STORY TELLING AS

EVANGELISTIC TOOL
Module 10
Topic:
STORY TELLING AS EVANGELISTIC TOOL

Time frame: April 15 – 22, 2020

Output (Online Quiz) :
April 22, 2020

*Dates listed above are temporary, please wait for more details.

Learning Guide
Module 10
Optional reading:

Read “Would you still believe” By Bryan Paul Catanus

https://drive.google.com/open?id=122UivHBLUHGAattxK0ld-gE6cKbIF9qW

Evaluate the manuscript:

(1) What is the main story and what is the supporting story in the manuscript?
(2) What is the main idea taught in this article?
(3) How did the writer used stories to share his main message?
Why Communicate
the Gospel
Through Stories?

From Reconnecting God’s Story to Ministry: Cross-cultural

Storytelling at Home and Abroad, 2005. Used by
permission of William Carey Library, Pasadena, CA
*Excerpts from the article:

I thought that I had finally learned enough of the

Ifugao language and culture (Philippines) to allow me
to do some public evangelism. I developed Bible
lessons that followed the topical outline we received in
pre-field training: the Bible, God, Satan, humanity, sin,
judgment and Jesus Christ. I began by introducing my
Ifugao listeners to the authority-base (the Bible).
Then I quickly moved on to the second part
of the outline (God), and so forth,
culminating with Jesus Christ. I presented
the lessons in a topical, systematic format.
My goal was not only to communicate the
gospel, but to communicate it in such a
way that the Ifugao could effectively
articulate it to others.
But as I taught, I soon realized that the Ifugao
found it difficult to follow the topical
presentations and found it even harder to
explain the content to others. I was perplexed.
Something needed to change, so I added a
number of stories from the Old Testament to
illustrate the abstract (theoretical) concepts in
the lessons through pictorial (concrete)
characters and objects.
I told stories about Creation, the Fall, Cain and Abel,
the Flood, the escape from Egypt, the giving of the Ten
Commandments, the Tabernacle, Elijah and Baal, all
of which would provide foundation for Jesus’ story.
Their response was phenomenal. Not only did the
evangelistic sessions come alive, the recipients
became instant evangelists, telling the stories to friends
enthusiastically and effectively. From then on I
integrated stories in all my evangelistic efforts.
Back to the Power of Story

After the Ifugao reintroduced me to the power of story, I began to

research the topic. I soon discovered that many disciplines, including
management, mental and physical health, apologetics, theology and
anthropology rely heavily on telling stories.
Sadly, though, storytelling has become a lost art for many Christian
workers in relation to evangelism. Few present the gospel using Old
Testament stories to lay a solid foundation for understanding the life of
Christ, or connect these stories of hope to the target audience’s story
of hopelessness. Rather, many prefer to outline four or five spiritual
laws and prove the validity of each through finely honed arguments.
A number of hollow myths bias this preference
against storytelling in evangelism:

1. stories are for children;

2. stories are for entertainment;
3. adults prefer sophisticated objective, propositional
thinking;
4. character derives from dogmas, creeds and theology;
5. storytelling is a waste of time in that it fails to get to the
more meaty issues. As a result of these and other related
myths, many Christian workers have set aside storytelling.
Seven (7) reasons why storytelling should become a
skill practiced by all who communicate the gospel.

1. Storytelling is a Universal Form of Communication

2. More than Half of the World’s Population Prefer the Concrete
Mode of Learning
3. Stories Connect with Our Imagination and Emotions
4. Approximately 75% of the Bible is Story
5. Every Major Religion Uses Stories to Socialize its Young,
Convert Potential Followers and Indoctrinate Members
6. Stories Create Instant Evangelists
7. Jesus Taught Theology through Stories
Storytelling is a Universal Form of Communication

No matter where you travel in this world, you will find that
people love to tell and listen to stories. Young children,
teenagers and seniors all love to enter the life experiences
of others through stories.
Whatever the topic discussed; stories become an integral
part of the dialogue. Stories are used to argue a point,
interject humor, illustrate a key insight, comfort a
despondent friend, challenge the champion or simply
pass the time of day. No matter what its use, a story has a
unique way of finding its way into a conversation.
Storytelling is a Universal Form of Communication

Stories can be heard anywhere. They are appropriate in

churches and prison, in the court house and around a
campfire.
Not only do all people tell stories, they have a need to do
so. This leads us to the second reason for storytelling.
More than Half of the World’s Population Prefer the
Concrete Mode of Learning

Illiterate and semi-literate people in the world probably

outnumber people who can read.
People with such backgrounds tend to express
themselves more through concrete forms (story and
symbol) than abstract concepts (propositional thinking
and philosophy).
More than Half of the World’s Population Prefer the
Concrete Mode of Learning

 A growing number of people prefer the concrete mode of

communication. This is due, at least in part, to a major shift in
communication preference. One of the reasons behind this shift
(and the dropping literacy rate) is the television. With the average
TV sound byte now around 13 seconds, and the average image
length less than three seconds (often without linear logic), it is no
wonder that those under its daily influence have little time or desire
for reading.
 Consequently, newspaper businesses continue to dwindle while
video production companies proliferate. If Christian workers rely too
heavily on abstract, literary foundations for evangelism and
teaching, two-thirds of the world may turn its attention elsewhere
Stories Connect with Our Imagination and Emotions

Effective communication touches not only the mind, but

also reaches the seat of emotions—the heart. Unlike
principles, precepts and propositions, stories take us on an
open-ended journey that touches the whole person.
Stories Connect with Our Imagination and Emotions

