on the World Wide Web!

Just use the dropdown menu to see how many available translations there are!

Faith Comes By Hearing.com

Not About Bible Story Telling Per Se

Dr. Bob of Alcoholics Anonymous: His Excellent Training in the Good Book As a Youngster in Vermont is another in a long series of books by recovered alcoholic Dick B on the Biblical and Christian origins and early history of Alcoholic's Anonymous and the "Twelve Steps". Here the early training Dr. Bob received in the scriptures is credited with his later ability - once he had returned to his Biblical roots - to help others escape the grip of Alcohol Addiction.

Do we want to change the future? Lay a Biblical foundation - through storytelling or any means available - in your children and grandchildren. Who knows how it might help future millions?

Graded System of Bible Stories

Have you ever wanted some ideas on how to break down Bible Stories by age group?


Here's a graded system of Bible Story and Doctrinal resources from the Reformed Tradition that may be helpful.

Here is a graded system of Old and New Testament stories with study questions by the following ages. Note that after age 13, study of the catechism begins so that the stories learned in youth can be formulated in maturing Christian experience.

Old and New Testament Stories
Ages 6-8
9-10
11-12


Heidelberg Catechism
Ages 13 - 14

Essentials of Reformed Doctrine
Ages 15+