Oral Bible storytelling

Topher Lindstom

Topher Lindstom, Middle School youth pastor in our Faith Student Ministries (FSM) team said, "The kids all stayed interested, even when we went through the questions." 

Topher actively interacted with his students as I used oral Bible storytelling Sunday morning around Acts 20:7-12.

"They were great," Topher continued, "during the telling of the story and reading it with each other. Even when we went through the questions they were really into it.  Lots of application and involvement. They got it!" 

Diane Brask

One of my goals Sunday morning was to practice and refine the oral Bible storytelling model I was introduced to at Boulevard Park Presbyterian Church in Burien by Diane Brask and supported by Tom Horton, Rural Church Youth Ministries. Tom has been a major encouragement to me for 30 years. Diane is quick to refer learners to: Simply the Story

I wanted to give this new method serious field testing at Standing Stones in Wapato this past week and again with our FSM class, Sunday morning.

Tom Horton

 Ever feel like falling asleep during a sermon in a stuffy room?  Has it happened?    The kids stayed focused in on the story of Eutychus falling asleep and toppling three stories from a windowsill  in Acts 20:7-12. The story changes as the youth is raised from the dead in the arms of Paul.

                                                     Oral Bible storytelling
The story we used Sunday morning was from Acts 20:7-12--

Eutychus raised from the dead

Paul and Eutychus

7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. 9 And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. 10 But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” 11 And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. 12 And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.

 

The process of oral storytelling in groups begins as the presenter tells the story without any notes and everyone with their Bibles closed and listening carefully.  I attempt to be as clear and accurate as possible.  I don't get overly stressed  about missing details.  Then, I ask a volunteer to retell the story from my telling without opening their Bibles nor taking notes.  Learning starts by careful listening.  We are digging into the Scripture story. 

Now, we go to the actual text and read it carefully and ask another volunteer to retell the story.  If we can divide the group into pairs or groups of three, we have these groups read the story, retell with everyone else but the teller with their Bibles open.  By rotating reading the text and retelling the story, each person gets a chance to retell the story twice and listen to the reading four or six times.  

Our goal is to be just as accurate and even precise with the text, as possible.  Nobody has an advantage over anyone else.  We learn, "everyone is on an equal footing before the story."  We are working toward accuracy by what the text says.

In the table groups, now, we begin asking questions.  The first sequence entails seeking sequence of order and fill in the blank answers verse-by-verse.  We want the accurate facts by focusing on exactly what the text states.

With the basic facts determined, we begin digging for treasure.  We ask each group to work through five C's.  Here we begin to set the stage for applications and personal stakes about timeless truths.

First, the context.  What leads up to and follows the target story?  What is the flow of the book?

Second, the characters.  Who are the main and other characters in the story?

Third, the conversations.  What do each of the characters say?

Fourth, the choices.  What do the characters choose to do, or choose to avoid?

Fifth, the consequences.  What are the results of their chosen actions?

Next, we dig into applications:  We want to bring the story into our settings and ask what it says to us. 

• Which character do we identify with?  
• How does that character speak to what we are dealing with, right now?  
• How can we empathize with the characters?  
• What choices might we have made?  
• What consequences are we facing based on our choices?

Finally, we transition to summary conclusions: 

• How does the story and its characters change our lives?
• How does it correct our thinking about God, others, and ourselves?
• What action or steps of obedience does it require from us?