While stories provide dates, times, places, names and

chronologies, they simultaneously provoke tears, cheers,
fear, anger, confidence, conviction, sarcasm, despair
and hope. Stories draw listeners into the lives of the
characters. Listeners (participants) not only hear what
happened to such characters; through the imagination
they vicariously enter the experience. Herbert Schneidau
eloquently captures this point when he states: “Stories
have a way of tapping those feelings that we habitually
anesthetize.”
Stories Connect with Our Imagination and Emotions

People appreciate stories because they mirror their own

lives, weaving together fact and feeling. Stories unleash
the imagination, making learning an exciting, life-
changing experience.
Approximately 75% of the Bible is Story

 Over the centuries, the writers of the Bible documented a host

of characters: from kings to slaves, from those who followed
God to those who lived for personal gain. Such stories serve as
mirrors to reflect our own perspective of life, and more
importantly, God’s. Charles Koller astutely points out:
 The Bible was not given to reveal the lives of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob, but to reveal the hand of God in the lives of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; not as a revelation of Mary and
Martha and Lazarus, but as a revelation of the Savior of Mary
and Martha and Lazarus.
Approximately 75% of the Bible is Story

Poetry covers approximately 15% of the Bible. Songs,

lamentations and proverbs provide readers and listeners
with a variety of avenues to express and experience
deep emotions. These portions of Scripture demonstrate
the feeling side of people, and illuminate the feelings of
God as well.
Approximately 75% of the Bible is Story

The remaining 10% of the Bible is composed in a thought-

organized format. The apostle Paul’s Greek-influenced
writings fall under this category, where logical, linear
thinking tends to dominate. Many Westerners schooled in
the tradition of the Greeks, myself included, prefer to
spend the majority of time in the Scripture’s smallest
literary style. Yet if God communicated the majority of his
message to the world through story, what does this
suggest to Christian workers?
Every Major Religion Uses Stories to Socialize its Young,
Convert Potential Followers and Indoctrinate Members

Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity—all use

stories to expand and limit membership, and assure
ongoing generational adherence. They use stories to
differentiate true members from false, acceptable
behavior from unacceptable. Stories create committed
communities.
Every Major Religion Uses Stories to Socialize its Young,
Convert Potential Followers and Indoctrinate Members

Whether Paul was evangelizing Jews or Gentiles, the

audience heard relevant stories. Unbelieving Jews heard
about cultural heroes, such as Abraham, Moses and
David (Acts 13:13-43). Unbelieving Gentiles heard about
the powerful God behind the creation story (Acts 14:8-18;
17:16-34). Maturing believers heard the same stories with a
different emphasis.
Could one of the reasons for this be that stories provide
an inoffensive, non-threatening way of challenging one’s
basic beliefs and behavior?
Stories Create Instant Evangelists

People find it easy to repeat a good story. Whether the

story centers around juicy gossip or the gospel of Jesus
Christ, something within each of us wants to hear and tell
such stories. Suppressing a good story is like resisting a jar
full of your favorite cookies. Sooner or later, the urge is too
strong and the cookie gets eaten, the story gets told. Told
stories get retold.
Stories Create Instant Evangelists

Because my Ifugao friends could relate well to the life-

experiences of Bible characters, they not only applied the
stories to their lives, they immediately retold them to family
and friends, even before they switched faith allegiance to
Jesus Christ. Stories create storytellers.
Jesus Taught Theology through Stories

Jesus never wrote a book on systematic theology, yet he

taught theology wherever he went. As a holistic thinker,
Jesus often used parabolic stories to tease audiences into
reflecting on new ways of thinking about life.
Jesus Taught Theology through Stories

As Jesus’ listeners wrestled with new concepts introduced

through parables, they were challenged to examine
traditions, form new images of God, and transform their
behavior. Stories pushed the people to encounter God
and change. It wasn’t comfortable to rise to the
challenge of Jesus’ stories-—to step out of the boat, turn
from family members, extend mercy to others, search for
hidden objects and donate material goods and wealth to
the poor—none of it was inviting.
Jesus Taught Theology through Stories

But the stories had thrown open possibilities that made it

difficult to remain content with life as it had been.
Whichever direction the listeners took, they found no
middle ground. They had met God. Jesus’ stories, packed
with theology, caused reason, imagination and emotions
to collide, demanding a change of allegiance.
Conclusion

The Bible begins with the story of creation and ends with a
vision of God’s recreation. Peppered generously between
alpha and omega are a host of other stories. While stories
dominate Scripture, they rarely enter the Christian
worker’s strategies. Leland Ryken cogently asks:
Conclusion

“Why does the Bible contain so many stories? Is it possible that

stories reveal some truths and experiences in a way that no
other literary form does—and if so, what are they? What is the
difference in our picture of God when we read stories in which
God acts, as compared with theological statements about the
nature of God? What does the Bible communicate through our
imagination that it does not communicate through our reason?
If the Bible uses the imagination as one way of communicating
truth, should we not show an identical confidence in the power
of the imagination to convey religious truth? If so, would a good
starting point be to respect the story quality of the Bible in our
exposition of it?”
Conclusion

Is it not time for today’s Christian workers to revitalize one of the

world’s oldest, most universal and powerful art forms—
storytelling? I believe so. I also believe that Christian workers, with
training and practice, can effectively communicate the finished
story of Jesus Christ and connect it to the target audience’s
unfinished story. Presenting an overview of Old and New
Testament stories that unveils the history of redemption will
highlight for the listeners the Storyline (Jesus Christ) of the sacred
Storybook (Bible). Should this happen, the gospel will be much
more easily understood, and more frequently communicated to
family and friends.
Watch the video below and summarize his
point about storytelling evangelism?

https://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=Q4syOmcnXno
Evaluation:

A link will be posted on the group chat

with instructions on how you will be
tested.
Evaluation of learning points will be
done and graded individually.
“The darker the night, the
brighter the stars,
The deeper the grief, the
closer is God!”

― Fyodor Dostoevsky