Storytelling Festival in Cameroon
We have received good news from our friend in Cameroon, Pastor George Vimensi Minang. The storytelling festival he organized was a great success. The theme was “Impacting the Community through Storytelling.” The event was held in Ndop, Cameroon on July 20-21, 2016. Theme stories were: The Story of Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9); and Jesus in Nazareth (Luke 4:14-30). The keynote speaker was Rev. Mbuh Julius, Head Chaplain of Mbingo Baptist Hospital.
The goal of this event was stated by Pastor Minang: “We want to explore ways of reaching our communities through biblical storytelling and sharing the love of Jesus Christ.” He reported wonderful results:
“When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.” 2 Samuel 9:6
“Forty participants attended. The majority of them being men and women who came into contact with Biblical storytelling for their very first time. The touching story of Mephibosheth was learned, told and dramatized.”
Pastor Minang was recently elected to be a Field Pastor of the Baptist Convention in Cameroon and is responsible for overseeing more than forty congregations. He holds a Bachelor of Theology (BTh) and last year received an MA in Pastoral Care and Counseling from Baptist Theological Seminary in Cameroon. Along with many other gifts he is a powerful biblical storyteller and a great advocate for biblical storytelling in West Africa.
“The Lady Giving Her All”
by Amelia Boomershine
There were quite a few people in the waiting area for visitation at the jail this week. I was waiting for my co-Circlekeeper to arrive. I set down my heavy bag of materials, including a supply of Cheryl’s Cookies which I bring every now and then for a treat. Then I decided to sit down myself.Now I have to make an embarrassing confession. Blame it on being an introvert, or the descendant of Norwegian stock, or because I was in a jail, but I was reluctant to sit down right next to a strange man. So, should I move my bag from where it was two seats down to the chair next to his so I could sit in the chair where the bag had been and not right next to him? Or should I pick up up my bag and go sit elsewhere?
Then I had a WWJD moment… Continued at http://www.circleoftheword.gotell.org
Breath of Fresh Air
The manuscript for Breath of Fresh Air: Circle of the Word Behind Locked Doors was sent off to the publishers (Wipf & Stock) in mid-July. Hopefully sometime before next summer it will be available. We’ll let you know! It’s both a theoretical and practical book about biblical storytelling with men and women who are incarcerated.