In this course the student learns to be a more effective communicator by improving their storytelling skills. This course places particular emphasis on biblical storytelling. Learning the sacred stories of Scripture by heart and sharing them with others is both an ancient-future art and a powerful spiritual practice.
Storytelling has come to be recognized as an important skill for leaders of business and industry and it is also essential for communicators of the gospel. Whether in preliterate oral cultures or post-literate societies that prefer not to read, knowing how to tell stories effectively is important for anyone wanting to influence others.
Learning the skills of an effective storyteller helps the student to become a better communicator and a more effective public speaker. The proper use of voice, facial expressions and body actions are important but often overlooked communication channels.
This course focuses on ways of learning and telling the stories of the biblical text by heart, which is how the Scriptures were originally passed along from teller to hearer, and from one generation to the next, orally. It is the model that was used by Jesus, the master storyteller, to share his message with people.
Students in this course develop a repertoire of biblical stories which they are equipped to tell effectively at a moment's notice. They learn to match these Bible stories to people's felt needs, so their hearers may step into the story and vicariously experience the same dynamics that the original story characters experienced.
As many as two-thirds of people worldwide have a strong preference for oral communication. Reading takes a minor role, if any at all, in the ways they gather and share the information needed to live their daily lives. Even in developed countries, competence in reading is far from universal. A 1992 study by the U.S. Department of Education showed that only 18–21% of adults in the U.S. showed sufficient reading skills to be rated either literate or highly literate. Yet the church still relies almost entirely on a literate approach for evangelism and discipling. Biblical storytelling is the best way to get past this barrier.
It is now recognized that the majority of least-reached peoples of the world are oral communicators. Even those who can read often retain oral cognitive styles. Their initial rejection of the gospel message may be the result of the strange (to them) literate method of presentation more than any theological objections they might have. In contrast, stories are often the way that people in other cultures prefer to share and learn, so stories cross cultural barriers with ease.
Storytelling gives students a practical tool for sharing the gospel with anyone in a non-threatening manner. It is also the easiest way to internalize huge amounts of Scripture.
Learning the sacred stories of Scripture by heart and sharing them with others is a powerful spiritual practice. After hearing a Bible story told, a person often reacts by saying he or she had never really understood that passage before. As one learns to tell the stories of the Bible, spiritual formation is a natural outcome of interacting with the story.
